Predicting the AFC South: Who Shall Challenge for the Division in 2009?

The previews of divisions, playoffs, and eventual champion continues as the breakdown of the AFC South begins. Thus far, the AFC and NFC West have been previewed. Check out the profile if interested.

In 2008, the AFC South took a surprised turn at the top of the division. The Tennessee Titans captured the division crown, and earned the top seed in the AFC Playoffs. As usual, the Indianapolis Colts secured a spot, this time as a wild card team.

The Houston Texans continued to make strides as a franchise, with Andre Johnson making a name for himself as the best receiver in the game. The Jacksonville Jaguars battled with injuries, and saw a top 10 pick in front of their eyes.

A few changes were made during the off season for two of the franchises. Albert Haynesworth, the Pro-Bowl defensive tackle, fled Tennessee for the great bucks in Washington.

Tony Dungy, a face of the Indianapolis Colts along with Manning, decided it was time to retire. Can either of these teams recover from the changes that took place?

The division faces a tough schedule, playing opponents from the AFC East and NFC West.

1. Indianapolis Colts—The Colts have dealt with a tough fact of life this off-season: The loss of Tony Dungy from the coaching staff. Jim Caldwell has took the reigns of running the Colts, being familiar with many of the faces before hand while serving as an assistant. The changes could take some adjustment, which the team will have time to accomplish the task through the pre-season.

However, this shall not stop the Colts from taking back their division crown. The offense changes a bit of his playbook with Marvin Harrison out of town. Receiver Anthony Gonzalez will be more involved in the offense, along with Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, who are the top targets for Peyton Manning once again.

Indianapolis will also rebound from injuries to the offensive line, while defenders Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders should be ready for opening night. Look for running back Joseph Addai to avoid his disappointing season in '08, and make an impact on the play action for Manning.

Though there are some crucial games on the schedule against New England, Baltimore, and Seattle, the Colts will be your AFC South champions in 2009.

Prediction: 12-4

2. Houston Texans—The Houston Texans, who just a short time ago was a very young franchise, continues to make strides as an organization as a competitive football team. Over the past few seasons, the team has been around a .500 record, yet has never been able to make the next leap as a challenger for the division.

In 2009, however, the Texans will continue to climb closer to post-season action. Wide receiver Andre Johnson was the showcase of the offense last season, being arguably the best overall receiver in the NFL. Quarterback Matt Schaub, who missed portion of the season due to injury, is back at full health.

Running back Steve Slayton, one of the more underrated rookies in '08, should stabilize the rushing attack as the top string.

The key here is the defense, a young core that did struggle at times in 2009. Are they ready for the hype that 2009 brings? This franchise continues to improve its roster, and will take control of second place in the division.

Prediction: 9-7

3. Tennessee Titans—After finishing with the best record in the AFC last season, the Titans came up short against the Baltimore Ravens in the second round, ending the surprise season for Tennessee.

The team took a hit in the off-season when losing Albert Haynesworth to the Washington Redskins. As good as the defense is, Albert's presence will be missed on the  line.

The team did add Nate Washington, receiver from the Steelers. However, he does not have the ability of being a No. 1 target.

Kerry Collins did put up a great campaign last season. For the most part, Collins was accurate, which kept the Titans in many close games.

Can he build on his success from last year? Can he keep it up?

Running back Chris Johnson has been dynamic for the Titans, and should keep up the success from 2008.

Jeff Fisher's teams are always competitive, and a good team will be put on the field in 2009. Am I jumping on the bandwagon for another playoff season? Unfortunately, not this year. I do not see the same success in 2009, but instead be a .500 team where they belong.

Prediction: 9-7

4. Jacksonville Jaguars—The Jacksonville Jaguars faced a season of turmoil during their disappointing campaign of being near the bottom dwellers of the league. While injuries did affect him in some way, Jack Del Rio is on the hot seat in 2009. Fred Taylor, the veteran running back, left town to join Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Can Jones-Drew carry the entire load this season? In the off-season, Tory Holt, the longtime St. Louis Ram, was brought in to be the No. 1 target on an offense that has struggled for a receiver.

David Garrard should improve from a '08 season that tailed off from his previous high, where he led the Jaguars to the playoffs then. Can the Jags be a surprise team from last to first?

It will not happen. The strongest part of the team, the defense, has fallen apart due to free agency and trades. Overall, just not enough talent on the defensive side to aid the inconsistency of the offense.

Prediction: 6-10

Matt Miselis is an NFL writer for BleacherReport.com. You can also follow him on twitter @ www.twitter.com/MattMiselis .