With the Jags widely expected to run away with the division, it's semi-surprising to see the teams bunched up to open the campaign, particularly with two teams starting rookie quarterbacks.
While
Anthony Richardson's play and that of the Colts' defense deserves attention, and the Titans under Mike Vrabel continue to defy expectations, the
C.J. Stroud-led Houston Texans are the most surprising team in the division through four weeks.
It's not just that the Texans won their past two games. It's
how they won said contests. Houston skated to a
20-point victory in Jacksonville and followed it up by demolishing Mike Tomlin's Steelers
by 24 at home. Along the way, Stroud has improved each week, finding the right reads, protecting the football, and ending each game with a massive flourish.
For a team expected to experience another rebuilding season with DeMeco Ryans in his first season and a rookie under center, it's a very encouraging start. But Ryans wasn't ready to smell the roses when asked about the four-way tie at 2-2.
"Yeah, with the standings, we really don't care," he said on Monday, via the official transcript. "It doesn't come to mind to me when you talk about the standings. It's just literally one game at a time, one week at a time. How are we improving throughout the week? That's our main focus, and the outcomes of the season [and] where we'll end up, it'll take care of itself if we continue to focus on our preparation."
