Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud had one of the best rookie campaigns we’ve seen in a long time last year, and I don’t expect to see the sophomore slump in 2024. In the offseason, Houston did a great job of bringing in even more talent to surround the second-year star, highlighted by deals for Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon. With those guys joining Tank Dell, Nico Collins and Dalton Shultz, Houston has one of the most exciting offences in the league. The team went on to win the AFC South last season, and they’ve put themselves in a great spot to repeat in 2024.
Defensively, the Texans also made some strides last year with head coach Demeco Ryans leading the way. DROTY Will Anderson Jr. really came along in the second half of the season and the unit finished in the top half of the league for both yards and points against. They’re certainly not elite yet, but with Houston’s offence doing a lot of the heavy lifting, they don’t really need to be to win games.
Overall, we like the Texans a lot this season. C.J. Stroud is a big-time, franchise QB and he’s arguably got the best receiving core in the NFL at his disposal. I expect both sides of the ball to keep improving, and I’d be shocked to see this team not back in the postseason at the top of the AFC South.
Prediction: 11-6
Indianapolis Colts
This offence may not be as exciting as Houston’s on paper, but the Colts could still be a lot of fun to watch in 2024. With a backfield of Anthony Richardson and Johnathan Taylor behind a revamped offensive line, I expect Indy to be very good on the ground. However, if they do need to pass, they’ve got very able receivers in Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and rookie Adonai Mitchell. If Richardson can stay healthy and protect the football, this offence has the chance to do some special things this year.
The Colts do have some issues on the other side of the ball, meaning we could see this team in a lot of high-scoring games in 2024. Only four teams allowed more points against than Indianapolis last year, and their current roster doesn’t give a ton of faith that this upcoming season will be much better. Shane Steichen is known as an offensive guy, but he’ll need to make sure his defence is up to par as well.
If it weren’t for Houston’s ascension last year, this Colts team would probably in a great position to win their first AFC South title since 2014. It’s been a tough stretch for the franchise recently, but the reasons for optimism right now are aplenty. They could definitely challenge for a playoff spot.
Prediction: 9-8
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s upcoming season falls very heavily on the shoulders of QB Trevor Lawrence. Last year, the team got off to a great start and an 8-3 record before falling off a cliff and finishing at 9-8 to miss the playoffs. Lawrence’s play at QB was shaky all year, but the worst games came during their fall down the standings, and questions remain around whether or not he can truly be a franchise QB for the Jags. The team lost Calvin Ridley as well, but rookie WR Brian Thomas will certainly lessen the blow of that loss.
Like their AFC South rival Colts, the Jags also have a fairly mediocre defence that shouldn’t be relied on to win games if the offence falters. They’ve got a few standout players, but last season, the team allowed 28+ points six times, five of which came in their last nine games. This stretch, of course, coincided with Lawrence’s play falling off, showing once again how important his success is to the team’s.
Heading into the new season, there just isn’t a ton to be excited about in Jacksonville. Travis Etienne is a standout star on offence, but unless Lawrence can take a step forward in his progression, this team may be once again destined for mediocrity. They’re also facing a stronger division than they have in a long time, and because of this, it’s tough to imagine they’ll be good enough to make the playoffs.
Prediction: 7-10
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are headed in a new direction right now and things could be rough for a while. After six years as head coach, Mike Vrabel was let go from his duties in the same offseason that the team said goodbye to superstar running back Derrick Henry. With a young and unproven quarterback leading the show as well, there’s simply not a lot of excitement around the Titans this season.
With that being said, the team did bring in Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard in the offseason. If both can establish success early on, they could help DeAndre Hopkins do some heavy lifting on offence. Pollard hasn’t established himself as the clear starter at running back, but a smaller role might be better for him anyway based on what we saw in his previous years at Dallas. He’ll still look to carve out as big a role as he can alongside Tyjae Spears.
Despite the new players, neither unit gives me much faith in the Titans this year. With a new coach and a young quarterback, success is never easy. The rebuild is here in Tennesee.
Prediction: 4-13
________________________________________________________________________________________
Check out our other Season Previews here –
AFC East | AFC North | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
