NFL teams can usually identify their strengths and weaknesses after five weeks of the season. No team is perfect, but some have much bigger issues than others.
Here is one potentially fatal flaw for every AFC South team:
Houston Texans: Offensive inconsistency
The Texans rank sixth in the NFL in yards but only 19th in points scored, resulting primarily from early down struggles. Houston has recorded only 5.54 yards on first down, below the league average (5.70), and only the New York Giants (72) have faced more third downs (71).
QB C.J. Stroud and company have converted at a high rate on third-down (42.25 percent), ranked 10th in the league. However, it might be hard to maintain that success throughout the season, especially with a third of the production coming from WR Nico Collins (170 yards, 11 receptions, eight first downs, one touchdown), who the Texans recently placed on IR with a hamstring injury.
The good news for the Texans is they’ve shown explosive ability, and there’s still time to find more cohesiveness on the offensive end. If not, it could be their Achilles heel when the games start to matter.
Indianapolis Colts (2-3): Late-game defense
The Colts defense has failed to show up this season, ranked 32nd in the NFL. Perhaps the most significant issue for the unit has been its inability to stop opposing offenses late in games.
Overall, Indianapolis has allowed 122 points over five weeks. But half of those points (61) have come in the fourth quarter alone, where teams are averaging nearly two touchdowns (12.2 points) a game against them.
Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is saying all the right things, telling reporters ahead of Week 6 that he and the team “believe in our players” and their ability to improve. Though, it’s hard to imagine a defense that’s unable to stop the run (31st) or pass (29th) can make the level of change necessary to keep the Colts a playoff contender down the stretch.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Passing defense
The Jaguars are 1-4 heading into Week 6, and it’s no surprise, considering their defense has offered little resistance against the pass. Through five games, no team in the NFL has allowed more yards through the air than Jacksonville (1,439).
Taking away Deshaun Watson’s outing (22-of-34, 186 yards) in Week 2, opposing quarterbacks have feasted on the Jaguars. Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, Stroud and Joe Flacco have combined to throw for 1,305 yards with a 70.1 completion percentage (106-of-151), 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Jacksonville will face rookie QBs Caleb Williams and Drake Maye over the next two weeks, offering the unit a chance to turn things around. However, if they don’t, the road gets more challenging, with matchups against Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, Sam Darnold and Jared Goff upcoming.
Tennessee Titans: Quarterback
Titans naturally expected a significant second-year jump from Will Levis. However, he hasn’t looked much like a franchise QB in four games this season.
Levis’ completion percentage (68.4) has risen significantly from his first season (58.4), but he’s yet to stretch the field, tied for the third-fewest attempts beyond 20 yards among quarterbacks who’ve played at least four games. That, paired with the fact that the former Kentucky standout still leads the league in interceptions (6), having played one fewer game than most starters, shows recklessness and a lack of growth. Â
The 25-year-old is far from a finished product, but if he’s to be the face of the franchise, he has to take better care of the football and play better overall. Through four starts, Levis has more interceptions than touchdowns (four) and ranks 29th in passing yards per game (151.0), which is only holding the Titans back.
