AFC South: Colts and Titans running away from rebuilding Jaguars and Texans

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON TEXANS

Coach: Lovie Smith (first season with the Texans, 89-87 as an NFL head coach, 3-3 in the playoffs).

Last season: 4-13 (third in the division).

Key additions: CB Derek Stingley Jr., G Kenyon Green, DE Jerry Hughes, S Jalen Pitre, LB Christian Harris, WR John Metchie III, DT Maliek Collins, DE Rasheem Green, G A.J. Cann.

Key subtractions: S Justin Reid, CB Terrance Mitchell, LB Jacob Martin, QB Deshaun Watson.

Looking ahead: Though born 20 years ago, the Texans seem perpetually newborn-to-puberty. The latest rebuild should be boosted by the bounty of draft picks from the Deshaun Watson trade and this being the least taxing AFC division. Aside from WR Brandin Cooks, the NFL’s worst offense lacks combustibility. But the Texans spent three of the first five picks on defense — they ranked No. 31 despite being tied for eighth in interceptions, a statistic that’s the side piece year to year, rarely the spouse.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Coach: Frank Reich (fifth season in Indianapolis, 37-28 in regular season, 1-2 in playoffs).

Last season: 9-8 (second in the division).

Key additions: QB Matt Ryan, CB Stephon Gilmore, DE Yannick Ngakoue, WR Alec Pierce.

Key subtractions: QB Carson Wentz, TE Jack Doyle, WR T.Y. Hilton, S George Odum, WR Zach Pascal, DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, OT Eric Fisher, G Mark Glowinski.

Looking ahead: For more than 20 years, you knew who the Colts quarterback would be and knew they would stampede your quarterback when you wanted to throw. Now, their blue jerseys might as well denote that they’re a Quarterback Recycling Bin, filled with Matt Ryan this year, and they’re among the worst in the league at pressuring the other QB (big problem in today’s NFL). That’s how you miss the playoffs with a season-ending loss to the Jacksonville Dumpster Fire despite having Jonathan Taylor, the league’s leading rusher, and tying for the NFL’s best turnover differential.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Coach: Doug Pederson (first season in Jacksonville, 42-37-1 in the regular season, 4-2 in the playoffs).

Last season: 3-14 (fourth in the division).

Key additions: LB Travon Walker, LB Devin Lloyd, NT Folorunso Fatukasi, WR Christian Kirk, WR Zay Jones, C Luke Fortner, CB Darious Williams, LB Foye Oluokun.

Key subtractions: LB Myles Jack, LB Damien Wilson, C Brandon Linder.

Looking ahead: Urban Meyer threatened Bobby Petrino’s status as the All-Time No. 1 NFL coach who should have stayed in his college football lane. In trying to fix this mess before it ruins 2021 No. 1 overall pick QB Trevor Lawrence, the Jags went wide receiver in free agency, offense in coaching (former quarterback and offensive coordinator Pederson), and defense in the draft (five of the team’s seven picks, three of the team’s first four including No. 1 overall). And, with a healthy Travis Etienne, they should run it as well as they did before James Robinson got hurt.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Coach: Mike Vrabel (fifth season with the Titans, 41-24 regular season, 2-3 playoffs).

Last season: 12-5 (first in the division), lost in the AFC Divisional Round to Cincinnati.

Key additions: WR Treylon Burks, TE Austin Hooper, WR Robert Woods.

Key subtractions: WR A.J. Brown, T/G David Quessenberry, G Rodger Saffold, WR Julio Jones, LB Rashaan Evans, CB Jackrabbit Jenkins, LB Javon Brown.

Looking ahead: Derrick Henry held to the trend of 2,000-yard men falling off the following season, although it was a foot injury that kept Henry to less than 1,000 yards. The defense improved, as you knew it would under Vrabel. But, Ryan Tannehill’s Bizarro hat trick of interceptions in the playoff loss to Cincinnati seemed one more piece of evidence that he can lead a team to the No. 1 seed but not help a team be Super. Only six offensive starters return and one of them isn’t wide receiver A.J. Brown.