NFL Divisional Preview: AFC South

Pardon My Bias Bleacher ReportAug 22, 2010

The AFC South has been dominated by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts for years. Expect the Colts to be back on top again and possibly make another Super Bowl appearance. The Titans, Texans, and Jaguars have also made quite a push and will be challenging for one of the AFC Wild Card slots. All three teams are looking for big seasons and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

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Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars finished with a 7-9 record last year and missed the playoffs, but it was a good season for a team that only had five wins in 2008. The Jaguars have a lot of good pieces in tact starting with versatile RB Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD had a career year last year with 1,392 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs. I look for him to build on those numbers and break a 1,500 yard season and also rack up more receiving yards. The talk coming out of Jaguars training camp has been Derrick Harvery who the Jags traded up for to make him the eight pick in the 2008 draft. He has shown quickness after dropping some weight and is really looking like the explosive pass rusher they expected him to be. The biggest concern for the Jaguars at the end of last year coming into this season is the defensive side of the ball. The Jags brought in veterans DE Aaron Kampman and linebacker Kirk Morrison to help that need. I think those additions will help, but they will be a middle of the pack defensive team. Two offensive linemen Eben Britton and Eugene Monroe have suffered injuries as well and QB David Gerrard will need those guys for protection once the season starts. The Jags had a breakout season from Mike Sims-Walker who picked up 869 yards with 7 TDs. It looks like second-year receiver Mike Thomas will get the start opposite of Sims-Walker after cutting ties with Tory Holt. The Jaguars play an extremely tough schedule this year and will battle the Titans and Texans but I think they will finish in 4^th again this season.

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Tennessee Titans – The Titans got off to a rough start last season starting 0-6 but finished the season 8-8. After their week 7 bye week, coach Jeff Fisher brought in Vince Young to start his first game since week 1 of 2008. Even though Vince Young did not have amazing numbers, he knew how to lead his team to wins. There will be a lot of pressure on Young this season to be able to lead the Titans back into the playoffs. Although the Titans did not make the playoffs, the strong end to the season gave Titan fans hope for a great season in 2010. Running back Chris Johnson had a monster season becoming the 6^th player in NFL history to cross the 2000 yard marker. Johnson proved that he is the best running back right now, and has said himself he plans on destroying Eric Dickerson’s all-time season record of 2105 yards by rushing for 2500 yards this season. Whether he reaches that mark is yet to be seen, but expectations are for another 2000+ yard season. I look for Kenny Britt and Nate Washington to have strong years again this season with young under the gun for all 16 games. Justin Gage will have to fight back from his injuries, but I don’t think he’ll take Britt’s spot, who has shown a lot of promise. The big question was the Titan’s defense. In their 0-6 start, 5 QBs threw 300+ yards on the Titans. The Titans got younger on defense picking up some defensive players highlighted by Derrick Morgan from Georgia Tech. They also let Keith Bulluck, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Kevin Mawae walk. Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, Stephen Tulloch, and Tony Brown will be looked upon to lead the defense to a strong campaign like the Titans had in 2008. The offensive line is still one of the premiere lines in the league and will be heavily relied upon for Chris Johnson and Vince Young to have big years. The Titans are rated to have the strongest strength of schedule in the league so they will surely be challenged but I think they are underrated and may be in the hunt for the AFC Wild Card spot.

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Houston Texans – The Houston Texans had a good season last year finishing the year with a 9-7 record which was good for second place in the AFC South but they missed the playoffs. QB Matt Schaub had a breakout season in which he threw for 4,770 yards and 29 TDs, which nearly doubled his total of TDs from 2008 of 15. Andre Johnson emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the league with 101 receptions and 1500+ yards receiving. The Texans ranked first in the league in passing last season, but the weakness came in the running game. They were ranked 30^th in rushing last season. This year they will rely on Arian Foster and Steve Slaton for a 1-2 punch and hopefully new draft pick Ben Tate will be able to have some impact this season. This season without a doubt has playoff expectations for Gary Kubiak’s squad, but it will be difficult to even finish 2^nd in the AFC South again this season. If the Texans plan on contending in this division, they’re going to have to learn how to defeat the top dogs—Indianapolis Colts. The Texans have only a 1-15 record against the Colts, and that simply won’t get it done. The Texans have a good defensive team who only allowed 299 yards/game the last 13 games. They need to pick up where they left off last year, but they will be without Brian Cushings the first four games who will be serving his suspension.

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Indianapolis Colts – The Indianapolis Colts finished with a 14-2 record last season and made it all the way to the Super Bowl where they lost to the New Orleans Saints. They could have easily finished with a perfect record but decided to rest starters in the last two games of the season. The Colts once again have Super Bowl expectations again. This year, they are healthier than last season, and can be more dangerous than ever. They are the clear cut favorites to win the division again. The Colts have a young and fresh receiving crew, but they are as dangerous as any other team’s receivers. Anthony Gonzalez will be returning from his injury, and I look for Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, and Pierre Garcon to have great seasons. Dallas Clark is one of the best tight ends in the league, and it the aerial game comes at ease with a future Hall of Fame QB like Peyton Manning. As good as the aerial game is, the running game for the Colts is the exact opposite which finished dead last season. I believe the Colts will try to emphasize the run game a little more, but will stick to what works which is the passing game. Joseph Addai is the real difference maker for the Colts. He is an all-around back who blocks well, and can make a difference in a big game like the Super Bowl. The offensive line will have to step up this season, especially on running plays. The Colts have a middle of the pack defense. New draft pick Jerry Hughes can be a good impact for the defense and add to the attack of Robert Mathis (who has contract issues) and Dwight Freeny. Bob Sanders will need to establish himself as the leader of the defense again for the that side of the ball to play well. I like the Colts a lot this season and once again will be one of the best teams in the AFC barring any injury.

Predicted Standings