AFC South preseason power rankings: Titans have some work to do

The Tennessee Titans are hoping to bounce back after a lackluster 2023 campaign that saw them win just six games. The rest of the AFC South had good years, all finishing with winning records but only the Houston Texans were able to punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, it appears as though the years of the AFC South being a weak division are behind us, which will only make it more difficult for the Titans to get back to their winning ways. Fans were used to seeing the team contend for the division title and make a run in the playoffs during most of the Mike Vrabel era but the last two years left something to be desired.

The Titans moved on from Vrabel and now will pivot to the Brian Callahan era in Tennessee. Callahan was the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati for five seasons and worked magic with Joe Burrow so the Titans are hoping he can bring that same magic to Nashville and turn Will Levis into a legitimate starting quarterback.

With the preseason underway this weekend, let's rank the AFC South from worst to first.

4. Tennessee Titans

While it'd be nice not to have the Titans in last place, this really was the only spot for them entering the preseason. Not only do they have a brand new head coach but we're still not sure of what Levis can do at the quarterback position. Having two unknowns (or in Levis' case, mostly unknown) at head coach and quarterback makes things tricky, but as the Texans proved last year, sometimes it can work out.

If Callahan can turn Levis turn into a solid quarterback, the Titans could be a sneaky team in 2024. If the growing pains continue, however, Tennessee is probably hovering toward the bottom of the AFC South. The good news is that they won't be on anyone's radar so maybe that will work in their favor.

3. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were in Year 1 of the Shane Steichen experiment last year and it went well for them, as Steichen helped propel Indy to a 9-8 record despite the team losing Anthony Richardson early in the season. Richardson is healthy and going to be the starter but, like Levis, we don't fully know what the guy can do yet at the professional level.

The Colts came up just shy of making the playoffs a season ago without their main quarterback, so imagine what they can do when he's back on the team. If he can stay healthy and continue on with the hype surrounding him, the Colts could be a fun team to watch in 2024 (not for Titans fans, obviously). If he struggles to stay healthy or just struggles overall, the Titans could pass Indy in the division.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

This time last year, everyone was hyping up the Jaguars and it made sense why that was the case. Doug Pederson helped lead them to an AFC South title and playoff win during his first year on the job while Trevor Lawrence looked like a guy worthy of being the first overall pick a few years prior. Why wouldn't people bank on them to be even better in Year 2?

While the Jaguars finished the 2023 season with a winning record, they missed the playoffs and the hype people had for them in the offseason and early in the regular season tapered off as the season progressed. People have cooled off on the Jags after their disappointing finish in 2023 but they still have a solid chance to win the AFC South or vie for a spot in the playoffs.

1. Houston Texans

What a difference a year makes, right? This time a year ago, no one would have had the Texans winning the AFC South in 2023 but they overcame the odds and did just that despite having a first-year head coach in DeMeco Ryans and a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud.

The Texans won the AFC South and then knocked off the Browns in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Ravens in the divisional round. No one expected them to even make it there though so it was absolutely a successful season for Houston. They're now in the same position that the Jaguars were in a season ago and Titans fans are hoping that they suffer the same fate.

For now, however, it's hard not to put the Texans at the top of these rankings considering what they accomplished with unproven parts.