The Jacksonville Jaguars would've loved to go into their BYE riding a four-game winning streak but will instead have to regroup after losing to the Houston Texans. With that said, the sky isn't falling.
The Jags are 4-2 for a reason. They have a head coach who won't let them get complacent in Liam Coen and enough talent on both sides of the ball to keep winning football games. On the other hand, Jacksonville will have to fix a handful of issues during its break to avoid losing momentum.
This begs the question, just how much did the loss to Houston affect the Jaguars' place in the division? With that in mind, here's an AFC South Week 7 Power Ranking.
4. Tennessee Titans (1-5)
The Tennessee Titans remain at the cellar of the division but are making progress. They got their first win of the season when they beat the underwhelming Indianapolis Colts. The loss was so embarrassing that owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon dismissed general manager Chris Ballard. That should make the Titans proud.
Cam Ward is still a work in progress, but the Houston defense is quietly starting to click. Having said that, don't expect the Texans to make a sudden push in the division. They'll probably win a few more games but not enough to go 0.500.
3. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
If you're a long-time reader of Black & Teal, thank you, but you also probably read in last week's division rankings that Carlie Irsay-Gordon could dismiss Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen if they didn't make progress. She actually kicked Ballard to the curb but is giving Steichen another chance to prove he deserves to keep his job.
Given that Ballard failed to build a well-rounded roster, Steichen may have a tough time winning plenty of games the remainder of the year, but he may be able to stick around if his team shows enough fight. Either way, don't expect Indy to do this year other than possibly playing spoilers.
Heck, don't be surprise if the Colts keep tumbing in this rankings.
2. Houston Texans (2-3)
It's a bit odd that the Houston Texans surpassed the Colts in this division ranking even though they have a worse record. However, they're trending up after back-to-back wins and suddenly look dangerous. Granted, Houston didn't crush the Jags; it was a close game, but the fact that it's picking up steam should most definitely be a reason for concern.
Heck, two games behind in the division isn't much, so the Jaguars will need to keep winning games if they don't want Houston to catch up and maybe even get ahead of them.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
4-2 isn't a bad place to be six weeks into the season. However, the Jaguars have several glaring weaknesses on and off the field. Their cornerback group and the pass rush have left much to be desired this season, while penalties and questionable clock management have hurt the team at several points this season.
It will be up to Coen to fix the clock management issues and put an emphasis on execution and fundamentals in the BYE. For his part, general manager James Gladstone needs to get what he can for Brian Thomas Jr. and trade for help on defense. If he achieves both with one deal, that would be great, but it would also be huge if the Jags can get a high draft pick to bolster the roster next year.
Either way, the Jags have their work cut out even though they won't be playing in Week 6.
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