AFC South Week 2 Preview and Predictions

By Joanne Kong

Twitter: @kongfu4u 

Being a New Yorker, my love for the AFC South is unexplainable.  Of course, my team will always be the Giants, but if there was one team I’d like to see in the Super Bowl, it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars.  But before we get to the Jaguars, let’s talk about another AFC South team on the rise, the Texans.

HOUSTON TEXANS (1-0)

Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans

The Texans have proven to be a powerhouse defense, and in week 1 against the Bears, they showed that teams shouldn’t take the offense too lightly either with quarterback Brock Osweiler passing for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Texans defense was able to shut out the Bears in the second half while the offense scored 13 points.

Week 2 probably won’t be as easy for the Texans, facing-off against a familiar foe, the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs managed a come from behind win in overtime against divisional rivals, the San Diego Chargers, in week 1, and probably don’t expect to be in the same situation against the Texans with their history.

The last time these two teams met was for the Wild Card playoffs in the 2015 post-season.  The Kansas City Chiefs shut-out the Houston Texans 0-30.  If that wasn’t bad enough, the Texans lost to the Chiefs during the regular 2015 season opener, 20-27.  And in 2013, the Texans lost to the Chiefs, 16-17.

This is a trend the Texans are looking to break, seeking some redemption from their last three losses to the Chiefs.

But, the Texans have a new quarterback.  They have a healthy running back, Lamar Miller, who rushed for 106 yards, and a rookie receiver, Will Fuller, who had a 107 receiving yards and a touchdown, to add to their offensive talent.

So how will Brock Osweiler fair against the Chiefs defense?

The @HoustonTexans' new-look offense impressed in Week 1 and they are now a top-10 team in ESPN's power rankings: https://t.co/fXwh90zgol

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 13, 2016

Osweiler is no stranger to the Chiefs defense.  You might not remember, but Osweiler did face-off against the Chiefs defense in week 10 last year, relieving Peyton Manning, during his time with the Denver Broncos.  Although the Broncos lost 29-13, Osweiler completed 14 of his 24 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown.  He also had an interception and was sacked three times.  If the Texans want a win this Sunday, they can’t give away yards on penalties.  Last week, the Texans had 6 penalties for 69 total yards.  And red zone attempts need to result in touchdowns.  The Texans only completed 1-out-of-3 attempts in the red zone against the Chicago Bears.

In 2015, the Kansas City Chiefs were one of the more dominant defenses in the league, allowing an average of 17.9 points per game, tallying 47 total sacks, 22 total interceptions leading to 4 touchdowns and causing 13 fumbles leading to 2 touchdowns.  In week 1, the Chiefs defense held the San Diego Chargers to only two field goals in the second half, looking like the Chiefs defense we’d all come to expect.  The Chiefs are looking to carry the momentum into week 2.  Veteran Alex Smith knows this defense well, and he’ll need to avoid getting sacked by the Texans front line.  Smith won’t be without weapons of his own – wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, tight end Travis Kelce and running back Spencer Ware will be a duel threat.  In week one against the Chargers, Ware had 70 rushing yards and 129 receiving yards.  The Texans also shouldn’t count out Alex Smith, who scored a rushing touchdown in week 1.

What can we expect in WEEK 2:

• Alex Smith get sacked 3 times.
• Spencer Ware has a rushing touchdown.
• Lamar Miller has a touchdown.
• Texans kicker, Nick Novak makes 3 field goals.

A hard fought win for the Houston Texans.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-1)

Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Diego Chargers

See AFC West Preview and Prediction

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-1)

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos

See AFC West Preview and Prediction

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-1)

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions

Since the Tennessee Titans are in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFC, these two teams don’t meet on a regular basis.  The Titans and Lions have faced-off only 11 times throughout history (7-of-the-11 were when the Titans were the Houston Oilers), and the Tennessee Titans have won 8 of them.  The last four times these two teams met (2012), the Tennessee Titans defeated the Detroit Lions, 44-41.

The Lions are coming off a spectacular win against the Indianapolis Colts and are looking for another win against another AFC South team.

The difference for the Lions in week 2 will be the Titans defense.  In 2015, the Titans defense ranked 7th against the pass, allowing an average of 229.9 yards, and 18th against the rush, allowing an average of 112.3 yards.  Defensively, the Titans look to have built a stronger front line, adding rookie Kevin Dodd (linebacker) and rookie Austin Johnson (defensive end).   This was evident in week 1, when the Titans made Minnesota Vikings top running back, Adrian Peterson, irrelevant, holding Peterson to only 31 yards and no touchdowns.  The Titans also tried to improve the secondary with the addition of Rashad Johnson (safety).   Although the Vikings quarterback Shaun Hill had no passing touchdowns, Hill threw for 236 passing yards.

With a middle of the road secondary, there will probably be no slowing Matthew Stafford if he’s able to keep his composure and connect with wide receivers Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin and Golden Tate.

As for the rushing game, the Lions run game looked promising, having 116 rushing yards – Ameer Abdullah having 63 rushing yards and Theo Riddick having 45 rushing yards and a touchdown.  Seeing as the Titans defense held Adrian Peterson, it looks doubtful that the Lions can count on their rushing game.

The defense was easily the Lions’ biggest problem in week 1, allowing the Colts 450 total offense yards – 368 passing yards and 82 rushing yards, 2 sacks, 0 interceptions and 0 caused fumbles.  The porous pass defense should give Titans quarterback, Marcus Mariota, some leeway in the passing game.  And with a receiving core of tight-end Delanie Walker, rookie wide receiver Tajae Sharpe and veteran wide receiver Rishard Matthews, Mariota won’t lack for targets or opportunities against the Lions defense.

The Titans had a non-existent rushing game last year, and they worked hard to improve the position by adding DeMarco Murray and drafting rookie Derrick Henry.  Although the Titans’ rush game looked promising in the pre-season, against the Vikings defense, they look dismal, totaling only 64 rushing yards.  Murray should have more luck against the Lions, than they did with the Vikings.

What can we expect in WEEK 2:

• Marvin Jones has a touchdown.
• DeMarco Murray has a touchdown.
• Tajae Sharpe has a touchdown.

Breaking the losing streak, the Detroit Lions win.