And just like that, the Jacksonville Jaguars are done for the season. Looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to 2023, they could never hit their stride and were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Houston Texans in Week 13. To make matters worse, Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion in the divisional game and landed on Injured Reserve.
What's frustrating about the way things unfolded is that the Jaguars have no shortage of talent, and many of their losses come down to a couple plays. Heck, they might have a winning record if they had had the ability to win close games.
That said, it doesn't help to look back and head coach Doug Pederson told the local media that the team must learn to finish plays if they want to finish strong.
"It doesn't make me feel any better. It's something that you try to coach your coaches, coach your players, that these games are going to come down to a couple of plays a game," Pederson responded when asked if he wonders how the season would've gone if the team had made a few more plays." And somehow we got to figure out how to get those plays to go in our direction and and overcome that."
Pederson continued, "And so, as we look back, we only got five games left, and we want to finish strong, obviously, but we get an opportunity to look back on it. I think that's what's going to be sort of glaring at us: Those plays, whether it's offense, defense against special teams, but those are, those are the things that we have to overcome as a football team in order to have consistency in winning.
With that in mind, here's a ranking of the AFC South ahead of Week 14:
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
2024 record: 2-10
Previous ranking: 4
There's not much left to say about the flailing Jaguars. They'll be without Trevor Lawrence the remainder of the season, so Mac Jones will have a chance to raise his stock ahead of free agency. The silver lining of the team's underwhelming record is that they're on pace to clinch the first overall pick and the best position in the 2025 NFL draft.
Having locked up Walker Little, the team's brass could either go after Travis Hunter or attempt to trade down a few spots.
3. Tennessee Titans
2024 record: 3-9
Previous ranking: 3
The Tennessee Titans would like to go further in their rebuild but they've most definitely made strides the past two years. They've added several building blocks to their roster and could contend for a playoff spot next year if they find a long-term answer behind center. The jury is still out on Will Levis.
Outside of the Titans fanbase, you would have been hard-pressed to find someone who legitimately thought Tennessee would be better than the Jaguars in 2024, but that's how things have played out.
In Week 14, the Titans will have a chance to lay another blow in Jacksonville and keep them on the cellar of the division (and the whole league).
2. Indianapolis Colts
2024 record: 6-7
Previous ranking: 2
Unlike the Jaguars or Tennessee, the Indianapolis Colts still have a chance to make the playoffs. They won't probably catch up with the Houston Texans, but they should be thrilled with Anthony Richardson's growth. Even if they fail to qualify for the postseason, they should be excited about the future. That said, Indy can no longer fumble his development and must make him their priority in 2025.
While the AFC South as a whole is one of the worst divisions in the NFL currently, things could get interesting in 2025, if both the Jaguars and Colts find a way to get the most out of their quarterbacks and surrounding with a better supporting cast.
1. Houston Texans
2024 record: 8-5
Previous ranking: 1
The Houston Texans deserve praise for taking care of business in Week 13 and beating the Jaguars. In the midst of a funk, they've managed to remain at the top of the division. That said, they need to be scrutinized for the way they handled the Azeez Al-Shaair controversy.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans is right to look out for his player, but his comments about the Jaguars blowing things out of proportion and overreacting were out of place. Similarly, Al-Shaair is acting like a victim when he laid a dirty hit on Trevor Lawrence that knocked him out of the game.
If Jaguars fans needed a reason to despise their dreaded division foes the recent debacle gave them one.