Indianapolis Colts can still win AFC South without Andrew Luck
Mediocrity and Uncertainty in the South
Taking the magnifying lens off of the Colts, the rest of the teams AFC South don’t seem to be in a better position than the Colts to win the division, even after Luck called it quits.
The Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, all have concerns and questions surrounding their teams that could have a more detrimental impact to their team’s success compared to what the Colts have to deal with. Don’t think so? Let’s go down the list and see each teams’ pressing issues.
For the Titans, their biggest concern is at quarterback. Marcus Mariota is still unproven and, if you add his injury history, it adds more concerns and skepticism. It’s unknown if he will play in all 16 games this year and he has yet to play for a full season in his career. Ryan Tannehill is their backup, but he doesn’t strike fear in the hearts of defenses and has fallen off since his days with the Miami Dolphins.
Now, they do have a behemoth of a running back in Derrick Henry, but running the ball can only do but so much in today’s NFL. Games are won and lost in the passing game and the Titans don’t scare anybody in that category as of now.
They don’t have solidified playmaker at receiver and Henry isn’t known for his pass-catching abilities. With an O-line that is very questionable and an underwhelming defense, Tennesse isn’t all the way there yet to truly compete for the division crown.
Also, the Colts have owned the Titans over the years. They have the advantage all-time against Tennesse with a 33-16 record. Last season they beat them twice, one of those wins coming in the final game of the season to earn a playoff birth. It would be hard to think that kind of dominance won’t continue for the Colts against the Titans.
Moving on to the Jaguars, they have a defense that is looking to rebound after a lackluster season. With shutdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell on the defensive line, and an up and coming linebacking corps, the Jacksonville defense have the potential to be the best in the league.
But the biggest questions come on the offensive end. Nick Foles is replacing Blake Boartles, but they lack playmakers around him. Foles is a quarterback that needs weapons around him to be successful and the Jacksonville front office hasn’t done a good job getting him impact skill players.
Leonard Fournette’s level of play is another uncertainty. Injuries and a suspension caused him to underperform last year. It is unknown if he can return to his rookie year self and Foles will need that if Jacksonville wants some success on offense. Not to mention, the team went 1-5 in division games last year.
The Jags are too big of a question mark offensively to put them as a realistic threat to the Colts for the division crown, even though they have an exceptional defense.
Finally, we have the Colts biggest threat to winning the AFC South, the Texans. They were the winners of the division last year, but a repeat might be in jeopardy this season. They do have Deshaun Watson at quarterback, but he was constantly beat up last season.
Watson was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL in 2018 and Houston hasn’t done enough to remedy their offensive line woes. It’ll be a miracle if Watson makes it through the season without injuries hampering his play.
The front seven is solid, but Jadeaveon Clowney might be shipped out before the season starts. Not to mention, running back Lamar Miller is out for the season with a torn ACL. The secondary is their biggest concern and in a passing league, a suspect secondary can derail a season without question.
The Texans will be in contention, but a subpar O-line could cause Watson to miss some games, and they can’t survive if Watson misses time.
No Luck, No Problem
Although Andrew Luck retired from the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts are still in a great position to win their division. The team is one of the more complete teams in the NFL and Jacoby Brissett has had plenty of time to get comfortable with the playbook and his skill players. The rest of the AFC South teams don’t have answers to their biggest questions, which can ultimately ruin their seasons.
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Luck will be sorely missed and the Colts will have to come together as a unit if they want to be successful this season. The pieces are there, the coaching is there, and the competition in the division is mediocre at best. The Colts can do the unthinkable by many and win their division, which means they will earn a spot in the playoffs as well.