The AFC South has been one of more intriguing divisions in all of football. Right now, it’s going as planned with the Indianapolis Colts leading the way and the Houston Texans following behind.
However, it wasn’t like that at the start of the season. The Texans are trending down and the Colts have turned into one of the better teams in the league. This week, we have one inter-division matchup and two others that could help create even more space between top and bottom.
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans, 10/26, 1 p.m.
The battle of mediocre quarterbacks will commence Sunday, as the nomadic Ryan Fitzpatrick takes on the third-string and rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger gets his first start as Charlie Whitehurst didn’t impress the coaching staff in a 19-17 loss to the Washington Redskins last week.
The Texans have a whole at quarterback, but not many other places. Arian Foster has been one of top running backs in the league, rushing for 615 yards and five touchdowns en route to three Texans’ wins. J.J. Watt leads a Texans defense that is stronger than its 29th ranking.
The Titans, however, rank 21st in total offense this year, leading to the promotion of a third-string quarterback. The running game, led by Bishop Sankey and Shonn Greene, have failed to move the ball, putting more pressure of the weaker passing attack.
Even though the game is in Tennessee, the Texans should be able to establish momentum with its running game. Then, when they get an early, the defense will be able to control Mettenberger and the Titans offense.
Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 10/26, 4:25 p.m.
The Colts are on a roll, winning five straight and three over the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Texans. Andrew Luck and his reliable running back Ahmad Bradshaw have helped the Colts cruise to the No. 1 ranking for an offense.
However, it’s been the surprising play of the defense that has lead to the five-game win streak. The defense ranks eight in yards per game and have allowed 20 or more points in just one of the past five games.
Traveling to Heinz Field to play the Steelers will be a test for sure, as Ben Roethlisberger and his team will be looking to keep pace with the Bengals and Ravens in the AFC North. The Steelers rank eight in passing offense and ninth in rushing offense, so they have the ability to move the ball against almost anyone.
Expect the key battle to take place while the Steelers are on offense. Can Le’Veon Bell run like he can against a tough Colts defense? It will be a toss up.
Miami Dolphins @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 10/26, 1 p.m.
Let’s face it. The Jaguars are a few years from even thinking about competing in the AFC South. They have a team full of young talent like Blake Bortles, Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, but they’ve combined for the 28th-ranked offense in football.
The Dolphins sit at 3-3 with a decent shot to catch the not-so-special New England Patriots, so Ryan Tannehill and his team will have this game labeled as a must-win. With a healthy Lamar Miller and the No.1-ranked offense in terms of yards per game, the Dolphins are for real.
The hope for the Jaguars falls on the legs of Denard Robinson who ran for 127 yards on 22 carries last week in a win over the Cleveland Browns. If Robinson can get going early, the Jaguars can sink their teeth into this game and have a chance to win.