As recently as Week 7, it seemed like the AFC South could be up for grabs. The Jacksonville Jaguars have just lost to the Houston Texans, and the Texans themselves showed signs of life after their sluggish start to the season. However, things are always fluid in the NFL, and what's true at some point may no longer be true just a couple weeks later. That's the case for the state of the division.
Following their win over the rival Indianapolis Colts, the Jags are 5-2 with a three-game lead in the division. Meanwhile, Houston has lots of catching up to do, while the Tennessee Titans and Indy remain at the cellar of the AFC South.
With this in mind, here's a division ranking ahead of Jacksonville's Thursday Night game against the Baltimore Ravens.
AFC South Week 9 Power Ranking: The Jaguars remain entrenched at the top
4. Indianapolis Colts (2-6)
The Colts began a rebuild when they ousted general manager Chris Ballard. They knew it was going to be a tough process, and it showed in the loss to the Jaguars in Week 8. Just a few days after trading All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the Colts seemed clueless.
The defense couldn't stop Jacksonville's high-octane offense, while Daniel Jones and the offense failed to show signs of life. Heck, nobody should blame all-star running back Jonathan Taylor for wanting out ahead of the trade deadline.
3. Tennessee Titans (1-7)
Wait, what? You may be wondering why the Titans are ahead of Indy even though they've won one fewer game this season, but the answer is simple: They're further ahead in their rebuild and showed ample fight against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. Granted, Tennessee ultimately lost, and morale victories are just losses in disguise.
Having said that, the Titans should be thrilled about the direction of the team. They won't be competing for a playoff spot anytime soon but are at least building the foundations of what should be a better 2027.
2. Houston Texans (2-5)
The Texans land in second place by default. Sure, they beat Jacksonville in Week 6, but it wasn't a blowout. You can bet that the Jaguars will make an effort to split the series when they face them later this season.
This may be doable when you take into account that the Houston defense isn't nearly as dominant as it was in past years. Moreover, wide receiver Jaylin Noel is out for the year, effectively making it extremely difficult for the Texans to make a deep playoff push in the second half of the season.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2)
The Jaguars should have no trouble winning what's turned out to be an underwhelming AFC South. However, they're far from a team that's benefiting from playing in a weak division.
Jacksonville has some of the top EPAs on both defense and offense in the whole NFL. On top of that, they're quietly beginning to join the Super Bowl conversation, and it's easy to see why.
One team is in the top 5 in EPA/play on offense and EPA/play allowed on defense, per @SumerSports: the Jacksonville Jaguars
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) November 2, 2026
Trevor Lawrence is playing at an MVP level, while Bhayshul Tuten has shown that he can be a star if he gets plenty of touches. On the other hand, the injury bug just struck the Jags, and the losses of Eric Murray and DaVon Hamilton will test the team's depth.
Jaguars ... might be the best team in the NFL? pic.twitter.com/VZLI4q0Ho2
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 2, 2026
But if the Jaguars manage to overcome said injuries, they could accomplish big things in 2026.
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