John McClain's AFC South week 9 rewind: Titans take control - Houston Chronicle

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After Sunday’s games, there are no more ties in the AFC South.

The Titans’ victory over Chicago, and the Colts’ loss to Baltimore left Tennessee in first place and Indianapolis in second.

The Texans beat Jacksonville for their second victory over the Jaguars, who have solidified last place in the division with a seventh consecutive defeat.

At the midway point of the season, it’s clear the Titans are the division’s best team, and they host the Colts on Thursday night. They play each other two times in November. They’re the AFC South’s only legitimate playoff contenders.

Let’s take a look at how the division played out on Sunday.

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Texans 27, Jaguars 25

Deshaun Watson threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns – one to Brandin Cooks for 57 yards and the other to Will Fuller for 77 yards. This game was in doubt until rookie quarterback Jake Luton failed to complete a two-point pass that would have forced overtime. Watson, who led the Texans with 50 yards rushing, had a passer rating of at least 100.0 in a sixth consecutive game. Watson didn’t throw an interception, and he could have been sacked more than two times, but he did an amazing job as an escape artist. This was a costly victory for the Texans. They lost running back David Johnson, guard Senio Kelemete, outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett and defensive end Charles Omenihu. J.J. Watt had his 100th career sack. Vernon Hargreaves intercepted a pass that led to a touchdown. Zach Cunningham had a sack. Still, the defense allowed Luton, a sixth-round pick who hadn’t taken a snap, to throw for 304 yards and a touchdown. His 13-yard touchdown run to cap an 80-yard drive gave the Jaguars a chance to force overtime. Watson is now 6-0 against Jacksonville.

Records: Texans 2-6, Jaguars 1-7
Next game: Texans at Browns, Jaguars at Packers

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Titans 24, Bears 17

The Titans dominated the Bears and led 24-3 in the fourth quarter before Nick Foles threw two late touchdown passes. Tennessee took control of the AFC South with the victory. The Titans didn’t win in their usual fashion. They ran for 92 yards on 13 carries against a terrific Chicago defense. Derrick Henry was limited to 68 yards on 21 carries. Ryan Tannehill completed only 10 passes for 158 yards, but two were good for touchdowns to A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith. Brown had four catches for 101 yards. Their defense was wretched on third down going into the game, but the Titans improved that statistic by playing their best third-down defense this season. They limited the Bears to 2 of 13. Tennessee played great run defense, stuffing the Bears, who produced only 56 yards on 20 carries, a 2.8-yard average. The Titans sacked Foles three times, and he finished with 335 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Chicago’s inability to establish a running game put too much pressure on Foles.

Record: 6-2
Next game: Colts

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Ravens 24, Colts 10

The Colts were trying to win at Lucas Oil Stadium and stay even with the Titans in the AFC South. They led 10-7 at halftime, but the Ravens ran for two touchdowns and Justin Tucker kicked a 48-yard field goal for the only scoring in the second half. Indianapolis’ defense, which has been stifling this season, limited the Ravens to 266 yards. Lamar Jackson threw for 170 yards and no touchdowns. He led Baltimore in rushing with 58 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens played splendid defense against quarterback Philip Rivers. He completed 25 of 43 for 227 yards and no touchdowns. He averaged only 5.3 per attempt, had no touchdowns and was intercepted once by Marcus Peters. Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor ran for the Colts’ only touchdown. The Colts were unable to move the chains consistently. They were 2 of 12 on third down and 2 of 4 on fourth down. They have to improve in all areas if they want to win at Tennessee.

Record: 5-3
Next game: at Titans

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