In the latest in our fan preview articles, we move to the AFC South and ask the fans there what they make of their team and the NFL as a whole heading into 2022.
The AFC South is certainly in a bit of a precarious position this season, as it could well be that any of them could emerge and be a real threat in not just the division but the conference as a whole.
The Indianapolis Colts have a pretty stacked roster and will be hoping that former league MVP Matt Ryan will be the man to take them over the edge, the Tennessee Titans grabbed the #1 seed in the AFC last year so can't be dismissed, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a team on the up with Trevor Lawrence showing promise in his first season, whilst the Houston Texans made some additions this offseason to build a foundation of a solid roster moving forward.
It really is a division that you don't want to take your eyes off this season, but what do those who watch the sides week in and week out make of it?
We reached out to a number of fans from all teams in the AFC South and asked them their views on their respective franchises, asking five of the same questions to each responder before giving them one unique question each, after which we will reveal our prediction for how the division will look come the end of the regular season.
Jacksonville Jaguars, @JacksonvilleUK
What went well for you last season?
Last season was a bit of a whitewash in Duval County. The only positives we can extract is that Trevor Lawrence had a pressure-free (pun unintended!) year to get used to NFL life. Urban Meyer was taking all the headlines, so the pressure was off for TL. The other bonus was James Robinson, before losing him to injury, proving he’s not reached full capability yet - avg 4.7 yards per carry vs 4.5 yards in his breakout season the year before.
What area do you need to improve on?
We made a big splash at WR this off-season, but it still feels like a need area. We improved at O-Line with the pick-up of Scherff, and defense has been boosted with Oluokun as an upgrade on Myles Jack plus 1st overall pick Travon Walker looking like a beast, but it feels like we went too heavy on Christian Kirk at WR & we might still be short a WR1. Time will tell.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
This year feels like we know what to expect as a fan base & anything above 5 wins will be a success. We’re not ready for a postseason run this year, but it feels like we have a lot of good, young pieces that could be the backbone for a solid team for several years. 6+ wins this season, 10+ wins next season, and the TL16 era is alive & kicking.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
It’s hard to look past Allen & the Bills. They were the best team in the league for huge parts of last season & adding Von Miller makes them a scary prospect. We also liked the low-key addition of the odd ‘seasoned pro’ into their Locker Room to help with the playoff mentality. Emmanuel Sanders is a wiley, street-smart pro who can only help Stefon Diggs & co through the long season.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
I promise we’re being objective(ish) here - but Houston are due a rough ride. With little to shout about at QB and a WR room that makes ours look like a line-up of Pro Bowlers, it’s hard to see them putting up many points. I can see them with 2-3 wins maximum & being in line for 1st overall draft pick.
Did you see enough in Trevor Lawrence's first year to make you think that he can be the franchise quarterback the Jaguars have been looking for?
Absolutely. Trevor is going to be a huge success in this league & we just hope it’s with the Jags for the duration of his career. His mechanics are smooth & almost effortless and he’s a natural-born leader. Considering the horrific play calling last season & a clear lack of any serious game prep by Urban Meyer, Trevor’s output was exemplary.
The only shame is that we lost 1 of his rookie contract years having to wait for Urban to be shown the door. Doug Pederson will be a breath of fresh air for TL16 & this year we’ll see his generational talent fully on display
Houston Texans, @TexansUk
What went well for you last season?
It was a very difficult season for the Texans as you know with all the off-field antics that were going on regarding Deshaun Watson, so any bright spots were few and far between. Our record was poor finishing 3rd in the AFC south but we did have some good performances. The Titans win on the road saw us play complimentary football through all three phases.
The Texans did not have a large draft class either with a lack of picks due to past business decisions by a previous regime. For the lack of picks that we had I believe we got some real gems in there with a rookie starting QB taking the helm and his accompaniment of WR Nico Collins and TE Brevin Jordan looking like very bright prospects for the future on offense and LB Garrett Wallow having some flashes including having 11 tackles and a sack in one game. Roy Lopez the DE also did not disappoint throughout the season so if I was to say a bright spot from last year had to be the quality of diary for all the capital we had to play with.
What area do you need to improve on?
This season the Texans had to improve on defense and there were a lot of holes to fill, but in this season's draft the Texans showed they meant business by taking Derek Stingley Jr with the 3rd pick in the first round and as training camp has proven he could be the starting CB for the team even being earmarked as the man to match up with opposing teams star receivers. The secondary was strengthened with the addition of Metchie III in the second round. These young guns will add energy to that position group.
Although the Texans' pass rush wasn’t perfect it improved, I think they will be helped with the return of Jon Greenard who showed last season he could make the step up as the main pass rush attack. Lovie Smith's defenses are known for creating pressure and forcing turnovers so if we can do that in games and get the ball in the hands of Mills then hopefully we can hang around in games and make them interesting.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
As for confidence levels I’m not gonna lie I’m a huge fan and think we can win it all every year but if I was to manage actual expectations I can see us going better than our 4-win record from last year and maybe improving that to a 7 win season all going great.
