NFL standings 2022: Jaguars lead AFC South after Titans loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars are first place in the AFC South with two weeks left and a Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans is now guaranteed to decide the division winner.

That was decided in Week 16 when Tennessee dropped to 7-8 on the year with a 19-14 loss to the Houston Texans. The division standings after Sunday look like this:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
2. Tennessee Titans: 7-8
3. Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1
4. Houston Texans: 2-12-1

The Jaguars currently own the tiebreaker at the top of the division by way of a 36-22 win over the Titans in Week 14. However, Tennessee has a 3-2 record in AFC South play while the Jaguars are 2-2.

If Jacksonville wins in Week 18, it’ll own the tiebreaker via a season sweep. If Tennessee wins, it’ll own the tiebreaker via a 4-2 division record.

With a Week 18 duel guaranteed to decide the division, it could make sense for the Jaguars to rest their starters during a Week 17 game against the Texans. However, there’s still a long shot scenario where Jacksonville could earn a wild card berth even after losing to the Titans in their season finale.