The AFC South is predicted to be one of the NFL's weakest divisions in 2022, with both Jacksonville and Houston not expected to win many games, but with the Titans and the Colts, this division could potentially produce two playoff teams this upcoming season. The Colts have the team to make a run, but have struggled at QB in recent years, and the Titans were the AFC's #1 seed a year ago, so while it's certainly not as deep or talented as other divisions, keep a close eye on the South in 2022.
The AFC is absolutely loaded with talented, but this division just happens to have two of the worst teams in the conference, but even so, the potential for these teams to make big trades or big upsets exist, so they shouldn't be ignored. Don't expect a playoff threat from the AFC South in 2022, but it's still worth paying attention too, and here is one prediction for each team heading into the upcoming NFL season.
Indianapolis Colts - Jonathan Taylor becomes a finalist for MVP
Rarely do we see anyone but Quarterback's in the conversation for MVP, but after an amazing 2021 season, Jonathan Taylor is going to come back and do it all again in 2022, and become a finalist for MVP. Now we've already noted in this series who is going to win MVP (Josh Allen), so Taylor won't quite make it over the hump to become the first non-QB MVP since Adrian Peterson, but making it to the top-three is a huge accomplishment in of itself.
The Colts are a team being slept on around the league, and if Matt Ryan can be anywhere near as good as he was in Atlanta, this is a team that is ready to take the AFC South, and potentially sneak through the playoffs with a fantastic defence and an offence ready to take the NFL by storm. Either way, this is going to be a fun season for Colts fans, and if Taylor can be just as good as 2021, which he could be with Ryan under centre and a much more balanced attack, he's going to be in the MVP talk all year while this team looks to make a playoff run.
Tennessee Titans - The Titans miss the playoffs in 2022
The Tennessee Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC a year ago, but with another year on Derrick Henry's body, as well as the lack of weapons around Ryan Tannehill, it's going to be the year that this team takes a step back. The AFC has gotten much better, with Miami, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Denver, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland all looking for playoff spots, it's hard to see the Titans replicating their 2021 form again.
They drafted Malik Willis this year too, and if this does indeed happen, with just one year left on Tannehill's deal after this one, it may be time for Tennessee to move on and go with the young guy under centre. That decision is still a year away, but for now, it's just hard to see the Titans repeating what they did in 2021, as they didn't improve too much in the off-season, unlike the rest of the AFC, which is now more stacked than it has been in quite some time.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence improves under Doug Pederson, shows flashes of an MVP
Trevor Lawrence was one of the most hyped prospects in NFL history, up there with names like John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, but for a multitude of reasons, namely a terrible Head Coach in Urban Meyer, he wasn't able to show much of that potential in his rookie campaign where the Jags struggled to a 3-14 record. Even after a struggling rookie season, all those tools don't go away, and after the Jaguars added some more talent this off-season, it will be time to see Lawrence take another step forward, and he'll do that in 2022.
The team is still going to struggle, as the lack of veteran leaders and elite level talents on this team leave them well behind the rest of the AFC, but if Trevor can show some MVP level traits, which he certainly possesses, it's going to potentially help lure future talents to Jacksonville to play alongside No. 16. It's going to be a few years before we see Lawrence at an MVP level, but even if it's only for a few plays in 2022, he's going to begin flashing MVP level talent like what we saw during his time at Clemson.
Houston Texans - The Texans finish the year with the worst record in the NFL and get the No. 1 overall pick
The Houston Texans have been rebuilding for a few years now, and after trading QB Deshaun Watson to the Browns for a handful of picks, it became even more evident, and in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans will have a shot to get a franchise cornerstone when they have the No. 1 overall pick. The Texans have a few talented young players, and Davis Mills could certainly be their QB of the future, and while they may not keep the first overall pick in favour of trading it away, that's the spot they'll find themselves after a difficult season ahead.
Trading Deshaun Watson was certainly the right move, and it's going to help speed up their rebuilding process tremendously, but after a few tough seasons, Houston fans have another one or two ahead of them before this squad begin competing in the AFC South once again. It's not going to be all bad, as Houston have enough talent to compete in some close games, and some pieces they can move for further draft capital, but if you're a Texans fan, don't expect to be looking at a playoff berth for at least another two seasons.
Photo credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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