The AFC South produced two playoff teams in 2019, and it could produce two more this coming season. Three teams sit in perfect positions to compete for the division title and playoff berths. Because three of the AFC South's teams rank so close together, schedules could play a role in who wins the division in 2020.
The NFL schedule ensures that each AFC South team faces two unique opponents in 2020. Otherwise, the teams play the AFC North, NFC North, and face each other twice apiece. Despite playing similar schedules, it's clear some teams have an easier path to the playoffs.
This article ranks each team's difficulty of schedule, with four representing the easiest schedule and one representing the hardest.
4. Indianapolis Colts
Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts could shock the AFC South. The team's unique matchups come against the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. Those games, along with some divisional wins, could return Indianapolis to the division's pedestal in 2020.
Compared to their divisional opponents, the Colts open the regular season with an easy stretch of games. Indianapolis only faces one team that finished with a record above .500 in its first seven games. An early winning streak could kickstart a nine or 10-win season for the Colts.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Of the four AFC South teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars face the second easiest schedule in 2020. However, that won't save the crumbling team from finishing with a bottom-five record in the NFL.
Jacksonville's easiest games come against the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, but both of those teams drafted rookie quarterbacks. Cincinnati and Miami should win significantly more games this season, while Jacksonville could struggle to reach four wins.
2. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans shocked fans last season by eliminating the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots in the playoffs. The Titans came up one game shy of the Super Bowl, and the team faces a tough schedule in 2020.
Unlike the other teams in the AFC South, Tennessee plays the upstart Denver Broncos this year. The Titans also face Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills, who look primed to win the AFC East. However, Tennessee avoids facing the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020.
1. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans open their season with a brutal four-game stretch. First, the Texans travel to Kansas City to face Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champions. Then, Houston plays the Ravens and Lamar Jackson at home before traveling to Heinz Field. Their fourth game is at home, but it's against the ten-win Minnesota Vikings.
Between battling the Titans and Colts twice each and their early games, the Texans face an uphill battle to win the AFC South for the third year in a row. The one break Houston gets comes against New England in Week 11. The Patriots went 12-4 last season but should experience a drop off this year without Tom Brady.
Overall, Houston and Tennessee possess the best teams in the AFC South, but the Colts could leverage their schedule to a division title.
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