The Mock: AFC South

The Colts ran the show in the AFC South in 2007 and it seemed like they were going to be the face of the South once again in 09. Tennessee had other plans in mind and they topped the powerhouse Colts with a 13-3 record as the Titans snagged home field advantage. It was almost as if Houston and Jacksonville had no shot whatsoever in making a run in this division. The Texans have continued to improve and may be a surprise team in the AFC. The Jaguars have made a couple changes and are looking to chase after the rest of the AFC. For now, it's going to a race between the Colts and the Titans in what may be a fight for first all the way to the Super Bowl.

Houston

The newest franchise in the league is about to enter their 8th franchise as they try to collect their first winning season in team history. The task at hand will be there for the taking but they will have to continue to improve their offense and even more so their defense in order to make anything happen.















The future of the Texans is now as Steve Slaton
takes on a huge role at the running back position.

The Texans have waited patiently and it is starting to look like it's going to pay off as the offense has been developed nicely with a group of young talent. It isn't the most sought out offense but with the presence of guys like Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, Owen Daniels, and even MATT SCHAUB. Doesn't seem too appealing but the underdog offense knows how to produce. Matt Schaub has been around but hasn't really been a feared quarterback in the league but with receivers like Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson around him, Schaub has the tools to be a top passer in the league. Steve Slaton had some early exposure as a rookie last season and showed that he could hang with the big boys with instant impact. As he continues to develop, he will be a sturdy back for Schaub to work with. The offensive line hasn't really been the most reliable one but the Texans will shift things around and rotate their men as they figure out the perfect combination. The Texans offense will be good but don't expect some "greatest show on turf".

For a defense that gave up an average of nearly 25 points a game last season, they don't look too bad on paper. Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams stack up the front line with a giant presence as the 6'2" tackle stands next to the 6'6" giant at defensive end. Mario alone piled up 12 sacks last season and will be eager to up that stat by a few more this season. Xavier Adibi is one of Houston's favorite young prospects as the second year linebacker will get plenty of opportunities to make big plays this season with the starting weak side position. The starting group of linebackers is very young and could be a huge problem for them throughout the season as Cushing tries to adapt to the league. The oldest guy in this starting group is entering just his 4th season and will be the starting linebacker in the middle. The Texans will get some help from their secondary as they will be led by two solid safeties that have experienced enough in the league to lead a defense. Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson will do whatever they can to support a young defense but they can only do so much. This defense will learn through trial and error and will give up plenty of touchdowns this season.

Many said that Mario Williams was a bust but
that talk ended quickly as the young star racked up
12 sacks in a single season last year.

So the Texans might not be ready to step up to the post season level just yet. Give them two to three years and they may be a consistent playoff team. For now, the thought of another .500 season shouldn't seem too disappointing but one less win would. You can always cheer for the Cowboys.

Indianapolis

The Colts have been a powerhouse in the last decade and have won at least 12 games throughout the regular season in the last six seasons including a 14-2 2005 season and a Super Bowl Championship. They are still led by the same man, Peyton Manning and have a solid overall roster that many teams would kill to have. They've got veterans with tons of experience and younger guys that are developing and learning from those veterans. The former league MVP, Manning has just one Super Bowl ring to show for all the work he has done and would like a few more before he calls it quits.

The offense has been one of the best in the league for a while now and it all starts from the best part of the offensive line up. Pey... No, the offensive line. They've had lots of tough offensive lines as rotations got mixed around and new guys came as old guys left but you can never forget Jeff Saturday. The Pro Bowl center will make things happen for Peyton as he finds time for the precision passer. Dallas Clark plays the tight end position and does a fine job at it. Marvin Harrison couldn't stick around for a few more years but Reggie Wayne has done just as well and the new Anthony Gonzalez has been a humble addition. Joseph Addai quickly adapted to the league as he made an instant impact. He isn't exactly a top running back in the league right now but he is a good enough starting running back that can work alongside the future hall of famer, #18.

Peyton Manning won't be successful without
the presence of Jeff Saturday in the center position.

Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders are the heart and soul of this defense as they control the line and the secondary. Freeney doesn't do it alone though as he has the presence of guys like Robert Mathis alongside him on the line and Gary Brackett in core of the linebackers as he looks to stay healthy this season. Bob Sanders is one of the hardest hitting, quickest cornerbacks to ever enter the NFL. He has plenty of company to help him also. Antoine Bethea continues to excel as Kelvin Hayden has recently broken out as an NFL player. If Marlin Jackson get be healthy and effective, he will just be another addition to a strong secondary.

