Jaguars and Texans are AFC pretenders

Just two games separate first-place Indianapolis from last-place Houston in the AFC South Division.
Despite missing eight starters against Cincinnati this past Sunday, the Colts won to go 6-3 and remain a serious Super Bowl contender. But what about the other three teams in the division, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Houston?
The Titans have to be respected with a stout defense and Randy Moss joining Chris Johnson to provide Vince Young with two dangerous weapons.
Houston and Jacksonville had a most entertaining game on Sunday with the Jaguars winning on the final play on a “Hail Mary” pass. But neither the Texans nor the Jaguars are good teams. They are playoff pretenders rather than playoff contenders.
Houston started the season with wins against Indianapolis and Washington. Since then, though, the Texans have gone 2-5. They have failed to cover during their last five games.
The Texans resemble those old American Basketball Association teams. They have a flashy offense with magnificent skill position talent in Arian Foster and Andre Johnson, but play no defense.
Houston went into Monday ranked last in total defense surrendering 409.7 yards per game. The Texans were giving up more than 300 yards per game through the air, worst in the NFL.
The Texans can’t be taken serious until they not only improve their secondary, but get tougher physically and mentally. They’ll have a chance to prove they aren’t soft Sunday when they play the physical Jets on the road. New York opened as seven-point favorites.
Jacksonville has won its last two games to increase its record to 5-4. Don’t be fooled. The Jaguars are not a playoff team either.
They rank 28th in scoring defense allowing 27.8 points per game. The Jaguars were 29th in total defense yielding 387.2 yards a game and were 30th in pass defense.
The Jaguars only recorded 14 sacks last year, the fifth-worst single-season mark in NFL history. They have 14 this year, but lost their best pass rusher, Aaron Kampman, for the season. He sustained a torn ACL during practice last week.
The Jaguars didn’t get a sack against Houston in their first game minus Kampman, who has a team-high four sacks.
Jacksonville’s offense has been inconsistent scoring 31 or more points four times, while being held to 13 points or less three times.
The Jaguars may have the most apathetic fans in the league, too. This is a factor in Jacksonville being 6-15 ATS in its last 21 home contests.
It’s hard to take a team serious that has such a poor spread mark at home. The Jaguars also have been money-burners as a favorite failing to cover 13 of the past 17 times in that role. Jacksonville opened as 2 ½-point home ‘chalk’ versus Cleveland Sunday.
Oakland and Kansas City are tied for first in the AFC West at 5-4. Many believe they are just keeping the seat warm for San Diego, which is 4-5 despite ranking first in total offense and No. 2 in total defense.
The Raiders and Chiefs are both improved. But they are also playoff pretenders.
The Raiders have covered in their last five games while going 4-1. They don’t have the quarterback or pedigree to win their division. The last time Oakland won more than five games in a season was the year it went to the Super Bowl back in 2002.
If the Raiders upset Pittsburgh on the road – something they accomplished last season as 15-point underdogs – then people might take them far more seriously.
Kansas City opened 5-2. The Chiefs, however, have lost and failed to cover in their past two games. They were buried by Denver, 49-29, this past Sunday as one-point road favorites falling behind 35-0.
NFL oddsmakers believe the Chiefs will bounce back this week opening Kansas City as 7 ½-point home favorites against Arizona.