Oh God, The AFC South Is So Bad, The Jaguars Could Win The Division

The AFC South is a carnival of incompetence and bad luck; the Indianapolis Colts began the year thinking they were a Super Bowl contender only to collapse with vigor; the Houston Texans have lost all their offensive players worth a damn and their talisman has a broken paw; the Titans are cleaning house, and are, well, the Titans. Meanwhile, the ever-laughable Jaguars are 5-8, which is normally good for a respectable third place behind the Colts, but in this year’s shitpile of an AFC South, there’s a scenario where they could win the division.

Today, they dominated the Colts down in Jacksonville 51-16. They scored on a punt return, a fumble return, and ripped off a 48-3 run over the last 31 minutes. Blake Bortles learned the rules of football and threw three touchdowns then ran for another one. Their offense is clicking, and Allen Robinson looks like the best receiver that team has had in a long time.

Obviously, there’s still a lot wrong with this team. Even though their offense has scored 115 points in the last three weeks, their passing defense is, by most metrics, one of the worst units in the league. Playing against Matt Hasselbeck then Charlie Whitehurst today will improve their stats, but as poorly as the Falcons and Saints have played lately, they still have top-tier quarterbacks.

If the Jaguars are to make the playoffs, it’ll be more because the Texans slip up. Houston has a far easier schedule, but J.J. Watt’s broken hand leaves the door open. They shouldn’t even be here, as they only beat the Ravens on a blown call, but it would sort of be a fitting tribute to the dreadful AFC South if the Jaguars won it. It probably won’t happen, but given Allen Robinson’s emergence as a legit leading receiver, Blake Bortles’ occasional flashes of competence, and a full-on implosion in Indianapolis, it’s at least possible.

Photo via AP