All of a sudden, the AFC South might be the most interesting division in the NFL. Three teams are all within one game of each other, and this division could take until Week 18 to solve. There is also a legitimate chance that only one team from the division actually makes the playoffs.
In the coming weeks, playoff-clinching scenarios will pop up for some of the best teams in the NFL, but each game is going to begin meaning more and more for certain teams, and a few of those teams are in the AFC South right now.
Let's power rank the division following Week 13 action.
Texans ascending to the top of the AFC South in updated power rankings
4. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have had a forgettable season so far and are clearly at the beginning of a years long rebuild. If nothing else, Cam Ward has shown flashes at times, but the Titans won't get a legitimate reading on Ward until the correct coaching staff is brought in, and the right players are invested into.
The Titans, at the earliest, are probably looking at 2027 as any sort of year to be competitive and perhaps make a postseason push.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts were once 7-1 on the season, and now the playoffs altogether look like a chore. Indy just lost to the Houston Texans at home and are now in a Wild Card seed thanks to losing three of four. The 8-4 Jaguars are ahead of them, and I am not sure anyone would take issue with me saying Houston is much better than Indy right now.
The Colts may have had a half-season window shut, just like that. Daniel Jones has also not played all that well recently, and if the QB is declining, the season is effectively over...
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the shaky QB play at times from Trevor Lawrence, the Jacksonville Jaguars have just found ways to win games and are now in first in the AFC South. It's clear that first-year head coach Liam Coen is very much cut out for this job, as the Jags are likely staring at a double-digit win season, which has not happened in quite some time.
The roster itself is solid, but it needs another strong offseason of infusing talent before this team takes that next step. The first place team in our AFC South rankings also recently beat Jacksonville, so that has to be good for something.
1. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans, sitting in third place in the AFC South, are first in our power rankings. Houston's defense is the best overall unit of any team in this division, and since a brutal 0-3 start, Houston has saved their season by going 7-2 over the past nine games.
I think it's important to view this team beyond the record, as they are playing more like an 8 or 9-win team. With CJ Stroud now back in the lineup as well, his play should become more efficient as the weeks go on, and there is a legitimate chance that they beat the Chiefs in Week 14 and really make their mark in the AFC Playoff Picture.