The Indianapolis Colts haven\u2019t won the AFC South since 2014. Will the drought end this season?<\/p>\n
Most experts believe the Houston Texans<\/a> will win the division. The team won it last year, finishing with a 10-7 record under new coach DeMeco Ryans. Quarterback C.J. Stroud<\/a> had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history, passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns.<\/p>\n The Texans could be even better this year. During the offseason, they acquired defensive end Danielle Hunter and running back Joe Mixon. Plus, they added Stefon Diggs<\/a>, who will team with Nico Collins and Tank Dell to give Houston one of the league\u2019s most dangerous wide receiver corps.<\/p>\n Houston could very well repeat as AFC South champs. They\u2019re the division\u2019s best team on paper. However, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re guaranteed to win it. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans<\/a>, of course, also have a shot.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget about the Colts. They nearly won the division last season despite playing with a backup quarterback in Gardner Minshew<\/a>. Here are two reasons why Indy can claim its first AFC South crown in a decade.<\/p>\n The defensive line is the strongest area of the Colts\u2019 roster. In 2023, the unit set an Indy-era franchise record<\/a> for sacks in a season with 51. Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, and Dayo Odeyingbo each produced at least eight sacks. Ebukam led the team with 9.5.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Ebukam could miss the entire season due to an Achilles injury<\/a>. But even without him, the Colts still possess an elite defensive line. Buckner and Grover Stewart are a great defensive tackle combo. Meanwhile, guys like Paye, Odeyingbo, and rookie Laiatu Latu<\/a> are quality defensive ends.<\/p>\n Lati had 13 sacks during his final season at UCLA. The Sacramento native has the potential to become the Colts\u2019 best pass-rusher since the Dwight Freeney\/Robert Mathis days. He could certainly win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors this season.<\/p>\n While Indy\u2019s defensive line is terrific, the secondary is considered their biggest weakness. The team will have a much better chance of winning the division if the unit can step up and produce.<\/p>\n Do the Colts have an explosive offense? No one knows the answer, seeing that they haven\u2019t played a regular-season game yet. They didn\u2019t look like a legendary offense during the preseason, though. But as everybody knows, preseason and the regular season are two different things.<\/p>\nWhy the Indianapolis Colts Can Win the AFC South<\/h2>\n
Elite Defensive Line<\/h3>\n
Dynamic Offense<\/h3>\n