{"id":72,"date":"2026-08-12T00:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T00:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72"},"modified":"2026-08-12T00:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T00:10:28","slug":"the-afc-south-runs-through-indianapolis-if-daniel-jones-stays-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72","title":{"rendered":"The AFC South Runs Through Indianapolis\u2014If Daniel Jones Stays Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Diamond Dave Davenport<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to put my prediction out there before the season even starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the Indianapolis Colts win the AFC South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacksonville is coming off a 13-win season and an AFC South championship. Houston won 12 games and is still going to be a problem. Tennessee has made improvements around Cam Ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I understand why Indianapolis might not be everybody\u2019s pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when I look at what the Colts were doing before injuries destroyed their season last year, and then look at what they have done this offseason, I see a team that has a real opportunity to take this division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, everything starts with one player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Jones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Jones stays healthy, I believe Indianapolis is the best team in the AFC South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Already Saw What This Offense Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People are going to look at the Colts\u2019 final 8-9 record last season and forget what happened before everything fell apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis started 8-2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those first 10 games, the Colts were scoring 31.7 points per game<\/strong>, which led the NFL. They also had a plus-115 point differential. Jones completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 2,659 yards and had a 101.6 passer rating during that stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was not a mediocre offense getting lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 10 games, Indianapolis had one of the best offenses in football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Jones came out of the bye dealing with a fractured fibula. He fought through it against Kansas City, Houston and Jacksonville before tearing his Achilles against the Jaguars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, the season was basically over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts lost their final seven games overall. In the four games after Jones suffered the Achilles injury, Indianapolis went 0-4<\/strong> and scored 16, 27, 17 and 30 points\u2014an average of 22.5 per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compare that with 31.7 points per game when Jones and the offense were rolling before the bye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is a pretty massive difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I know there were other injuries. I know the schedule became tougher. Football is never as simple as saying one player caused every win or loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But anybody who watched this team could see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts were not the same football team after Daniel Jones got hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Jones Has Some Dog in Him<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jones finished last season with 3,101 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. His 100.2 passer rating ranked sixth in the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the statistics are only part of why I like him leading this team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guy played through a broken fibula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about that for a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are talking about playing quarterback in the NFL while dealing with a broken bone in your leg, knowing defensive linemen weighing 300 pounds are trying to put you into the ground every play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones kept going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That tells me something about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has some dog in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we had the opportunity to watch the Colts at training camp, Jones looked strong throwing the football. He looked comfortable moving around, and he did not look like a quarterback afraid of that Achilles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reports coming out of camp have been positive as well, with Jones continuing to work as the Colts\u2019 first-team quarterback after being cleared for football activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That does not guarantee he stays healthy for 17 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody can guarantee that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if he does?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts Didn\u2019t Sit Around This Offseason<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is another reason I like Indianapolis to win the division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts did not look at an 8-9 finish and say, \u201cWell, hopefully everybody gets healthy and things work out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They made moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, they made sure Daniel Jones came back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis re-signed Jones after the quarterback showed enough last season to convince the organization he could be more than a one-year experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then they kept one of his biggest weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alec Pierce re-signed with Indianapolis after establishing himself as one of the NFL\u2019s most dangerous downfield receivers. Keeping that Jones-to-Pierce connection together was huge for an offense that does not need to be completely rebuilt\u2014it just needs to get healthy again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, just days ago, the Colts made another statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They extended Jonathan Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor is now under contract through the 2028 season after a 2025 season in which he led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns and 20 total touchdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So think about what Indianapolis has done offensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Jones is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan Taylor is locked in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alec Pierce is staying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josh Downs is still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyler Warren is another year older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Colts also added veteran wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine<\/strong>, giving the offense another experienced target and another guy who can compete for that No. 3 receiver role. Westbrook-Ikhine has 19 receiving touchdowns over his NFL career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That offense was already capable of putting up more than 30 points per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They did not need to blow it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They needed to keep the important pieces together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is exactly what they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Got a Makeover Too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This might be the most overlooked part of the Colts\u2019 offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis attacked the defensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They added Arden Key and Micheal Clemons<\/strong> at defensive end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They brought in Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery<\/strong> at defensive tackle and acquired Colby Wooden<\/strong> in a trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They signed linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They added cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then they brought in safeties Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas<\/strong>, along with additional secondary help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do all of those names automatically turn Indianapolis into the 2000 Ravens defense?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But look at what Chris Ballard was trying to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veteran experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pass rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More options in the secondary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More players who can rotate through a long NFL season without the defense completely falling apart when somebody gets hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That matters after watching injuries pile up last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we cannot forget about Sauce Gardner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts gave up two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell to acquire Gardner from the Jets during last season. Because of injuries, Indianapolis never really got to see the full version of a secondary featuring Gardner and Charvarius Ward together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now both are healthy and practicing together in camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That could completely change this defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A healthy Sauce Gardner on one side and Charvarius Ward on the other gives defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo options he simply did not consistently have last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add more depth up front and more pass-rush options behind them, and suddenly this Colts defense looks a lot more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Feels Like a Team That Knows Its Window Is Open<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That is the overall message I get from the Colts\u2019 offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are not rebuilding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do not extend Jonathan Taylor, pay Daniel Jones, keep Alec Pierce, trade two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner