AFC South standings: Titans hold on to 1st place despite Week 13 loss

The Tennessee Titans had a major letdown game in Week 13, losing to the Cleveland Browns, 41-35, at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

And when we say letdown game, it’s not really a knock on the Browns, but rather an indictment on the Titans’ failure to show up in a big spot, especially in the first half where Tennessee was out-scored 38-7.

The Titans did finally wake up in the second half, out-scoring the Browns 28-3, but by then it was too little, too late, as the first-half hole and some second-half mistakes were simply too much to overcome.

Despite the loss, the Titans remain in first place in the AFC South over the Indianapolis Colts, but by divisional record tiebreaker only — and, as we’ll explain shortly, Tennessee should be sending Jacksonville a fruit basket as a result.

Let’s see exactly where things stand in the division and what is ahead for the Titans, Colts, Houston Texans and Jaguars going into Week 14.

1. Tennessee Titans (8-4)

Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

With a 3-1 divisional record, the Titans own the tiebreaker and remain atop the AFC South over the Colts, who sport a 2-2 divisional record. The good news for Tennessee is that it has a more favorable schedule than Indianapolis the rest of the way, but three of the Titans' last four games are on the road, while the Colts are home for two of their last four.

Titans' remaining schedule

Week 14: at Jaguars (1-11) Week 15: vs. Lions (5-7) Week 16: at Packers (9-3) Week 17: at Texans (4-8)

Colts' remaining schedule

Week 14: at Raiders (7-5) Week 15: vs. Texans (4-8) Week 16: at Steelers (11-0) Week 17: vs. Jaguars (1-11) The combined record of the Titans' last four opponents is 19-29, as compared to the Colts' last four games being against teams with a combined mark of 23-24. At the very least, the Titans need to win both of their remaining divisional games to put themselves in a good position to win their first AFC South crown since 2008.

2. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

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The Colts pulled even with the Titans in overall record thanks to their 26-20 win over the Texans on Sunday, but remain in second place because of the divisional record tiebreaker. Indianapolis is 2-2 inside the division, while Tennessee is 3-1. The Colts will draw a tough matchup in Week 14 against a Raiders team that is vying to make the playoffs in 2020. From there, Indy will host the Texans in Week 15, hit the road to take on the Steelers in Week 16, and then return home to battle the Jaguars in Week 17. With the Titans controlling their own destiny, the Colts are going to need their division rival to stub their toe in the final four games.

3. Houston Texans (4-8)

(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Houston's two-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday after suffering a close road loss at the hands of Indianapolis, 26-20. With the Jaguars sporting the second-worst record in the NFL, the Texans are a lock for third place but won't go any higher than that. Houston will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017 instead. However, Houston has a chance to play spoilers down the stretch with games against the Colts and Titans over the last four weeks. The Texans will first visit the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11)

(AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

While the Jaguars have played their last two opponents tough, losing by a combined five points, there are no participation trophies in the NFL and Jacksonville remains on an epic 11-game skid. Thankfully for the Titans, the Jags' only win came against the Colts in Week 1, which is proving to be the difference in the AFC South race at the moment. Like the Texans, the Jags will have a chance to play spoilers over the last four weeks of the season, with matchups against the Titans and Colts coming up. First, the Jags will host the Titans in Week 14.