Rolling along with my preseason predictions, this time with the AFC South:
Colts (9-8 last season): Adding Matt Ryan was a stroke of genius. While he is getting older, he is still one of the best. The Colts will have a passing game on top of their already dominant running game. They will runaway with this division, and the AFC playoff bye week. Prediction: 13-4, division winner and first round bye.
Titans (12-5 last season): Same team as last year, just another year older. The best thing I can say about them is the addition of Hassan Haskins to back up Derrick Henry, but even that is a question mark. Adding Treylon Burks while losing AJ Brown was a wash. Prediction: 11-6 and a possible wild card berth.
Texans (4-13 last season): Davis Mills is another year more experienced, and that is the best I can say here. Prediction: 5-12.
Jaguars (3-14 last season): The best thing here is the return of Travis Etienne. Will it be enough? Not betting the house and dog on this one. Prediction: 5-12.
P.S. My win-loss predictions are based on the strength/weaknesses of the teams, not an in-depth rundown of the schedule.
The only risk with the Colts is that Matt Ryan has been regressing steadily over the last 3 years. I think that had more to do with the team surrounding him. But if turns out that it was him, he might not be as good as we expect this year. But even then, he’s still an upgrade over Carson Wentz.
The one reason that makes me optimistic for the Titans is Mike Vrabel. I think he’s one of the most underrated coaches in the NFL. He had 4 winning seasons in row, making the playoffs in 3 of them, with rosters that didn’t necessarily scream “winning record”. As for Haskins, I was high on him after the NFL draft, but the more tape I watched, the more my love cooled down. He isn’t Henry’s successor. I’m not even sure he will be his backup this year, considering how good Dontrell Hilliard looked last year.
I can see the Jags finishing ahead of the Texans. The return of ETN is only the second best thing in my eyes. The best is that they will have a full preseason with a head coach who is not a complete nutjob. I still don’t see a winning record for them. But Trevor Lawrence has a lot of potential that hasn’t been unlocked yet.