and add this many veterans because you are planning on being competitive three years from now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You make those moves because you believe you can win now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is pressure on this team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts have not won the AFC South since 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is way too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis has spent years searching for stability at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired. If Jones really is the answer, then there are no more excuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is time to win the division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why I Think Jacksonville Comes Back to Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let me make something clear about Jacksonville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not think the Jaguars are bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trevor Lawrence took a major step last season. Liam Coen did a great job in his first year, and Jacksonville absolutely earned its 13-4 record and division championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But repeating 13 wins is difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Coen has acknowledged that Jacksonville could actually improve as a football team this year and still not win 13 games again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jaguars also lost some important defensive players this offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linebacker Devin Lloyd left in free agency. Safety Andrew Wingard departed. Cornerback Greg Newsome II also left, creating holes throughout the back seven of a defense that was a big part of Jacksonville\u2019s turnaround last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is where I think regression can hit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not necessarily Trevor Lawrence suddenly becoming bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Liam Coen suddenly forgetting how to coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I just do not think everything breaks Jacksonville\u2019s way again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe a couple of close games go the other direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the defense does not make quite as many big plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe losing a couple of veteran defenders matters more than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 13-win team can regress to nine or 10 wins and still be a pretty good football team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is where I see Jacksonville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still capable of making the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not running away with this division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston Is the Team That Worries Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If there is one team that could make this Colts prediction look stupid by December, it might be Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Texans are not going anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C.J. Stroud is still their quarterback, and Houston spent this offseason trying to fix one of its biggest problems from last year\u2014the offensive line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Texans added veteran guard Wyatt Teller and former Colts tackle Braden Smith while also drafting offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge in the first round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also acquired running back David Montgomery, which should take some pressure off Stroud and give Houston more balance offensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that defense is still going to make life miserable for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why I have Houston fighting Jacksonville for second place instead of falling off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Stroud takes another step and that offensive line comes together, Houston could absolutely win this division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I still like Indianapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tennessee Is Better, But I Still Have Them Last<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tennessee deserves some credit too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Titans are trying to build properly around Cam Ward instead of throwing him onto the field and hoping he magically fixes everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They used the fourth overall pick on Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, giving Ward another young weapon, and the organization has continued working to improve the roster around its second-year quarterback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think Ward has a chance to become a very good NFL quarterback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I still think Tennessee is a year or two behind the other three teams in this division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis is trying to win now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston is trying to win now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacksonville just won 13 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tennessee is still figuring out exactly what it has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why I have the Titans finishing fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My AFC South Prediction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If I had to make the call today, this is where I see the division finishing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis Colts: 11-6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston Texans: 10-7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tennessee Titans: 6-11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes, Colts fans, I know what you are thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have heard optimism before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have watched this franchise enter seasons believing it had finally figured everything out, only for something to fall apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But last year was different to me because we actually saw it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indianapolis was 8-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts were scoring more points than anybody in football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Jones was playing some of the best football of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan Taylor was dominating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the quarterback got hurt, other injuries piled up and the season went completely off the rails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Indianapolis gets another shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor is locked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pierce is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defensive front has more depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secondary has been reinforced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward finally have an opportunity to be on the field together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a rebuilding football team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts have pushed their chips toward the middle of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now they have to prove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, the entire AFC South comes down to Daniel Jones\u2019 health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Jones misses significant time again, Indianapolis could find itself fighting just to stay in the playoff conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if Daniel Jones gives this team a healthy season and looks anything like the quarterback who helped Indianapolis start 8-2 last year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe the Colts win the AFC South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We already saw what this team can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now it is time to finish the job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Diamond Dave Davenport I\u2019m going to put my prediction out there before the season even starts. I think the Indianapolis Colts win the AFC South. Jacksonville is coming off a 13-win season and an AFC South championship. Houston won 12 games and is still going to be a problem. Tennessee has made improvements around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":73,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":7,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[35,41,36,18],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-colts","tag-daniel-jones","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nThe AFC South Runs Through Indianapolis\u2014If Daniel Jones Stays Healthy - Buzzy News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The AFC South Runs Through Indianapolis\u2014If Daniel Jones Stays Healthy - Buzzy News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Diamond Dave Davenport I\u2019m going to put my prediction out there before the season even starts. 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I think the Indianapolis Colts win the AFC South. Jacksonville is coming off a 13-win season and an AFC South championship. Houston won 12 games and is still going to be a problem. Tennessee has made improvements around […]","og_url":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72","og_site_name":"Buzzy News","article_published_time":"2026-08-12T00:10:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-12T00:10:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/qiu6qne0pjxwpm0mkn4n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dave Davenport","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dave Davenport","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72"},"author":{"name":"Dave Davenport","@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/2c2c3fa82eb3c16dc021a6b0807f893f"},"headline":"The AFC South Runs Through Indianapolis\u2014If Daniel Jones Stays Healthy","datePublished":"2026-08-12T00:10:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-12T00:10:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72"},"wordCount":1980,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/qiu6qne0pjxwpm0mkn4n.jpg","keywords":["Colts","Daniel Jones","Indianapolis Colts","NFL"],"articleSection":["NFL"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72","url":"https:\/\/buzzedsports.com\/news\/?p=72","name":"The AFC South Runs Through Indianapolis\u2014If Daniel Jones Stays Healthy - 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