By now, you may be getting tired of hearing that the Jacksonville Jaguars are the best team in the AFC South. Then again, you would have to go back at least 20 years to find the last time they were such a dominant force in the division. Sure, you could point out that they had back-to-back winning seasons in 2022 and 2023, but they only made the playoffs once in those years. Similarly, Jacksonville reached the AFC Championship game in 2017 only to collapse the following season.
This is a long-winded way to say that we're witnessing a new brand of Jaguars football, one that doesn't make you feel regret and disappointment by the end of the season. And given that we don't know just how long this era will last, we're better off enjoying it as much as we can.
With this in mind, here's a division ranking. Sorry it didn't come out earlier this week, but that pesky trade deadline got in the way. Enjoy.
AFC South Week 10 power rankings
4. Tennesse Titans (1-7)
The Titans have had trouble winning games this season, and that won't change when they play the 10.5-point road favorite Jacksonville. That's probably why they showed their intention to punt on the season when they traded defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and safety Amani Hooker at the deadline.
At this point, it's hard to see Tennessee having a late-season surge, and you can bet Liam Coen is going to make sure that his Titans counterpart, Robert Saleh, regrets saying that he does a good job of stealing signals when these two division rivals meet Sunday.
3. Indianapolis Colts (2-7)
Like Tennessee, the Colts waved the white flag this season when they shipped defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and offensive guard Quenton Nelson out of town. Can't you blame them? Before he was ousted, general manager Chris Ballard left the Indianapolis roster devoid of talent. The Colts will need to get as many assets as they can to acquire talent next season. For the time being, don't expect to do much of note.
Next on Indy's schedule is an equally underwhelming Miami Dolphins team in Week 10. A win would most definitely uplift the locker room, but it wouldn't help in the AFC South standings, as the Colts are close to being eliminated from playoff contention.
2. Houston Texans (3-5)
The only AFC South club that could be a threat to Jacksonville this season is the Texans. Heck, they already beat the Jags once this season. When you factor in that C.J. Stroud is playing the best football of his career, Houston has a chance, even if it's a slim one.
And that's the thing, as well as Stroud has played, the Houston defense has let him down countless times this season. That said, the Texans have started slow in past years and managed to make the playoffs, so the Jags cannot afford to take them lightly, even if they have a three-game lead in the division.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
At this point, the question isn't whether the Jaguars will win the AFC South but rather whether they're a Super Bowl contender. They most definitely believe they are. Otherwise, Jacksonville wouldn't have traded for Jordan Davis, Davono Godchaux, and Jessie Bates III at the deadline.
Even before their trade deadline frenzy, the Jags were in a position to make the playoffs for the second straight year, a feat they haven't achieved since Tom Coughlin was the head coach in the late 1990s. After their splash, they're in a position to make a deep playoff run.
Of course, Jacksonville can't start dreaming about the Super Bowl just yet. Liam Coen needs to make sure that his team stays on course and focused on the task at hand: Beating the dreaded rival Titans in Week 10.
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