INDIANAPOLIS — With the Indianapolis Colts away in Week 10, the rest of the AFC South Division teams did play — and they played pretty well, actually.
The AFC South-leading Houston Texans, who defeated fellow division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans, who had an impressive showing against the Green Bay Packers, each kept up their pace in the AFC South standings on Sunday.
The Colts, of course, were on their bye week, getting some much-needed rest and relaxation after a brutal first nine weeks of the regular season. In all but one game, Indianapolis (4-5) found itself in a position to win up until the final minutes (or even seconds, in some cases), closing out four of those games, while stumbling in four others. The only exception, really, was the Colts' 30-14 Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This Sunday's slate of games should help provide much more clarity about the state of the division moving forward. The Colts play host to the Titans (5-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium, while the Houston Texans (6-3) play host to the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders (7-2) on Monday Night Football.
The Jaguars (2-7), meanwhile, hope to break a four-game losing streak, when they travel to take on the Detroit Lions, who are co-leaders of the NFC North Division with a 5-4 record.
But before officially moving on to the next week of action, let's take a comprehensive look around the AFC South during Week 10 of the 2016 regular season, via the AP:• Houston Texans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
Brock Osweiler threw two touchdown passes, Kareem Jackson returned an interception 42 yards for a score and the Houston Texans handed the Jacksonville Jaguars another home loss, 24-13 Sunday.
The Texans (6-3) scored on offense and defense and set up another score with special teams, a complete team effort that led to their first road win of the season and kept them perfect (3-0) against the AFC South. They won their fifth in a row against Jacksonville.
The Jaguars (2-7) lost their fourth straight and fell to 0-4 at home. Coach Gus Bradley's team rallied late, with Blake Bortles hitting Allen Robinson for a touchdown and again for a 2-point conversion.
But the Texans converted a third-and-5 play with 2 minutes to play, essentially ending the game. It dropped Bradley's record to 14-43 in four seasons and prompted even the most loyal supporters to question why owner Shad Khan hasn't made a change.
Houston had been downright dismal on the road this season, scoring just one touchdown in lopsided losses at New England, Minnesota and Denver. The Texans found Jacksonville to be much more hospitable, especially on the opening drive.
On the fifth play of the game, Jackson stepped in front of Allen Hurns, tipped the ball up, bobbled it, secured it and sauntered down the sideline before juking Bortles and high-stepping into the end zone.
Osweiler made it 14-7 later in the first quarter with a 1-yard pass to wide-open tight end Ryan Griffin. Punt returner Tyler Ervin did most of the work on Houston's third touchdown, weaving his way for 57 yards and setting the Texans up at the 7-yard line. Osweiler hooked up with Stephen Anderson on the next play.
Nick Novak, who missed two field goals earlier in the game, connected on a 51-yarder with 8:32 remaining that gave Houston some breathing room.
The Jaguars struggled to move the ball consistently all afternoon and added to their lowlight reel in the second quarter when Bortles did the most Bortles thing of his career.
Under heavy pressure and trying to ground the ball near tightly covered running back T.J. Yeldon, Bortles hit Yeldon in the foot. The ball bounced up and landed in linebacker Whitney Mercilus' hands for what initially was ruled an interception. It was later changed to a lateral and a fumble.• Tennessee Titans 47, Green Bay Packers 25
Marcus Mariota threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans routed the Green Bay Packers 47-25 Sunday.
Five different Titans scored a touchdown in the first half as Tennessee put together its best scoring performance this season with 35 points.
With the win, the Titans (5-5) also matched the five victories over the past two seasons combined.
DeMarco Murray set the tone on the opening play from scrimmage, running 75 yards for a touchdown . He finished with 123 yards and also threw a TD pass, becoming the first non-quarterback to do that for this franchise in the same game since Earl Campbell on Sept. 7, 1980, for the then-Houston Oilers.
Brian Orakpo had two of Tennessee's five sacks, and the Titans also forced three turnovers.
The Packers (4-5) started a three-game road swing by losing their third straight. Green Bay has lost four of five in dropping below .500 for the first time since Aaron Rodgers' first year as a starter back in 2008.
Rodgers and Mariota came into this game tied for the most TD passes in the NFL over the previous five weeks with 13. Rodgers threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for another.
But Mariota completed his first 10 passes as Tennessee jumped on Green Bay at the start, and he completed TD passes of 9, 32, 6 and 33 - each to a different receiver.
