Grades for the Tennessee Titans and their AFC South rivals this offseason
Things were pretty dismal when it came to the AFC South in 2022. The Jacksonville Jaguars wound up capturing the top spot, the franchise’s first division title since 2017. They overcame a 4-8 start by winning their final five games to finish 9-8.
That was the highlight when it came to this foursome. The Tennessee Titans (7-10), Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1), and Houston Texans (3-13-1) all finished with double-digit losses and owned a combined 14-35-2 mark. Tennessee and Indianapolis closed the season with seven-game losing streaks.
What a difference a year makes. The Titans were the only one of the four to finish below .500 this past season. The Texans more than tripled their win total and won their first division title since 2019. The Colts went from four wins to nine victories. On the other hand, the Jaguars were 9-8 for the second straight year. This time around, the club dropped five of its final six games and missed the playoffs altogether.
This offseason was a busy one for three of the four clubs in terms of adding veteran talent. The other did an excellent job of retaining its own.
As for new head coach Brian Callahan and the Tennessee Titans, they are playing catch-up in a division that they won in 2020 and 2021. It’s a franchise with a 6-18 record in its last 24 games after a 7-3 start in 2022. That includes a combined 1-8 mark in their last eight divisional contests.
Along with the Titans, there are grades for the Texans, Colts, and Jaguars. Remember, the key here is “so far.”
Tennessee Titans
The decline was slow but definitive. After reaching the playoffs three straight years from 2019-21, reaching the AFC title game that first year, the Tennessee Titans have posted double-digit loss campaigns each of the past two seasons. Former Bengals’ offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is the team’s newest head coach. Executive vice president/general manager Ran Carthon has been highly proactive this offseason.
The big news was the trade that brings two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to Nashville. In four seasons with the Chiefs, the 2020 fourth-round pick from Louisiana Tech played in 57 regular-season games for Andy Reid’s team. He totaled 10 interceptions, 6.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and 40 passes defensed. He already has 13 postseason games on his resume.
The signing of wide receiver Calvin Ridley strengthens the Titans’ passing attack and takes a vital weapon away from the rival Jaguars. He comes off a season in which he totaled 76 catches and led Jacksonville in receiving yards (1,016) and touchdown grabs (8).
The addition of versatile running back Tomy Pollard is a plus, but the departure of workhorse Derrick Henry can’t be understated. Neither can the free-agent departure of unsung defensive end Denico Autry, who led the team with 11.5 sacks in 2023. Former Broncos’ center Lloyd Cushenberry replaces Aaron Brewer, who signed with the Miami Dolphins. The question here is whether the new faces offset some huge departures.
Grade: B+
Houston Texans
A year ago, a franchise that had amassed a dismal 11-38-1 record from 2020-22 would hire DeMeco Ryans as their head coach. General manager Nick Caserio was very proactive in free agency, buoyed by the presence of the former Houston Texans’ Pro Bowl linebacker. The team was aggressive on the first night of the NFL draft, grabbing quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick trading to the No. 3 spot, and taking University of Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr.
The results? A 10-7 record and the AFC South title. There was a playoff win over the Browns, but a humbling divisional-round loss at Baltimore. This is a club that still hasn’t reached the AFC title game in 22 seasons of existence.
Caserio, Ryan, and the Houston Texans are at it again and by all indications are knocking it out of the park this offseason once again. They swung a deal with the Bills to obtain four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. They traded for former Bengals’ running back Joe Mixon. They added productive defensive ends Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and Denico Autry (Titans).
Punter Tommy Townsend (Chiefs) and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (Ravens) should help the special teams. Hunter and Autry should offset the loss of Jonathan Greenard (Vikings), the club’s top sack artist in 2023, and the free-agent defection of Sheldon Rankins (Bengals).
Houston’s top tackler this past season was linebacker Blake Cushman, who will join Greenard in Minnesota. It will be fascinating to watch Ryans work his magic with these numerous new pieces.
Grade: A
Indianapolis Colts
The other three teams in the AFC South have all taken their turns winning division titles the past nine seasons, The Houston Texans lead the way (5), with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee each capturing a pair of AFC South titles over that span.
The last time the Indianapolis Colts owned the top spot in the division was in 2014. They were under the command of head coach Chuck Pagano and with quarterback Andrew Luck at the controls. That team would eventually reach the AFC title game, a lopsided loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots.
This past season, the Colts were a much-improved squad under new head coach Shane Steichen. The club finished with more than twice as many wins (9) as it did in 2022 (4). The team scored 107 more points. Still, the surprising campaign wasn’t good enough for the team’s first postseason appearance since 2000.
All told it’s been a pretty uneventful offseason for general manager Chris Ballard. He re-signed nine of the club’s 13 unrestricted free agents. The losses have been minimal, and the only two veterans the team has added are quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. The Colts franchised wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and re-signed him to a new contract. Ballard has one pick apiece in this month’s draft.
Uneventful could be a good thing for a team, especially if promising quarterback Anthony Richardson stays healthy this upcoming season. The jury remains out on this strategy as the other three teams have been far more aggressive in obtaining veteran talent. However, don’t be surprised if this is a much higher grade after the draft.
Grade: B-
Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s been two years of streaky football for Doug Pederson’s club. During his debut season in 2022, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost eight of their first 12 games. They would close with five straight wins and zoom past the slumping Tennessee Titans to win the AFC South for the first time since 2017. The club rallied from a 27-0 second-quarter deficit in the wild card round to knock off the Chargers, 31-20. A week later, the Jaguars fell at Kansas City in the divisional playoffs.
This past season, this opportunistic club jumped out to an 8-3 start. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence got a little banged up, but it hardly explained a 1-5 finish. The club was 9-8 for the second straight year, but this time no playoff appearance.
Adding veteran Arik Armstead gives new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen a playoff-tested performer up front. The same could be said for new center Mitch Morse, a quality pro for both the Chiefs and the Bills. The signing of Devin Duvernay arguably does more for the return game than the passing attack, now minus Calvin Ridley (Titans).
The Jaguars added defensive backs Ronald Darby (Ravens) and Darnell Savage (Packers) to aid the league’s 26th-ranked pass defense. Will the organization find a way to sign pass-rusher Josh Allen to a long-term deal? He was given the “franchise” tag this offseason after finishing tied for the second in the NFL with 17.5 sacks. That’s almost half (40) of the team’s total in 2023.