AFC South: Rankings

Team rankings through 16 weeks

December, 30, 2009
12/30/09
10:56
AM ET
Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

Scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

Team rankings through 13 weeks

December, 9, 2009
12/09/09
11:12
AM ET
Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The significant changes this week:
  • Indianapolis' rush offense dropped from 31st to 32nd, worst in the league based on yardage.
  • Tennessee's rushing offense slipped out of first to second.
  • Tennessee made offsetting moves on third down: from 12th to eighth on offense, from 16th to 23rd on defense.

Team rankings through 11 weeks

November, 25, 2009
11/25/09
12:15
PM ET
Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The significant changes this week: From dealing with Chris Johnson and Vince Young, Houston's rush defense dropped from tied for 14th to 22nd; Tennessee's rush offense moved from second to first, passing the Jets, while the Titans' overall defense moved from 30th to 26th; Jacksonville moved from sixth to tied for fourth on third-down offense.

Team rankings through 10 weeks

November, 18, 2009
11/18/09
12:29
PM ET
Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The significant changes this week are for Tennessee: The Titans' 41 points against the Bills jumped them from a tie for 23rd to 18th in points and their third-down conversion ranking leaped from 18th to 11th. Defensively, they are at long last no longer 32nd in pass defense. That honor now belongs to Detroit, and the Titans are 31st.


Also of note: Tom Brady and the Patriots dropped Indy from ninth to 16th in pass defense.

Team rankings through eight weeks

November, 4, 2009
11/04/09
11:11
AM ET
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The most interesting thing here is how much damage Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew inflicted on the run defense rankings for Jacksonville and Tennessee.

With Johnson pacing the Titans to 305 rushing yards in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Jaguars, Jacksonville dropped from 13th to 25th in run defense. And with Jones-Drew leading the Jaguars to 217 rushing yards, the Titans fell from ninth to 18th against the run.
Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 8th 28th 3rd 12th 19th
Indianapolis 4th 30th 1st 6th (t) 1st
Jacksonville 11th 8th 19th 22nd 12th (t)
Tennessee 19th 2nd 26th 24th 18th
Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 16th 20th 14th 14th (t) 12th
Indianapolis 9th 17th 7th 1st 26th
Jacksonville 24th 25th 26th 25th (t) 30th
Tennessee 31st 18th 32nd 32nd 17th

Team rankings through seven weeks

October, 28, 2009
10/28/09
11:26
AM ET
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The biggest changes of note over two weeks (we missed our review of these a week ago):

Jacksonville played only one game, but saw its total offense jump to 11th from 20th, surely helped by a third down boost that took it from 18th to 10th. Its total defense rose to 23rd from 30th.
Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 10th 30th 3rd 13th (t) 21st
Indianapolis 4th 27th 1st 2nd 2nd
Jacksonville 11th 11th 14th 21st 10th
Tennessee 22nd 6th 25th 27th 20th
Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 21st 21st 18th 20th 18th
Indianapolis 9th 19th 6th 2nd 27th
Jacksonville 23rd 13th 31st 24th 25th
Tennessee 31st 9th 32nd 32nd 19th

Team rankings through five weeks

October, 14, 2009
10/14/09
8:16
AM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky


Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The biggest changes of note:

What does a terrible shutout loss do to five weeks worth of numbers? Well after a 41-0 loss in Seattle, the Jaguars dropped 10 spots in total offense, 12 spots in scoring, six spots in points allowed and seven slots in third-down offense.

Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 11th 30th 5th 12th (t) 25th
Indianapolis 4th 29th 1st 6th 2nd
Jacksonville 20th 13th 18th 23rd 18th
Tennessee 17th 18th 21th 24th (t) 15th
Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 23rd (t) 26th 16th 22nd 15th
Indianapolis 7th 14th 7th 2nd (t) 31st
Jacksonville 30th 18th 30th 24th 29th
Tennessee 23rd (t) 3rd 31st 29th 14th

Team rankings through four weeks

October, 7, 2009
10/07/09
8:43
AM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky


Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The biggest changes of note:

Jacksonville jumped from 16th to 10th in total offense.

Oakland provided a huge cure for Houston in a couple departments, helping boost the Texans from 32nd in total defense to 25th. Seattle provided similar aid to Indianapolis in rushing defense, where the Colts moved from 21st to 16th.

Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 16th 30th 9th 13th 25th (t)
Indianapolis 1st 29th 1st 6th 3th
Jacksonville 10th 8th 14th 11th (t) 11th
Tennessee 11th 7th 16th 22th 14th (t)
Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 25th 29th 9th 21st 31st
Indianapolis 13th 16th 8th 4th (t) 29th
Jacksonville 29th 12th 31st (t) 18th (t) 26th
Tennessee 22nd 7th 31st 26th 8th

Team rankings through three weeks

September, 30, 2009
9/30/09
10:27
AM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky


Here is our weekly look at how the AFC South teams rank in 10 key categories in the league.

I believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

The biggest changes of note:

The Colts are up from 12th to fourth in total offense and the Jaguars are up from 24th to 16th in total offense and to 16th in points from 28th.

The Colts saw things balance out a bit on defense, moving from 30th against the run to 21st, while falling from first against the pass to 10th, while the Jags sank to 32nd against the pass from 26th.
Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 15th 30th 9th 11th 23rd
Indianapolis 4th 26th 1st 9th 7th
Jacksonville 16th 10th (t) 19th 16th (t) 15th
Tennessee 11th 6th 20th 19th 22nd
Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 32nd 32nd 17th (t) 28th (t) 30th (t)
Indianapolis 12th 21st 10th 3rd 30th (t)
Jacksonville 25th 14th 32nd 21st (t) 22nd
Tennessee 18th 2nd 29th 23rd 6th

Team rankings through two weeks

September, 23, 2009
9/23/09
12:24
PM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky


Through two weeks rankings don’t mean too much, and I do believe that scoring and third-down efficiency tend to be more important than yardage gained or surrendered, though it’s all tied together.

So here is how the AFC South teams currently rank in the major categories:
Offensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Off. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 23rd 32nd 9th 13th (t) 28th
Indianapolis 12th 29th 3rd 13th (t) 3rd
Jacksonville 24th 19th 22nd 28th 16th
Tennessee 7th 5th 16th 13th (t) 19th

Defensive Rankings: AFC South
Team Total Def. Rush Pass Points per game 3rd down
Houston 32nd 32nd 22nd 27th 31st
Indianapolis 13th 30th 1st 10th (t) 32nd
Jacksonville 24th 13th 26th 16th (t) 20th
Tennessee 26th 2nd 32nd 20th 4th
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