Tennessee Titans might be a lock to win the AFC South

The Tennessee Titans are among the hottest teams in the NFL and, now tied atop the AFC South, they may be locks to win the division.

When Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel made the switch at quarterback from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill, it was past time to do so. The risk-averse Mariota led the Titans to a 2-4 start and his play was at the heart of their struggles, holding the offense back. It was time to see if Tannehill could provide a spark — but it’s hard to believe anyone saw Tannehill lighting a bonfire.

Since taking over as the starter, Tannehill has ignited this team. They’ve scored at least 23 points in all seven games, something they did twice in six games with Mariota at the helm. Moreover, they’ve gotten better as Tannehill’s run has continued.

After eeking out wins against the Chargers and Bucs then losing to Carolina, the Titans beat a possible contender, Kansas City, and have since blown out two division rivals (Jaguars by 22, Colts by 14) and then dismantled the Raiders in Week 14, winning by 21 points. That brings Tannehill’s record as Tennessee’s starter to an impressive 6-1.

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The run that this team has gone on has them among the hottest teams in the league right now and they’re making a big playoff push. After the victory over Oakland, the Titans sit at 8-5 and are tied atop the AFC South with the Houston Texans after Deshaun Watson and his club lost in brutal fashion to the Denver Broncos.

With the Colts now holding a 6-7 record, the AFC South is likely coming down to the Titans and Texans. And as fate would have it, they have not faced one another yet in the 2019 season. That means that the division will be decided in the Week 15 and Week 17 matchups between Tennessee and Houston.

And given their current form, it feels almost safe to say that we can crown the Titans AFC South champions.

Many people will likely point to the Texans’ victory over the Patriots in Week 13 and say “what about this one?” However, what about New England is supposed to impress me right now? They’re an offense incapable of taking advantage of Houston’s biggest issue: their defense. And yes, Watson and the Houston offense are explosive but if an opponent can take advantage on the other side of the ball, they’ve been less effective.

Outside of the win over New England, Houston has gotten blown out by the Ravens, barely beat an injury-ravaged Colts team and then lost 38-24 to Denver in a game that was 31-3 at one point. This team is wildly inconsistent and, most importantly, very easily can be had.

Then you have the Titans, a team that has a quarterback playing the best football of his career, has Derrick Henry looking like a juggernaut, has a defense that is making plays with forcing turnovers and coming up with stops and even has emerging players like A.J. Brown stepping up and making things happen on offense.

Frankly, when you put the Texans and Titans side by side right now, it’s no contest in favor of Tennessee. Maybe that changes when the stakes are raised as these two teams face off. But from what we’ve seen and what we know, the smart money should be on the Tannehill-led Titans staying hot and taking home the AFC South.