The AFC South was the weakest division in the NFL last season, as the Colts cruised to the division title. The Titans and Jaguars were expected to struggle, but the big surprise last season was the demise of the Houston Texans. This season there will be more struggles for these teams. We take a peek into how it looks to unfold in 2014.
2014 AFC South Predictions
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 2013 Season Record (11-5)
Indianapolis cruised to an easy division title in what appears to be the weakest division in football. Andrew Luck will be entering the pivotal third season, which is usually the season where quarterbacks take a major leap. Luck is one of the brightest stars in the game and the sky is the limit. He will have a monster season in 2014. He has all the football smarts of a Peyton Manning, yet is agile and can run almost as well as Colin Kaepernick or Russell Wilson. In 2013 he became more efficient, reducing his interceptions from 18 to 9.
Keep in mind he did this without star wideout Reggie Wayne for half the season, and TE Dwayne Allen for all but one game. With them back the Colts offense should flourish. Luck is stellar at home compiling a 14-3 record in his young career. If the Colts can somehow get Trent Richardson to perform above his ‘Bust’ status thus far, they will be on their way to a post-season playoff run.
On defense the Colts have a couple absolute beasts in Vontae Davis and Robert Mathis. The issue is that beyond them there is very little support. They are by far the best team in the lowly AFC South, and with a ridiculously easy schedule they should have little trouble retaining the division title, but until the defense gets better they are still a step or two behind the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
2014 Projection (11-5)
HOUSTON TEXANS: 2013 Season Record (2-14)
Last season’s record was a complete aberration as the Houston Texans are much better than the record indicated. Many experts had predicted them to be a legitimate powerhouse, and although they should never have been ranked that high, they kept most games close until late in the game. Matt Schaub was atrocious and his costly interceptions cost them the season. After starting 2-0 they lost 14 straight games to close out the year. Many players had given up on the coaching staff, and rightfully so.
This season they move on from Schaub as well as train wreck head coach Gary Kubiak. While QB Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t make your heart go pitter-patter, at least he wont throw as many “pick six’s” as Schaub. Bill O’Brien is a brilliant football mind coming from success at Penn State that should help rejuvenate the Texans. A lot of what happened last year was due to some key injuries as they lost Brian Cushing for the year, and Arian Foster for eight games, which was very difficult to overcome. Plus the signing of a 35-year-old Ed Reed was a disaster signing when they should have been focusing on a new quarterback.
Bottom line is they are not the team they were two or three years ago, but they will be much improved. First overall pick DE Jadeveon Clowney will complement J.J Watt as the best pass rushing tandem in the NFL. Clowney is a physical specimen that will free up coverage on Watt, who is the best defensive player in the game. Add in top ten cornerback Jonathan Joseph and Whitney Mercilus, and the Texans have a really good defense. They also have an easy schedule as well, so as long as they can stay healthy this season, I see them finishing around the .500 mark. They will need to focus on an efficient starting QB real soon, however.
2014 Projection (8-8)
TENNESSEE TITANS: 2013 Season Record (7-9)
I was at the 2010 Holiday Bowl in San Diego where Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies pulled a giant upset over heavily favored Nebraska. Locker won the “Seattle Sports Star Of The Year” and many pundits had him going very early in the 2010 NFL draft. He chose to stay for his senior year and ended up being selected eighth overall in the 2011 draft. There was so much potential for Locker as the savior to a struggling franchise. In three seasons, Locker has had flashes of being the man, but more often than not he looks lost.
The Titans made a major statement in passing on Manziel, Bridgewater, and Carr in this years draft basically saying they are giving Locker the job to lose. 2014 will be his pivotal chance to save his career, as long as he can stay healthy. A tidbit for those cheering him on—in 2008, as a major baseball phenom, Locker was named by www.baseballamerica.com as the top prospect.
This season the Titans will switch defensive schemes to the 3-4. This is always an adjustment for a defense and a learning curve. With a ridiculously easy schedule, and playing Jacksonville twice, will keep Tennessee in the hunt for a .500 season.
2014 Projection (7-9)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: 2013 Season Record (4-12)
Half way through 2013, the Jaguars looked like they may break records as the worst team in the history of the NFL. Going into their week nine bye the closest game they had was a ten point loss. They weren’t just losing, they were getting destroyed. They, somehow, managed to pull off four wins. Mind you, those included the Browns, the Titans and two against the Texans, so don’t get too excited.
In the 2014 NFL draft the Jags passed on Khalil Mack and superstar WR Sammy Watkins out of Clemson. Do you know that the WR the Jags are going with in 2014 include Cecil Shorts, Ace Sanders and two rookies. Blake Bortles will be a future star in this game, as he has all the tools, but what Jacksonville needed was a receiver, and someone that could perform right away. With Justin Blackmon suspended indefinitely for substance abuse they have little for Chad Henne to work with. Jacksonville has said numerous times that they plan on sitting Bortles until 2015.
With the departure of long time running back Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags will look to former Vikings backup Toby Gerhart as the main man. Bottom line is the Jaguars will have a long season ahead of them as they look to the 2015 NFL draft to keep rebuilding. Expect more fight in 2014, but a similar result, at best.
2014 Projection (4-12)
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @KEVINBRADLEY17. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
