2022 First Quarter Report: AFC South
Just 1.5 games separate the first and last-place teams in a tight AFC South as we head into Week 6. The Tennessee Titans are off to an early lead, but the rest of the division is beginning to wake up after a 3-1 Week 5. There isn’t much Super Bowl hype surrounding these teams, but the race for the division crown could be very spicy in the coming weeks.
Let’s check the latest NFL picks, stats, injury reports and NFL predictions. We’ve plenty of NFL expert picks for you to consider.
Tennessee Titans (3-2)
- Odds to win AFC South +180
- Odds to win AFC +600
- Odds to make the Playoffs Yes -105 / No -125
- Odds to win Super Bowl +6000
The Tennessee Titans are gunning for back-to-back first-place finishes in the AFC South with an early division lead. It’s all about the running attack in Tennessee with Derrick Henry running healthy. With Jonathan Taylor struggling in Indy, Henry has been the best back in this division and one of the best in the league. He leads the NFL in attempts (104) while ranking fifth in TDs (5) and sixth in yards (408) with 10 catches for 121 yards. It will be on Henry’s back if the Titans make the playoffs again this season.
The Titans’ rushing defense has also been highly effective. After five weeks, they rank eighth in rushing yards per game and lead the NFL in TDs allowed on the ground per game (0.2). With an upcoming bye and then a date with the terrible Washington Commanders, the future is bright for Tennessee.
Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1)
- Odds to win AFC South +160
- Odds to win AFC +2500
- Odds to make the Playoffs Yes -115 / No -115
- Odds to win Super Bowl +5000
The jury is still out on whether bringing in Matt Ryan was the right move for the Colts. While he ranks sixth in yards through five games, the rest of his stats are hard to look at. His TD/INT ratio is 5/7 and his passer rating is 79.8. The interceptions alone make him a massive liability with the ball in his hands.
But Ryan isn’t even the biggest problem with this offense. Taylor looks like a shell of himself just a year after leading the league in rushing yards (1,811). After an explosive 161-yard Week 1 performance against the Houston Texans, Taylor failed to run for more than 71 in three games since. It would be four, but Taylor missed Week 5 with an ankle injury and the Colts’ offense looked lost. Even with their superstar back, the Colts rank 29th in yards per rush and 26th in rushing yards per game. A far cry from the career numbers that Taylor put up in 2021.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
- Odds to win AFC South +200
- Odds to win AFC +900
- Odds to make the Playoffs Yes +150 / No -180
- Odds to win Super Bowl +7500
The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to struggle due in part to the inconsistent quarterback play by Trevor Lawrence. The highly touted prospect has yet to find his footing in his time in the NFL, and it’s holding this team back. The Jaguars enter Week 6 on an 0-2 slide after losses to the very good Philadelphia Eagles and very bad Houston Texans.
Lawrence had three interceptions and two touchdowns between those two losses. On the other hand, the Jaguars have impressive wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts in games where Lawrence threw multiple TDs without a pick.
If Lawrence can limit the turnovers, this team could make a move toward the division title. The Jaguars have the fourth-best scoring defense in the NFL and rank eighth in TDs per game.
From where we sit, they need to get James Robinson and Travis Etienne Jr. going on the ground. If they can spread the ball better, Lawrence will have less pressure on him to force mistakes.
Houston Texans (1-3-1)
- Odds to win AFC South +3300
- Odds to win AFC +25000
- Odds to make the Playoffs Yes +1400 / No -7000
- Odds to win Super Bowl +50000
It’s a tough call between the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers regarding the current worst team in the NFL. On the plus side, the Texans are coming off a win in Week 5. But it was their first of the season and against an inconsistent Jaguars team. The truth is that the Jags had several chances to win and failed to capitalize.
Their offense is one of the worst in the league, with an average of 17.2 points and 24th in yards per game on offense. Houston’s defense isn’t much better and allows an average of 414 yards per game to opposing offenses.
There isn’t much else to say about the Texans. They aren’t going anywhere this season and will likely finish in the basement of the AFC South in 2022.
