AFC South: NFL Team-by-Team Season Preview
Adam Martin 
A new week and we've got three more NFL season previews on the way from Adam Martin, exclusively here on Free Bets.
This week, we wrap up the AFC, starting with his AFC South season preview below.
AFC South Season Preview
The AFC South has been poor over the last few years with no-one making a run in the playoffs.
Not much is expected from these teams now, but changes have been made to get better. Here we go through the big off-season moves and look and see if any of them can do better than expected.
Tennessee Titans
The worst team in the league last year, the Titans went 3-14 in a campaign that only saw one win at home. They were statistically bad in all four departments, although their rush defence was reasonable.
Brian Callahan is back for his second year as head coach as he continues to rebuild this team. His offensive coordinator is Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Both guys were with him last year and this year is all about development.
In free agency the Titans moved on from many players. Both wide receivers Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine have gone along with offensive lineman Dillion Radunz and Nicholas Petit-Frere.
They also moved on from Daryl Worley, Jerome Baker, Kenneth Murray, Harold Landry and Chidobe Awuzie in a bid to freshen up the defence. The only main player that the re-signed was Sebastian Joseph-Day.
They spent big on new left tackle, Dan Moore and bought in some more offensive veterans in Tyler Lockett and Kevin Zeitler. The defence saw some additions as well with Cody Barton, Xavier Woods and Dre’Mont Jones coming in.
With the number one pick the Titans got their new quarterback in Cam Ward. The Miami star has looked good in training camp and the Titans hope that he can be the next big quarterback to hit the NFL.
They also drafted some exciting offensive talent with wide receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunner Helm. Also, Kevin Winston who they took in round three is an underrated Safety who will be huge for the Titans.
Verdict
The aim of this season is to develop Cam Ward and try and win six games. If the Titans do that then they will have had a successful year. Anything more than that will be amazing and surprising.
Odds
The latest NFL betting doesn't give the Titans much hope of success this season, according to the odds on offer.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are another team that have struggled over recent years but there is hope this season. Last year they went 4-13 in a season that saw head coach Doug Pederson and general Manager Trent Baalke lose their jobs.
Statistically the Jags had a reasonable offence but a poor defence that cost them in most games. The passing defence especially was one of the worst in the league.
Liam Coen is now the new head coach after his stint as offensive coordinator at the Bucs. He was largely credited with turning around the fortunes of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Jags are hoping he can do similar things with Trevor Lawrence.
He has got Grant Udinski as his offensive coordinator and Anthony Camponile has come from Green Bay to be his defensive coordinator.
New general manager, James Gladstone, spent little time in making changes as some big names left in free agency. Evan Engram and Christian Kirk have both moved on as the Jags look to refresh their offensive weapons.
Also, Brandon Scherff, Mitch Moorse and Mac Jones have moved on. The Jags also moved on from a couple of defensive players in Ronald Darby and Andre Cisco.
They didn’t re-sign anyone of any note, but they did bring in some players to help. On the offence they signed Robert Hainsey, Patrick Mekari and Dyami Brown. The defence saw Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray arrive.
In the draft general manger, James Gladstone took a huge swing and traded up to take Travis Huner at pick number two. Hunter is potentially a generational talent who played both wide receiver and cornerback in Colorado. This could be huge for the Jags but giving up their first-round pick in 2026 to do it means it has to work.
After that it felt like the Jags draft wasn’t great although they did pick up a couple of solid players. Wyatt Milum should be a good guard to protect Trevor Lawrence and Bhayshul Tuten is an exciting running back.
Verdict
The Jaguars have made some positive moves and the whole organisation has had a refresh on and off the field. Liam Coen has shown what he can do in Tampa Bay and if he does the same in Jacksonville then good things should happen.
Its still unknown exactly how much Travis Hunter will play on the offence and defence, but he will be involved in both. With him and Brian Thomas at wide receiver the offence should be exciting. The defence, however, feels that it hasn’t changed much and that will be their undoing. Playoffs are possible but it will be tough to get there.
