(SportsRadio 610) - The AFC South was an embarrassment over the weekend, finishing with an 0-4 record and becoming the only division that did not earn at least one victory at this most crucial time of the season.
That should be plenty of motivation for the Texans, Jaguars and Colts, who are 8-7 and tied for first place with two games left in regular season.
The Texans got good news this week because rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is expected to return after a two-game absence as long as he doesn't suffer a setback from the concussion that caused him to miss two games – the victory over Tennessee and the loss to Cleveland. Getting Stroud back should be a huge boost for the Texans and their attempt to make the playoffs one season after winning only three games.
Lately, it's as if nobody wants to take control of the division. The only AFC
South team that didn't get blown out over the weekend was the last-place Titans, who lost 20-17 in Nashville to the Seahawks. The Texans lost 36-22 to the Browns at NRG Stadium in a defeat that wasn't as close as the score indicates. The Jaguars were pounded 30-12 at Tampa Bay. The Colts were trampled 29-10 at Atlanta.
Tennessee is in position to play the spoiler's role. Coach Mike Vrabel's teams are capable of pulling upsets, and the Texans are favored by 4.5 points now that Stroud should be back in control of the offense. The Titans are playing the Texans for the second time in three weeks before closing at Nissan Stadium against the Jaguars. They have an opportunity to ruin the Texans' and Jaguars' seasons and close on a positive note with a 7-10 record.
The Titans have been an injury-decimated, hard-luck team with a 4-7 record in one-score games. Tennessee is 2-4 in games decided by three or fewer points, including the 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans when Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked a 54-yard field goal on the last play of overtime.
The Jaguars had what appeared to be smooth sailing to the AFC South title and a home game in the playoffs before they lost four consecutive games that allowed the Texans and Colts to catch up. If Jacksonville can overcome weekly injuries to quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars will be in a good position because they own the tiebreakers, including sweeping the Colts. They're fortunate to be hosting Carolina, the worst team in the NFL, on Sunday.
Like Jacksonville, Indianapolis has a losing record at home. The Colts are hosting the suddenly impressive Raiders, who are 4-3 over their last seven games, including back-to-back victories. Las Vegas still has a chance to make the playoffs, and the Raiders should be highly motivated at Lucas Oil Stadium after winning 20-14 at Kansas City on Sunday. Perhaps the Raiders can do the Texans a favor by elevating their winning streak to three games under interim coach Antonio Pierce. Upsetting the Colts might cause owner Mark Davis to make Pierce the full-time coach.
As DeMeco Ryans tells his players every day – focus on the next opponent. That would be the Titans and the expected return of veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who appears to be taking over for rookie Will Levis, who left the Texans game with an ankle injury that sidelined him for Sunday's loss to Seattle.
Even though it's impossible to keep players – and owners, coaches and everyone else in the organization – from looking at the playoff picture, it doesn't hurt for Ryans to keep reminding them the only team to worry about is Tennessee because there's so much at stake.
If the Texans can win Sunday and sweep the Titans to increase their record to 9-7, it would be an exceptional achievement – a winning record in Ryans' first season with a team that combined for 11 victories over the last three seasons.
A victory over the Titans could set up a monumental confrontation between the Texans and Colts in Indianapolis. The winners could secure a postseason appearance and the losers could be stuck watching the playoffs on big-screen, high-definition televisions.
This is a thrilling time for Texans' fans. Don't tell Ryans, of course, but everyone is talking Texans and playoffs for the first time since 2019 when they won the AFC South for the last time and defeated Buffalo in the wild-card round before being eliminated at Kansas City.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
