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We are already nearing the quarter mark of the NFL season, and for some fanbases, dreams of the playoffs have already been crushed. In most NFL divisions, starting off 0-4 will have you firmly in last place. In the AFC South, 0-4 will have you tied for 3rd. The AFC South is still very much up for grabs.

Jacksonville Jaguars

From last to first, the Jacksonville Jaguars went from an expansion team that struggled in the division early on to a team that is consistently finding ways to win over consecutive seasons. The Jaguars are no longer the laughingstock of the division. To make matters worse for opponents, Trevor Lawrence appears to be a long-term option for the franchise, at least based on his recent performance.

Lawrence has thrown for 843 yards and 8 touchdowns, with only 2 interceptions, and boasts a 111.18 QB rating. The Jacksonville defense has taken strides in some areas as well. The unit is only allowing 13.3 points a game, according to Pro Football Reference, and with 8 forced turnovers, the defense has helped the team lead the league in turnover differential, a very important statistic when determining wins and losses. The Jaguars have the early lead in the race for the playoffs and divisional crown, and their early success doesn’t seem to be a fluke. The Jacksonville Jaguars are no longer a joke.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are currently securely in 2nd place in the AFC South with an even 2-2 record. Pegged by many analysts to be divisional contenders along with Jacksonville, the Colts have had an up-and-down season with some early struggles and potential red flags. Unlike Lawrence, Indy’s signal caller has not been as efficient as expected this season. Daniel Jones has thrown an interception in each game this season, and his passer rating is down to 73.9 from 100.2. Luckily for the Colts, Jonathan Taylor hasn’t lost a step and can still carry an offense when the passing game struggles. Jones’ play could improve, and thus, so could the Indianapolis offense. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see which way their offense trends.

On the defensive side of the ball, Indianapolis’ defense is a mixed bag at this point in the season. When it comes to points allowed, Indy is faring fairly well, improving in their last two games. However, when it comes to total defense, the Colts rank near the bottom of the NFL. The unit is getting to the quarterback but not producing many turnovers, and with the turnovers that the offense is producing, that could prove to be a hurdle. Indianapolis has weapons and shouldn’t be counted out, but they are a team to watch, IMO, to see if they trend up or trend down throughout the rest of the season.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are another team that was considered to be a dark horse favorite to win the division by some. Out of all 4 division teams, Houston has probably had the most disappointing start to the season. Loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, injuries have played a large part in their start this season. Nico Collins’ absence due to injury seemed to stifle the offense, with fellow weapon Tank Dell not yet having returned from injury. Tough matchups didn’t allow the Texans to outscore opponents. A healthy Nico Collins and Tank Dell could be just the spark that this offense needs to turn things around, but will there be enough time left in the season?

On the defensive side of the ball for Houston, there are questions still to be answered. They were not plagued by injuries like on the offensive side of the ball, yet went from the number 1 scoring defense in 2025 to a league-bottom 27th in scoring defense this year. The Texans are averaging a healthy 3.5 sacks a game, but they are not producing turnovers at the same rate. The Dallas game alone skews a lot of their team’s statistics, with CeeDee Lamb exploding for 189 yards against the defense. The Houston Texans have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and despite their record, they are still a team to watch out for in the AFC South on any given Sunday.

Tennessee Titans

Last to discuss in the division is the Tennessee Titans. Some would say that their record isn’t a surprise, but within the fanbase, the expectations were for immediate success from a rebuild. Possibly the most scrutinized and under the most pressure as the youngest quarterback in the division, Cam Ward came into the season with high expectations after a strong end to the previous season and as the 2025 #1 pick. With that said, with a new head coach, offensive coordinator, and weapons in Wan’Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate, it is natural for chemistry to take time to build with so many new pieces.

Cam Ward has been efficient at protecting the ball despite some bad breaks, has thrown for 181.5 yards per game, has 5 total touchdowns, and has avoided sacks. A lot of that is thanks to a breakout season by JC Latham at right tackle, more consistent play from Skoronski at left guard, and more consistent play across the line overall. Oh, and don’t forget about Carnell Tate, the rookie, who could have a very high ceiling if the last game’s yardage total is not the highest of his season.

On the other side of the football, a strength coming into the season is finally starting to look like a strength. Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson have joined Jeffery Simmons in wreaking havoc, and the young linebackers in Hill and Gray are a dangerous duo that can be built around. The questions remain in the secondary.

Wide open division

The AFC South at the quarter mark of the season is still a highly contested race. Only the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans have played in a divisional matchup so far. Indy won a close game, and their next matchup could go either way, closing the distance between the two opponents.

There is a lot of season left and a lot of division games to be played. Any given team outside of the aforementioned can give another team two losses. The division is a wide-open race. Despite the unexpected or expected records to start the season, depending on perspective, no team seems to have a clear lead in the division. With injuries and young teams gelling, the division rankings could look a lot different than they do now.

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