AFC South Up For Grabs In 2009

Over recent years the AFC South has proved to be one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.  It has consistently put two teams into the playoffs, and on some occasions even three.  However, there has been a lot of changes this offseason among the teams in the division leading many to believe that competition this year will be wide open.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been playing second fiddle to the Indianapolis Colts since the division was created in 2002.  Even outstanding seasons in 2005 and 2007, in which the Jaguars finished 12-4 and 11-5 respectively, were not enough to topple the Colts iron clad grip on the division. 

Now that the Jaguars are healthy after a disastrous 2008, and are putting the focus back on running the football and stopping the run, they seem poised to compete in 2009.

The Indianapolis Colts have had an interesting offseason.  It started when then head coach Tony Dungy decided to retire and make way for his successor Jim Caldwell.  Recently two long time assistants, Tom Moore and Howard Mudd, announced they had stepped down from their positions. 

With the amount of leadership turnover taking place with the Colts, it would not be unreasonable to see a slip in performance in the coming season.

The Tennessee Titans, last year's division champions, could be in even more trouble than the Colts.  Last year the Titans won on the strength of their defense.  With the lack of any sort of a passing attack, their offense was completely ineffective against any team that could slow down their ground game.  The Titans will need to score more points this season, because they lost Albert Haynesworth creating a gigantic hole in the middle of their defense.

The Houston Texans have always been the cellar dweller of the AFC South.  This year could be different for the youngest franchise in the league.  The Texans finished 8-8 last year and flashed some potential late in the season. 

The success of the Texans relies on the ability of franchise quarterback Matt Schaub to stay healthy.  When healthy, Schaub has proved to be a reliable signal caller.  He also has one the most dangerous receivers in the league at his disposal, Andre Johnson.

In the past couple of seasons it has taken at least 13 wins to claim the division title.  This year, I think a 10-6 record will be the magic number for teams to reach.  All four teams have the potential to be playoff contenders in 2009, and it will be interesting to see how the division race plays out.