The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to put the AFC South away for good in Week 18. After starting the season 8-3, they had lost four of their last five games, allowing the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans to creep up on them in the division, and they needed to defeat the Tennessee Titans in the final week of the season to simply make the playoffs.
Texans Win AFC South Thanks To Jags Loss To Titans
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
YOUR AFC SOUTH CHAMPIONS 😤 pic.twitter.com/IdbnDwvTw8
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 7, 2024
But Titans’ backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdowns and Derrick Henry rushed for 153 yards en route to the upset victory, not only knocking the Jaguars off of the top of the South, but sending them home for good for the season.
And thanks to their victory over the Colts on Saturday night, the Texans are the unlikely winners of the AFC South for the 2023 NFL season.
Houston began the year with the longest odds of any of the four teams to win the division. The Jaguars were the favorites at -155, and the Texans were all the way down at +900. At the start of November, their odds had shortened slightly to +700, but were still considered long shots. (The Colts, who would have won the division had they been victorious on Saturday, were +2550 at that point)
The division championship is quite the feat for Houston. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, finishing with a poor enough record to obtain the second overall pick in the 2023 Draft.
Additions Of Ryans, Stroud Helped Change Fortunes
THE HOUSTON TEXANS WON THE AFC SOUTH 🏆
Texans vs. Browns in HOUSTON 🍿 pic.twitter.com/b4ZaNiGb8S
— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) January 7, 2024
They seemingly changed their franchise with that selection, picking quarterback CJ Stroud who had one of the best rookie seasons of all time. The Texans traded up for the third pick as well, and selected the best defensive prospect in the draft in Will Anderson.
Those picks, along with other moves, were huge contributors for the team’s quick turn around, but much of the credit should be handed down to rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans. In his first year as the head man, Ryans turned Houston into a division champion just a year after being a bottom-feeder, and is the overall leader on the odds board for NFL Coach of the Year.
The Texans will take on the Cleveland Browns in their first playoff game next weekend.
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