This was a fun week in the AFC South for a variety of reasons, which brought some surprising results. Could it be too little, too late or are we setting up for a great stretch run?
Where have these Colts been?
It took until Week 10, but we finally got to watch the Colts team we expected to see all season long. Jeff Saturday silenced the haters, at least for a little while, but most importantly, got his team the win. He opted to go back to starting Matt Ryan at quarterback, a move that almost everyone on earth knew gave the team the best chance to win. Best of all, Saturday has put his team in position to warrant our attention, potentially. Of course, they only beat the Raiders, but it’s important to note how they did it. Jonathan Taylor looked like his 2021 self and the offensive line wasn’t a complete disaster. That’s how the Colts were built to win and if that continues, maybe we can start putting money on them again with confidence.
Vrabel’s Titans continue to impress
One great thing about winning is that it really doesn’t matter how you get there. It can be ugly or flashy, close or blowout, with or without controversy. That’s the Tennessee Titans. No matter what, they just find a way and most of that is because of the head coach, Mike Vrabel. Imagine having to stand on the opposite sideline as he routinely out coaches your staff. It must be exhausting, dealing with not only a physical toll on the field, but a mental one as well. In terms of talent, Tennessee was at a disadvantage on Sunday as the Broncos came to town, but it didn’t matter. Injuries didn’t matter. Vrabel’s team found a way, even with a banged up Ryan Tannehill under center. Anytime, anyplace. The Titans will surely find a way. Because of that, they’ll always have a spot in my betslip.
Everything but the win for Jacksonville
You can file the Jaguars under the “teams that are fun to watch, but a disaster to have money on,” category. They pulled out special teams trickery, won the turnover battle, and time of possession. They still went down 20-0 and then couldn’t manage a comeback either. That has to be demoralizing for this group. If anything, Sunday was representative of how far the Jaguars still need to go in this rebuild. Most games seem to follow the same script. Get a big lead and blow it, or fall down big early while mounting a late comeback to make the score look respectable. With that in mind, invest your hard earned cash elsewhere, unless a good live betting opportunity arises.
The Texans are one frustrating team
As expected, the Texans found themselves in a one score game against the Giants on Sunday. Unsurprisingly, Houston couldn’t get the job done. One thing is clear though. This team couldn’t possibly be more frustrating to watch. Whether it was Jalen Pitre’s pathetic attempt at tackling Darius Slayton, turning a short gain into a long touchdown, or countless other things, the Texans don’t look like they belong. They do enough to make the final scores respectable and even give opponents a scare at times, but Houston always makes the costly mistake in the end. On the bright side, there are only 162 days until the NFL Draft officially begins.