The Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the teams in the AFC South were ranked as the fifth-best division in the NFL.
The start of the new league year gives way to free agency, trades, and soon, the NFL Draft. All three of these processes lead to the NFL looking different than it did the year before.
With so many players moving around and franchises reworking their rosters and staff, team rankings are sure to change. If individual team rankings change, so will divisional rankings.
NFL teams must play the other three members of the division twice a season and the division champion receives an automatic bid to the playoffs. Because of that, people like to evaluate divisions to see which is tougher.
In a recent article by CBS Sports, Jeff Kerr had the task of ranking the eight divisions after the first wave of free agency. The AFC West was undoubtedly No. 1 after all of the offseason moves those teams made.
At the bottom, was the NFC South. A division with three teams facing rebuilds and the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The bottom spot was previously held by the AFC South. The AFC South has moved from the leagues-worst division to the middle of the pack, coming in as the fifth-best division.
The Colts are coming for the AFC South 👑 pic.twitter.com/uLOCAAejoX
— PFF (@PFF) March 21, 2022
The AFC South is improving as a division
This improvement is driven by the development of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville finished last season as the worst team in the NFL, but after a massive-spending spree in free agency, the Jaguars have pieces to field a more competent team.
The division’s best two teams have also been improving this offseason. The Tennessee Titans have swapped out Julio Jones for Robert Woods and the Indianapolis Colts acquired Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Ryan.
The Houston Texans, however, are still likely facing another long season as a terrible team. The other three teams will be competing for the division and a chance to represent the AFC South in the playoffs.
Division race could be harder for Colts
As things currently stand, the AFC South should still come down to the Titans and Colts but Jacksonville is doing its best to make some noise.
Indy hasn’t been able to sweep the Jaguars even during their worst years. The last time the two teams were on the field, the Colts were being embarrassed in Jacksonville while having their playoff hopes stripped away.
Indianapolis hopes the acquisitions that have already been made, as well as the ones that will be made, will be enough to finally sweep Jacksonville and dethrone the Titans.
Tennessee has won the AFC South the last two seasons but the Colts are determined to make sure that it won’t be three in a row.
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