Jaguars watch Texans refuse to walk away with the AFC South in Week 9 power rankings

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Green Bay Packers. At 2-5, their odds of making the playoffs keep decreasing by the week, but somehow, they're still alive. Then again, that has not much to do with how well (or bad) the Jags played, and it's basically due to the Houston Texans' inability to consolidate their lead in the AFC South.

Houston got off to a strong start to 2024, winning five of their first six games. However, it lost two the past three weeks. That's certainly a reason for concern, at least if you're a Texans fan, and if you are, thanks for passing by and checking on the B&T. On the other hand, their struggles bode well for the rest of the AFC South.

That's right, there's no clarity in the division heading into Week 9. Houston is at the top while the Indianapolis Colts made a surprising switch at quarterback at the midpoint of the season. That bodes well for the Jaguars, who haven't been able to put it together but could make things interesting in the second half of the season if they do. With that in mind, here's a ranking of the AFC South.

4. Tennessee Titans

Previous ranking: 4

2024 record: 1-6

The Tennessee Titans admitted defeat when they traded linebacker Ernest Jones and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. They deserve credit but most teams would refuse to accept the reality of things and naively think they're on the right path. The Titans didn't and smartly, they have now set their sights on 2025. Do you blame them?

The more games Tennessee wins, the lower its draft position will be, and that won't come in handy when it comes to finding a potential solution at the quarterback position, which Will Levi proved he isn't.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Previous ranking: 3

2024 record: 2-6

You are what you're record is, but the Jacksonville Jaguars aren't certainly playing like a team that's 2-6 and outside of the playoff picture. Outside of the blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, they have played hard and taken things to the wire. They gave the Houston Texans and the Green Bay Packers everything they could handle. Ultimately, they came up short. And that's the thing, the Jags have nobody but themselves for their losses.

Mistakes at the worst possible time and lack of execution, especially on defense, have held Jacksonville back. That's the sign of a bad team. Maybe they'll hit their stride, but there's a chance they won't, and if that's the case, their story in 2024 be that of a talented club that had the opportunity to make noise but instead underachieved.

2. Indianapolis Colts

Previous ranking: 2

2024 record: 4-4

The Indianapolis Colts remain in the thick of the playoff race. Heck, they could even challenge the Texans for the division title. That's why their decision to bench Anthony Richardson is understandable. On the other hand, they deserve all the flak in the world for how they handled it. They knew the former Florida Gator had barely played in college and would need lots of reps to reach his potential.

Granted, Richardson shouldn't taken himself out of the game, but the Colts won't give up on their season just because their quarterback has stagnated. That said, head coach Shane Steichen will be under heavy scrutiny if Indy fails to make the playoffs, which is the whole reason they're all in Joe Flacco.

1. Houston Texans

Previous ranking: 1

2024 record: 5-3

The NFL season is fluid. At one point, a team can look like a contender, only to find itself in a losing streak a few weeks later. The Houston Texans haven't experienced such a decline but aren't certainly in a great position either.

After a tough win over the Indianapolis Colts, Houston lost to a faltering New York Jets team. That was odd and surprising at the same time. C.J. Stroud, in particular, isn't doing as great as he was last year or early this season and appears to be suffering a sophomore slump. That said, it's too early for Houston to hit the panic button. As underwhelming as they have been, they still have ample time to get back on track.

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