AFC South power rankings Week 8: Texans remain on top, but not by much
By Randy Gurzi
The Houston Texans remain in first place in the AFC South with a record of 5-2. They could have continued to put plenty of distance between them and their rivals had they pulled out the win in Week 7, but they wound up losing to the Green Bay Packers by two points on the road.
That loss meant they were 1-1 on their two game road trip, including a win over the New England Patriots in Week7. They now head home to take on the Indianapolis Colts, who are 4-3. The Texans already handed Indy a loss, 29-27, back in Week 1.
With that game coming up, let's take a look around the division with our Week 8 AFC South Power Rankings.
4. Tennessee Titans
Things have gotten so bad for the Tennessee Titans that they've turned to Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback. His first start ended with a 34-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. They're now 1-5 and are set to play the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 8. It's not looking good for Tennessee.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7 wasn't looking good for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who fell behind against the New England Patriots in London. They eventually caught fire and won 32-16. That was their second win in the last three games. That includes a 37-34 win over the Colts.
While the divisional win over Indy was helpful, they're still just 2-5. You could argue that they're better than that record, however, evident by three of their losses being by one score. Still, they head into this week as the No. 3 team in the South and they could look much worse given their upcoming schedule. Jacksonville will face Green Bay, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, and Houston over the next six weeks.
2. Indianapolis Colts
At 4-3 overall, the Colts are the No. 2 team in the AFC South. The main issue for them is their divisional record. Two of their three losses have come in the South with a loss to Houston in Week 1 and a loss to Jacksonville in Week 5.
They have a chance to right the ship this weekend with a trip to NRG Stadium. If they can hand the Texans a loss, they will be tied for the division lead and could make a run. A loss would not only put them two games back, but would drop them to 1-3 in the division.
1. Houston Texans
Houston enters the week with a record of 5-2, putting them atop the AFC South standings. They're also 2-0 in the division with wins over the Colts and Jaguars. That means a win this weekend over Indy could put them in full control of the division.
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They're the most complete team in the South and they have the best quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and pass-rush thanks to the presence of Will Anderson, Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Throw in the dominant way Joe Mixon is playing and they're going to be tough for anyone else in the division to deal with.
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