Which AFC South team is the biggest threat to the Houston Texans?

Many people seem to believe that the Houston Texans are the team to beat this year in the AFC South. The Texans not only retained most of their key players, but also added several major stars to the roster like Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs. These acquisitions, along with the expected development of the budding young stars the Texans have on their roster, have many people predicting Houston will repeat as AFC South champions.

This isn’t a far-fetched idea, as the Texans appear to be even better on paper this season than they were in 2023. Still, they lost key players like Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and their duo of tackles starting defensive players. They are therefore not without holes and problems. Additionally, some of us aren’t entirely convinced the offensive line is better, which may impact a slightly more worrisome running game.

It is therefore not a foregone conclusion that the Texans will be able to do it again. Especially with the AFC South improving around the Texans.

So when we think about teams that might put up the biggest fight against the Texans, we’re looking at a team that was both good in 2023 and expected to be better in 2024. Right off the bat, that knocks out the Tennesee Titans by one serious contender in the pre-season. The Titans lost running back Derrick Henry and replaced starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. They also fired their successful head coach Mike Vrable and are beginning a near-complete rebuild. Expecting the Titans to compete is unrealistic.

The Indianapolis Colts have done a lot to bring back their core group. They were a winning team in 2023 and many people would assume they will be again in 2024, barring one major situation. The Colts let their successful starter and winning quarterback, Gardner Minshew, leave the team. This means the Colts will now once again be guided by Anthony Richardson, a 2023 rookie who missed most of 2023 due to injury. We don’t know if Richardson can produce in the NFL, which makes the club’s outlook for 2024 unclear at best.

This means that, in order of elimination, the Jacksonville Jaguars are the team to watch if you’re worried about the Texans losing to the AFC South. They bring back most of their 2023 team, which nearly won the AFC South, while bringing in major names like Arik Armstead and Mitch Morse to help bolster the team’s defensive and offensive lines.

It’s very possible that due to the improvements both teams made during the offseason, the Jags and Texans will battle for the AFC South title as the season comes to a close.