Odds
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are one of them teams that are perennially stuck in the middle of the league. They have a good enough team to always be competitive but have been missing that top quality quarterback since Andrew Luck retired.
Last season they went 8-9 and missed out on the playoffs. Statistically they were middle of the table as well. They were slightly better at running the ball and defending the run but slightly worse when it came to passing the ball and defending the pass.
Head coach Shane Steichen is back again in the hopes of changing that 8-9 record to 9-8 or better. He has got Jim Bob Cooter back as his offensive coordinator and he has been effective since coming in. Lou Anarumo has come in from the Cincinnati Bengals to be the Colts new defensive coordinator.
In free agency the Colts were quiet compared to other teams. They did let some big names go though. Julian Blackmon, Dayo Odeyingbo and E J Speed have all left the defence. Joe Flacco, Kylen Granson, Ryan Kelly and Will Fries have moved on from the offence as well.
The Colts didn’t re-sign many of their guys that came up for renewal but did add some big names from outside the building. Daniel Jones has joined the quarterback room and star secondary defensive players, Charvarius Ward and Cam Byram have joined up with the team.
The draft saw the Colts go big in round one picking up tight end Tyler Warren. The Penn State star is expected to be a big name in the NFL, and it has been an area of need for the Colts for some time. They also picked up Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau and cornerback Justin Walley on day two. DJ Giddens could also be good for them at running back behind Jonathon Taylor.
Verdict
The Colts have brought in some good players and overall are a better team than last year. However, none of that matters until they get the quarterback position sorted. Anthony Richardson is one of the worst quarterbacks to play in the NFL when it comes to accuracy and Daniel Jones is nothing special.
Unfortunately for Colts fans it looks like another season of the same. If Richardson can suddenly get better or Jones can play well then, they are a playoff team. If they fail and they can’t get wins early, then they need to look to 2026 for their next potential star quarterback.
Odds
Houston Texans
Lat years winning team of this division was the Houston Texans. They went 10-7 but struggled to do much more in the playoffs. They will be hoping to get back to how they played in CJ Stroud’s rookie year though.
The offence just couldn’t get going last season and statistically ended up in the bottom third of the league. Fortunately for Texan fans the defence came through and were a top ten team when defending the run and the pass.
Demeco Ryans is back for another year as head coach. In comes new offensive coordinator Nick Caley and Matt Burke stays on as defensive coordinator.
The offence saw a big change in free agency with some star names moving on. Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green won’t be on the left side of the offensive line anymore. Also, wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Robert Woods have moved on.
The Texans prioritised re-signing some of their defensive stars instead. Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre, Derek Bennett and Mario Edwards all signed new deals.
They also added to that already strong defence by bringing in Darrell Taylor, Sheldon Rankins, EJ Speed and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The offence saw some new blood as well with Nick Chubb, Christian Kirk, Laken Tomlinson and Cam Robinson arriving in Houston.
The Texans didn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft after trading back. However, they still found some exciting talent to add to their squad. They focused largely on the offence by bringing in both wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Also, Aireontae Ersery should help the offensive line.
Verdict
The Texans should win this division reasonably comfortably. They clearly have the best defence in the division and if Stroud can get back to how he was in his rookie year, then the offence should be good to.
Their goal should be to get to the AFC Championship game but beating one of the big four teams will be tough. A playoff win they should be good for but to go much further is unlikely to happen.
Odds
The Texans are favourites with UK betting sites to win the AFC South division this season.
AFC South Betting Odds
With a few weeks to go until the start of the season, we've not got any betting promotions on the NFL just yet, but if you're looking for an early wager, the full AFC South betting odds can be found below.
NFL on Freebets
Alongside finding you the best free bets on the market, we're also committed to helping you via our tipsters, and the daily betting tips they provide.
As the NFL season begins, Adam Martin will be on hand to deliver his NFL tips for every game week, looking at the biggest games and stories from across the pond.
If you're looking for the complete NFL package during the new season, make sure to stick with us!
