Week 8 AFC South predictions: Jags extend streak, Will Levis has rocky debut

With the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans on a bye, the AFC South went 1-1 last week. QB Trevor Lawrence led a 46-yard touchdown drive in the final four minutes as the Jacksonville Jaguars edged the New Orleans Saints, and the Indianapolis Colts suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final minute to the Cleveland Browns. 

Here are predictions for Week 8’s slate of games:

Houston Texans (3-3) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-6): The Panthers have actually been surprisingly good against the pass on defense (ranked ninth in the league). That begs the questions: How does rookie C.J. Stroud bounce back from throwing the first interception of his career, and how does he fare against a top-10 pass defense? 

Stroud threw for 242 yards against Baltimore, 199 yards and two touchdowns with one interception against New Orleans, and 249 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta, which have the Nos. 2-, 4- and 6-ranked pass defenses, respectively. 

Outside of Adam Thielen, the Panthers offense doesn’t offer much in terms of playmakers, and Bryce Young ranks 22nd in touchdowns and 30th in passing yards, making this one of the easier matchups on Houston’s schedule. It might stay interesting in the first half, but the Texans should pull away as the game wears on.

PREDICTION: Texans 31, Panthers 20

Indianapolis Colts (3-4) vs. New Orleans Saints (3-4): The Saints are already 1-2 against the AFC South this year, and their lone win was a one-point victory over the Titans in Week 1. The Saints have dominated their AFC South opponents in total yards, first downs and time of possession, and they’ve won the turnover battle. What’s been their Achilles' heel is red-zone offense. New Orleans went a combined 3-for-12 in trips to the red zone against the Titans, Texans and Jaguars.

Gardner Minshew has thrown for 300 yards in back-to-back games, and Josh Downs has emerged as a real weapon in the pass game (16 receptions, 243 yards, two touchdowns over his last three games). Jonathan Taylor appears to be finding his groove, and Zack Moss is a perfect complementary piece in the run game as well. The Saints have a top-10 defense, and it’ll be tested on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Colts 26, Saints 21 

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2): Winners of four in a row, the Jacksonville seems to be rounding into form. In games against teams with winning records, the Jags have played some of their best football, edging out the Buffalo Bills, dominating the Atlanta Falcons and playing the Chiefs to within one score.

Pittsburgh is a tough team to peg as all four of its wins have come in one-score games while both its losses have been blowouts. That's not to mention the unpredictability of a Matt Canada-coached offense. This game will come down to how well QB Kenny Pickett plays. The Steelers have the fifth-worst rushing offense in the NFL, and the Jags have the No. 4 rushing defense, so Pittsburgh’s success will likely have to come from Pickett’s arm.

Conversely, Trevor Lawrence has averaged 227 yards passing with five touchdowns and just one interception in Jacksonville’s four-game win streak, and Travis Etienne is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards and third in touchdowns. The 30th-ranked Steelers defense will have its hands full.

PREDICTION: Jaguars 24, Steelers 13

Tennessee Titans (2-4) vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-3): Don’t expect a lot of offense in this one with the Titans starting rookie QB Will Levis and Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder throwing multiple touchdowns just once in seven games. Though head coach Mike Vrabel said Levis and Malik Willis will both play, this isn’t the preseason, so one should clearly get the lion’s share of the snaps. My money is on Levis.

With Tennessee breaking in a new QB, the Falcons should expect to see a healthy dose of Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears. Henry’s rushed for 60 or more yards in four of six games, and Spears has played 52 percent or more of Tennessee’s offensive snaps in five of six games. The Titans RB duo versus the Falcons run defense, which ranks No. 8 in the NFL and is one of 12 units to allow less than 100 yards rushing per game, is the matchup to watch.

PREDICTION: Falcons 22, Titans 16