2026 AFC South Preview: Titans Trail as Texans Lead
AFC South preview: Titans falter; Jaguars, Colts impress. Texans thrive. Sims highlights coaching roles. Dan Sileo gives his predictions for this division.
Video Transcript
Afc South.
I wanna do some previewing here with this.
Look, I think this is gonna be a very competitive division.
I do think the Titans finish fourth in this division.
I think the Titans have to still figure out if Cam Ward's the guy.
They bring in Brian Daboll, the former New York Giants head football coach and offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, to help Cam Ward.
They've added some players, obviously, through the draft.
They took a wide receiver in the first round.
They've got Jeffrey Simmons, one of the best if not the best defensive tackle in pro football.
They've got some components, but they're a bit away when it comes to really tooling up that roster.
They do finish last in this division.
Now these top three teams I think are gonna be very competitive, and it could come down to the war of attrition.
I'm gonna put the team that won the division a year ago third, the Jaguars.
I think Liam Coen has done a great job with Trevor Lawrence.
Trevor Lawrence had his best year as a professional a year ago.
I think they're able to build that football team around him.
They're starting to look a lot better on that defensive side of the football, and I do believe that the Jags are gonna be in a conversation for a playoff spot.
I think they're gonna take a step back because of strength of schedule.
But the Jaguars with Liam Coen, in my opinion, they have a really good opportunity, I think, of doing something in this division here.
I'm gonna put the Colts at number two.
Well, I tell you what, Daniel Jones has really reinvented himself in Indianapolis with Shane Steichen.
I think Chris Ballard, their general manager, has done a wonderful job at building this roster, and I really think when you take a look at how they are run, I think the Indianapolis Colts have a heck of a roster.
They're good on defense, they've got skilled players at the whiteout position, and Daniel Jones is not Daniel Jones, New York.
You know, before he went down last year, Daniel Jones was like either six and one or six and two, and that football team was battling for one of the best teams in the AFC a year ago.
So I do believe that the Colts and Shane Steichen, who I think is an underrated coach and an underrated play caller, they finish second in that division.
You know, I'm partial to defense, obviously.
And the Texans have the very best defensive football team in the National Football League, giving up only 274 yards of total offense last year.
That defense with Will Anderson, with Denuel Hunter, all the things they have which With those great defensive backs, there's no question.
Stingley, Laster, all them players are great on the defensive side, and I love DeMeco Ryans.
The big question is gonna come down, can C.J.
Stroud carry the water?
He is going to be the big question of whether or not he's going to have enough to be able to take that team to an AFC championship.
They've got all the components.
They can run the ball, and they play lights-out defense, and they've got a skilled coach on that side of the ball that knows what he's doing.
So again, I got Texans, I got Colts, Jags, and Titans
