AFC South

The NFL's newest division, formed in 2002 with four teams.

The AFC South is one of four divisions in the NFL's American Football Conference, formed in 2002 when the league realigned to 32 teams. Its four original members—the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans—have never changed.

Quick Facts

Sport: American football
League: National Football League
Conference: American Football Conference
Founded: 2002
Teams: 4
Champion: Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd title)
Most titles: Indianapolis Colts (9 titles)

Facts from the source article.

History

The AFC South was created in 2002 when the NFL realigned, pulling together two teams from the old AFC Central, one from the AFC East, and a brand-new expansion franchise. The Tennessee Titans won the division in its first season and advanced all the way to the AFC Championship game. After that, the Indianapolis Colts took over, winning the division for five straight years and capping that run with a Super Bowl XLI victory. In 2007, the AFC South posted the best combined record ever for a division, going 42–22 for a .656 winning percentage, beating the previous mark of .643 set by the 1975 AFC Central. The Titans broke the Colts’ streak in 2008 by winning the division, but Indianapolis bounced back in 2009, clinching its sixth division title in Week 12 after beating the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Colts repeated as division champs in 2010 with a 10–6 record, winning their final four games. A victory over the Jaguars tied both teams’ records, but Indianapolis controlled its own fate as Jacksonville dropped its last three contests. In 2011, the Texans captured their first AFC South title and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Houston needed a win over Cincinnati and a New Orleans victory over Tennessee in Week 14 to secure the spot; the Texans won 20–19 and the Saints beat the Titans 22–17. Houston then won its first playoff game, 31–10 against the Bengals, before falling 20–13 to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round. The Texans repeated as division champions in 2012 after beating Indianapolis 29–17 in Week 15. In the playoffs, they again defeated the Bengals, this time 19–13, but lost to the New England Patriots 41–28 in the Divisional round.

The Colts reclaimed the division crown in 2013, sweeping all three AFC South opponents to win their first title since 2010. Indianapolis defended the title in 2014 by beating the Texans 17–10 in Week 15. The Texans then took back the division in 2015, clinching with a 30–6 win over Jacksonville in Week 16.