The Houston Texans on Sunday clinched the AFC South title for the second consecutive season as they beat the Miami Dolphins, 20-12, and the Colts lost to the Denver Broncos. The Colts have not won the division since 2014.
The Texans were the only AFC South team to win in Week 15, as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans lost to the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. The Jaguars and Titans are now both 3-11 on the season.
Texans defense comes up big to help clinch AFC South title
For the second time in as many seasons, the Texans are AFC South champions. Head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud joined the organization at the same time, in 2023, and have now led the Texans to their eighth division title. This is the third time in franchise history that the Texans have won back-to-back division titles.
"Today we took another step," Stroud said. "To play for the division this early in December is kind of cool."
In Houston's 20-12 victory over the Dolphins at NRG Stadium, Stroud completed 18 of 26 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a passer rating of 106.4. Wide receiver Nico Collins was the recipient of both touchdown passes and finished with four receptions for 17 yards.
It was the Texans' defense that ultimately won the game on Sunday, though, forcing four Dolphins turnovers in crucial moments throughout the game. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted three times and was sacked three times; the Dolphins had four turnovers in total.
In the second quarter, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. strip-sacked Tagovailoa and Houston recovered the fumble to score their first touchdown of the day a few plays later to take a 10-3 lead. Tagovailoa's first interception came at the end of the second quarter, resulting in a Texans field goal after rookie safety Calen Bullock picked off a pass and ran 68 yards to the Miami 5-yard line.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Texans were up 20-12 but the Dolphins weren't going away quietly, keeping Stroud and his offense locked down. So, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. stepped up. With two interceptions in the fourth quarter, and his second one stripping the Dolphins of one final chance to make a potential game-winning drive with under two minutes left, Stingley sealed the game for the Texans.
"Defensively our guys stepped up and did a really good job closing out the game the way we needed to," Ryans said. "Stingley is playing just unbelievable football right now. Ask him to cover, man coverage, to go and get to picks versus a really good offense, that was huge for us."
"That is who we are as a defense," Anderson said. "We talk about swarm mentality. That's what we have to do every Sunday. Every time we touch the field, we have to swarm and take the ball away."
The Texans play the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Titans to close out the regular season.
Jaguars fall to Jets despite career day from rookie WR
The Jaguars did almost enough to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Jets on Sunday at EverBank Stadium. They fought, they scored, they made plays – but only for three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Jets scored 15 points and Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones threw an interception on what was his last chance to lead a game-winning drive.
"They made plays that we didn't make, and that part's unfortunate," head coach Doug Pederson said after the 32-25 loss.
"We didn't execute in certain areas, and that's why we're in the losers' column," center Mitch Morse said. "We'll figure it out. Love the fight out of the guys and all we can do is continue to fight for these next three weeks."
The biggest play the Jets made that the Jaguars couldn't was the big one. Rodgers connected with wide receiver Davante Adams for a 71-yard touchdown with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter, and the two-point conversion that followed gave the Jets a 25-22 lead. The Jaguars answered with a field goal to tie it, but Rodgers led another touchdown drive – with a 23-yard pass to Adams – for the Jets' fourth touchdown of the day.
Jones brought the Jaguars down to the Jets' 47-yard line on their final possession, but threw a deep pass easily picked off by Sauce Gardner to lose the game.
"You watch NFL football – there are plays that are made and plays that aren't," Jones said. "As a quarterback, you want to get the game to the fourth quarter. We did last week [in a 10-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans] and got down there and won it. This week we didn't, and that's on me."
Jones finished 31-of-46 with 294 yards and two touchdowns, but with two costly interceptions. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a career day with 10 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough. Thomas, with 64 receptions for 956 yards and eight touchdowns, now holds the Jaguars' single-season rookie touchdown receptions and receiving yards records.
"He's a good, young receiver who's going to continue to get better," Pederson said. "He's had a heck of a season for a rookie receiver – not only here in Jacksonville, but in the NFL. I think there's more. As he continues to grow and learn, he can get better."
The Colts play the Jaguars in the final week of the regular season; Thomas had five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting between the two teams in October.
Will Levis benched midway through Titans' loss to Bengals
With seven minutes and 24 seconds left in the third quarter at Nissan Stadium, Titans quarterback Will Levis had completed eight of 12 passes for 89 yards. He had one fumble that had given the ball back to the Bengals – and resulted in a touchdown drive – and three interceptions, with the most recent one returned for a Bengals touchdown to put Cincinnati up 31-14. It was the fourth pick-six Levis has thrown this season.
That was the nail in the coffin for Levis, as backup quarterback Mason Rudolph came in on the next possession to a round of applause from the Titans' home crowd. Rudolph tried his best to lead a comeback, completing 21 of 26 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns (with one interception) but the Titans still ultimately suffered a 37-27 defeat.
Head coach Brian Callahan did not say who the starting quarterback would be going forward.
"I'm not going to make any definitive statements one way or the other," he said. "We just have to make sure we can correct what we saw on tape and where we had a rough day for (Levis). And again, sometimes these things happen where you have a rough day, and you got to get sat down. So, I'm not going to make any statements about it."
The Titans defense struggled throughout the game, as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns; the Bengals scored on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter to take a commanding 24-14 lead into halftime.
"It's tough," edge rusher Arden Key said. "We've got a lot of guys who care about the game, care about their last name, care what people say about us."
"I thought it was going to be back and forth the whole game and we were going to have to do a good job," Callahan said. "And ultimately, against a team like that, you just can't turn it over. And that's where it got away from us."
The Titans finished the game with six turnovers to the Bengals' four. Four of Tennessee's turnovers resulted in a Bengals' scoring drive, whereas only one of the Bengals' turnovers resulted in points for the Titans.
The Colts play the Titans this Sunday.
