No. 5: A Wide-Open AFC South
One of the main reasons the Colts will make the playoffs is how wide open the AFC South is. With a healthy Andrew Luck, the Colts can win the division.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are considered the top threat in the division, but with Blake Bortles under center, I just don’t see them as big of a threat as most others do. They also lost both wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in free agency. If you stop running back Leonard Fournette, you have a good chance of beating the Jags.
The Houston Texans are solid on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Deshaun Watson has only played in seven games. His rookie season was cut short due to a torn ACL. On the other side of the ball, defensive end J.J. Watt hasn’t been able to stay healthy. They did add safety Tyrann Mathieu to their secondary, but there are still plenty of holes.
The Tennessee Titans made the playoffs last year, but that definitely won’t happen if Luck is back. The Titans have never beat Luck and quarterback Marcus Mariota hasn’t lived up to expectations. Their receiving corps isn’t very good at all, and I just don’t see them putting up very many points.
The Colts, led by Luck, could very well surprise the entire league and make the playoffs with a new coaching staff, young playmakers, plenty of depth and a wide-open AFC South.