Like I said if the defense can create the turnovers and the offense can actually get a running attack involved then we will be there or there about in games. We lost four last year by one score or less so if we can flip them we are definitely trending upwards and the rebuild will be underway. So I'm confident the product on the field this year will be better than last year as the team has taken strides to repair their image and it’s the atmosphere around NRG.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
This is such a shot in the dark suggesting an MVP before the season is even underway but let’s just throw a wild one out there. Aaron Donald gets this season's MVP. Why not? He’s a beast. J.J Watt should have won it years ago so why can’t Donald go that step further?
As for Super Bowl winners, the Rams have a chance to repeat but I’d be careful of the Raiders this season, they were sneaky good last year and are probably set to be better this season, like I said though it’s crystal ball stuff.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
This season's worst team will be Jags or hopefully the Browns as that’s all I hope for Watson and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.
Is Davis Mills the man of the future, or merely a stop-gap until the next man comes in?
I’m high on Davis “Money” Mills and he has worked his backside off this offseason to come back better and I think it’s shown in training camp. The Texans are in a good position, if he works out like I hope he does, then we found a franchise QB down the draft. If not and we repeat the record from last year we get a good high pick again with a pretty solid QB class next year. I do believe he is gonna show up and show out this season for the Texans and if Dameon Pierce gets the gig as RB 1 that will help Mills no end as it will open the playbook more than we got to see last year.
Tennessee Titans, Jack from @TitanUpPod and AtoZSports.com
What went well for you last season?
The next man up mentality that Mike Vrabel preaches was on display. The Titans used a record amount of players last season and we’re still able to finish atop the AFC due to a much-improved defense and pass rush.
What area do you need to improve on?
Aside from staying healthy, the offensive line will need to improve this season. Derrick Henry doesn’t need too much help, but Ryan Tannehill was sacked too many times last season.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
Lots of new faces this year, and without A.J. Brown and Harold Landry there are a lot of unknowns. On a scale of 1-10 I’m at about a 7.5 that the Titans will make the playoffs and finish with a winning record for the 7th season in a row.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
Hard to bet against Josh Allen for MVP honors. Super Bowl champ will come out of the most loaded AFC we’ve seen in a while. I’ll take the Bills.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
The Seahawks will be abysmal.
What do the Titans need to do in order to get over their slump in the postseason?
It’s all up to Tannehill. If he can be the guy the Titans saw in 2019-20 they’ll make some noise in the playoffs. It’s a make-or-break year for the QB, who is coming off a disastrous playoff performance against the Bengals.
Indianapolis Colts, @UKColtsfans
What went well for you last season?
The 2021 Colts had lots of their season go well but the biggest has to be Jonathan Taylor. Taylor’s rookie year in 2020 started off slow then after an adjustment period hit the ground running. In 2021, he took his game to a whole new level. Taylor went from good running back to an MVP candidate across the season putting up huge numbers on the ground and smashing Colts rushing records.
What area do you need to improve on?
The biggest area the Colts need to work on is the passing game, both offensively and defensively. The Colts are a great rushing team and defend the run superbly however their pass defense and passing attack need work. An injection of talent via QB Matt Ryan on offense and DE Yannick Ngakoue should go a long way to helping both units improve in those aspects.
How confident are you going into this year and what do you expect your record to be?
Going into 2022 expectations are very high for this Colts team as they believe they were a QB away last year from being a playoff team. The Colts now have a QB they believe can take them back to the playoffs and potentially further. The Colts' schedule this year looks difficult but with the injection of talent they have added this off-season around the already talented cores of players they have this team should be an 11/12 win team. I think the Colts' record ends up being 11-6.
Who is winning MVP and the Super Bowl?
Although I would love to sit here and say the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl I think the Super Bowl will ultimately be between the Buffalo Bills and the LA Rams with the Bills taking the Lombardi trophy this year. In terms of potential MVP candidates there should be a few such as Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Devante Adams and Jonathan Taylor. I think Josh Allen takes it this year.
Who is going to end up with the worst record in the league?
I think there are a few teams that will be in the running for the worse record in the league and the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft such as the Washington Commanders, both New York teams, the Chicago Bears, the Seattle Seahawks and the Jacksonville Jaguars. But ultimately I think it will be the New York Giants.
Do you see Matt Ryan being the quarterback beyond this season, or do you believe that this will be another one-year rental in the same way Rivers/Wentz were?
I think everyone who either plays/works for the Colts and all of the Colts fans hope Matt Ryan sticks around longer than one year as the Colts have been screaming for some QB continuity since Andrew Luck retired in 2018. I think although Ryan is coming to the end of his career his play is still of a high level and will play well enough to not only stick around for longer than the 2022 season but also put the Colts back into playoff contention and maybe even more.
GiveMeSport's predictions: Colts, Titans, Jaguars, Texans