Caleb Harris
From one of the most uninteresting divisions in the NFL For one of the most intriguing, the AFC South has entered a new era that promises to be fun. The Texans shocked the NFL world in 2023, going from worst to first in the division, the Jaguars again went 9-8 but missed the playoffs, while the Colts and Titans may have found their franchise quarterbacks. What does 2024 hold for us?
Even after free agency and the NFL Draft, we will have questions about all four AFC South teams. As we prepare to turn the NFL From the offseason to the preseason, here’s a burning question for every team.
Houston Texans: Can DeMeco Ryans and Co. build on last year’s surprising success?
The Texans are expected to be AFC contenders in 2024 after last year’s surprising season and aggressive offseason. After winning 11 games over the past three seasons, Houston is 11-8, including the 2023 playoffs, and appears to have found a young star to reign supreme. NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud, who stepped in and immediately got the most out of playmakers like Nico Collins and Tank Dell. But Houston’s hype machine didn’t stop there.
This offseason, the Texans became the first team in NFL history to add a player coming off a season with 100+ receptions (Stefon Diggs), 1,000+ rushing yards (Joe Mixon) and 10+ sacks (Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry) in the same offseason. With all these additions, the Texans will really be Super Bowl contenders? Or could they take a step back after the unexpected debuts of coach Ryans and Bobby Slowik? The Texans clearly seem to be on the right track, but you have to go out there and prove it with the eyes of the NFL world now upon you.
This one is simple. Can the former 4th overall pick of the Colts stay on the field and develop into a NFL star? Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5 and managed to finish just ONE NFL game healthy during his junior year. Still, Richardson became just one of four players in NFL history to record three or more passing touchdowns and three or more rushing touchdowns in his first four career games.
Will Richardson be a dynamic Cam Newton-type clone? Or someone who perpetually struggles to stay on the field?
Jacksonville Jaguars: Did they do enough this offseason to improve?
The Jaguars again went 9-8 in Year 2 of the Doug Pederson era, but this season was much different than last year. In 2022, the Jaguars clinched the AFC South in a win-win situation in Week 18 against the Titans, and then mounted a historic postseason comeback to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round. Last season, the Jags lost to the AFC South in a win-win situation in Week 18 against the Titans, with Jacksonville losing five of its last six games after an 8-3 start. The Jaguars are just the sixth team since 2000 to miss the playoffs after an 8-3 start.
There are questions about Trevor Lawrence, who committed 10 turnovers in the last four games of the season. But I would attribute some of it to injuries. People forget that Lawrence suffered that nasty ankle sprain in Week 13, then the knee sprain in Week 6, then suffered a concussion in Week 15 and an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder in Week 16. I’m more concerned about the Jags. off-season overall compared to Lawrence as the franchise quarterback. Jacksonville replaced Calvin Ridley with Gabe Davis, but also drafted Brian Thomas Jr. Maybe he ends up being a stud — but losing their best receiver is notable.
Defensively, I look at the secondary. There was certainly some change, but the big headlines were probably the Jaguars replacing Darious Williams with Ronald Darby at cornerback, and Rayshawn Jenkins with Darnell Savage at safety — although Savage could play some nickel corner. Has the seventh-worst pass defense in the NFL from last year improved?
The Jaguars hired Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator, which I think is a good hire. But how much better will the 11th-worst defense be in 2024, and how much does it need to improve to get back to the postseason?
The table is set for Levis. Tennessee went out and acquired an offensive-minded coach who has worked with several big-name quarterbacks throughout his career, a new left tackle, a new center and some new special weapons in Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Tony Pollard to work alongside DeAndre Hopkins .
Levis’ first nine NFL starts didn’t put him in the Offensive Rookie of the Year discussion by any means, but he showed plenty of flashes that got fans excited — from his four-touchdown debut against the Atlanta Falcons to the unlikely comeback victory over the Miami Dolphins in prime time. Levis has a legitimate NFL arm and now what appears to be a legitimate supporting cast. How far can Tennessee go in 2024 if Levis takes the next step in his development?
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