Breaking down the divisions: AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts - (12-4) - The defending AFC champs are still loaded on offense. Payton Manning seems ageless and still has the weapons to succeed. Reggie Wayne is one of the top wide outs in the game. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie had very nice seasons and should take another step forward this year. Anothony Gonzalez has been a bit of a disappointment so far. He improved on his rookie season. Can he go one step further this year? His competition proves to be tough and receptions will be harder to get with the cast around him. Another receiver that will be looking for catches is rookie Blair White. White is a tough slot receiver out of Michigan State. He has great hands but mediocre speed. Dallas Clark is one of the best tight ends in the league. Clark has the versatility to line up all over the field and creates match up nightmares for opposing defenses. The line is still a solid unit to protect manning and open up holes for the backs. Joseph Addai managed to stay relatively healthy and have a decent season for himself. Donald Brown got banged up in his rookie season. He showed flashes of being able to have success. The jury is still out on Brown, This season should be a showcase to see if he can take over as top dog for the Colts rushing attack. The Colts used their first round draft choice to add depth the the Defensive pass rush. Indy took defensive end Jerry Hughes from TCU. Hughes fits the fast smaller end speed rushing type they covet. He can get his feet wet behind the top duo of Mathis and freeney. The linebacking corps are solid. Philip Wheeler and Clint Sessions stepped up and showed they were worthy of being starters on the outside. Gary Brackett is a steady veteran. They added Pat Angerer in this past draft to learn behind Brackett. He could be the middle linebacker of the future. The defensive backs have some question marks. Safeties Sanders and Bethea are holding down the safety spots. The corners are another story. Kelvin Hayden has had good seasons in his career but hasn't stayed healthy the past two in a row. Jarraud Powers had one interception last year and looks to be the starter on the right side for the Colts D. With the defensive line as good as they are, it will help the backs.


2. Houston Texans - (9-7) - The Houston Texans are still looking for that playoffs birth. The offense has been deepened By free agency and the draft. Ben Tate was taken in the second round. Tate played at Auburn in a spread offense. He should be a perfect fit for Houston. He is a between the tackles runner with some skills in the receiving game. Look for Tate to get most of the goal line carries. Steve Slaton and Arian Foster will be looking for touches this season. Slaton Dissapointed in 2009. Foster had nice good games at the end of the year. It's an open competition at runningback, I think in the end Ben Tate becomes the workhorse they need. Matt Schaub led the league in passing yards a year ago. He has reached top status amongst active NFL quarterbacks. Throwing to the best wide receiver in the NFL helps. Johnson was again an unstoppable beast. Except when lining up across from New York Jet Darrell Revis. Kevin Walter is a solid option for Schaub. Owen Daniels is an excellent tight end but got injured last season. Jacoby Jones showed some skills in the receiving game and return game. The Texans still need one more option to throw to. Rookie Dorin Dickerson could be that guy. He made need a year of seasoning. Dickerson spent the last few seasons at tight end for the university of Pittsburg. The defense will take a hit the first month. Defensive rookie of the year Brian Cushing is out due to suspension. DeMaco Ryans is one of the premiere middle linebacker in the league. The defensive line is good. Mario Williams has been proving himself as the number one overall pick in 2006. Connor Barwin had a decent rookie year and should be more of a presence rushing the passer. Houston spent their first pick in the draft on Kareem Jackson a cornerback from Alabama. Bernard Pollard has established himself as an important player in the Texans Backfield. The rest of the defensive backfield is iffy at best. Eugene Wilson isn't a great free safety. The other corner Glover Quinn and Jaques Reeves need to step up to make this defense better. If they struggle it could be the difference between making the playoffs and not.


3. Jacksonville Jaguars - (8-8) - It aint gonna be pretty! But this team will win some games through grit, defense and a ground attack. Quarterback David Garrard has been good, bad and down right ugly at times. He has a young receiver core that learned a lot from Torry Holt last season. Mike Sims-Walker had a career high 63 receptions last season. He will be the main target in the passing game. Mike Thomas had a solid rookie season for himself in 2009 on the other side of Sims-Walker. The offensive line is good. The Jags took two tackles a year ago in the draft and they will again be opening holes for Maurice Jones-Drew. He is like a cannon ball running down the field at 5'7'' 210 lbs. Jones-Drew will again be a premiere back in the league. He ran for 1394 yards and 15 touchdowns when Fred Taylor departed via free agency. The defense was disappointing last year. They couldn't put any pressure on the quarterback. To fix in they spent first round pick on Tyson Alualu. A surprising pick, but Alualu is a speedy Defensive tackle. Austin Lane was taken in the fifth round. Lane was a stand out at the senior bowl rushing the passer. Aaron Kampman was brought in to play end where he is best suited. Kampman had a bad knee injury last season. Time will tell on his impact. The biggest acquisition was Kirk Morrison. He came over in a trade with the raiders. Morrison is one of the most underrated backers in the league. He is a tackling machine, averaging around 100 a year. Daryl Smith and Justin Durant can make this an elite group if Durant can step up his play a bit. The defensive backfield should be helped by the better pass rush. Rashean Mathis has show lock down ability at corner. Reggie Nelson has been impressive in his three years with the team. This could be a play off team if the defense can get after the QB. Jacksonville could take over Houston for a wild card spot if they can put it all together.

4. Tennessee Titans - ( 7-9 ) - Tennessee had two different seasons in 09'. after a 59-0 beating in New England, the Titans came out playing strong. Chris Johnson took the keys to the offense and ran all over opposing defenses. Johnson gained the most total yards ever in the NFL(2509) in his second season. Entering year three he is in a contract hold out with the team. I believe they will come to an agreement before the season starts. How can't they? He is the offense. Javon Ringer will get some touches this year with LenDale White gone. Rookie Lagarrette Blount could see some goal line carries. Vince Young still isn't a quality quarterback. He needs to throw more TD's and less picks. He can make things happen in the clutch toward the end of the game. But if there is any chance of making the post season, it rides on his shoulders. Kenny Britt was a bright spot at wide receiver. He showed the ability to be a top player at his position at times. Look for him to be even better this year. Only problem for him is the guy throwing the ball. Rookie Damien Williams could be another target for Young. Williams is an excellent route runner with good size and solid speed. The defense took a step back losing Albert Haynesworth. They added Derrick Morgan in round 1 of the draft and he should upgrade the line at defensive end. Will Witherspoon was brought in via free agency to complete a very good linebacking unit. Courtland Finnegan is a great Corner. The defense has the chance to bounce back. I like this team, but they are a quarterback away from being a playoff contender.