Antoine Bethea is a beast of a presence in the
secondary and will be a huge part of this
defense once again.

This team doesn't stand out as extraordinary but they have the pieces that fit perfectly with each other. They've got chemistry and a good mix of everything. They don't have too much of one thing but they have just enough in every area that needs to be covered. It doesn't hurt to have a few future hall of famers either. This isn't the 2005 14-2 Colts or the 2006 Super Bowl Colts, but this is a playoff team. 12 wins will be the max. A disappointing season would be nine wins but this team will make the cut for any expectations as they knock down eleven wins as a wild card team in the playoffs.

Jacksonville

Last season got pretty ugly as the Jaguars sat at the bottom of the division with just five wins. They've got the players that can take a team all the way but they were missing a few factors. This off season, the gm went right to work as they took care of just that.

David Garrard isn't exactly the best starting quarterback but these guys believe in the man and they are convinced that Garrad is the answer to the playoffs for right now. So what did they do in order to help the quarterback succeed? They spent their first two draft picks on offensive linemen Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton as well as signing veteran Pro Bowl receiver Torry Holt. With the best route runner in the lineup and a deep offensive line ready to hit the trenches, we might see some fireworks in Jacksonville. Maurice Jones-Drew is a wrecking ball at the running back position and will take the Jaguars down the field as long as the passing game takes some attention off of him. Tra Thomas will need to stay healthy for this offensive line to be sturdy and Marcedes Lewis will have to come out of hiding and produce some numbers as well as successful blocking. I like this offense and no bias here, this could be the best offense in the division. Okay not first. The second best...

The presence of Tra Thomas for the Jaguars will
be more than enough and they should be an
improvement from last season.

Enough of the hype for the offense but the focus will be on the defense as I go straight to the reasons why this team is not ready to clinch a playoff spot. The defensive line is far from small as they stand at 6'5", 6'5", 6'6", and 6'7" but they have a lot to learn as the defense still needs to solidify their chemistry and presence. Once they figure out how to use that unbelievable amount of size to their advantage, this defense will have a strong backbone. Their starting crew of linebackers in the NFL is a very weak one as it is structured around Clint Ingram (former Oklahoma Star), Daryl Smith, and Justin Durant. They will have to bring out what they did in college and use it in the big league in order to sustain a solid linebacker front for Jacksonville. The secondary is going to be singly handled by Rashean Mathis as the corner will be on the opposite side of Brian Williams and the young safeties Sean Considine and Reggie Nelson. The defense will not be a strong point for this team and that will obviously be a huge issue for the team's hunt for a playoff spot.













Reggie Hayward is like a monsoon in the trenches. He will suck up everything that gets in between him and the opposing quarterback.

The Jaguars will cause some damage in the division and create issues for other teams at times but the record won't be as pretty as fans may want. The team will pull out even if they're lucky but I'll give them seven.

Tennessee



















Vince Young isn't a guy that is used to
sitting on the sidelines but he will have
to adjust as he will be the second guy
in the quarterback position. A time for
some reflection?

The team that thought they were going to go all the way had their dreams shattered by the Baltimore Ravens. The Titans were sent home packing and they had to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers hold up what could have belonged to them. This year, the Titans may be able to get farther than they had before. The Titans haven't been to the Super Bowl in almost a decade but the drought could end now.

LenDale White will have a breakout season
for the Titans and will be a huge reason
for why this offense will be better than last year.

Their was a lot of controversy with the offense last year as their man Vince Young had personal issues and the scoring didn't come by so easily. Much hasn't changed since the 08-09 campaign but the Titans will have to produce some offense this season if they want to find themselves in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV. The quarterback job will be given to Kerry Collins but Vince Young will see his share of snaps as he is the future of the Titans offense, not Collins. One thing to look forward to on the offense will be the running duo of Chris Johnson and LenDale White. They will need their center Kevin Mawae to get better or else the absence of the big guy will place a gigantic burden on the offensive line. Nate Washington is coming off a Super Bowl victory and is now going to be the go to receiver on a squad that despises his former team. He will have to be healthy and could look to have a breakout season. If not, don't be surprised to see Justin Gage step up and be a big time x factor for the team.

Jevon Kearse will manage a strong defensive line joined by Kyle Vanden Bosch and Tony Brown. Jovan Haye is the new guy from Tampa and will see plenty of time on the field and could instantly make this defensive line unbeatable. Keith Bullock and David Thornton are two linebackers that are very good at what they do and will support their fellow linebacker in the middle, Stephen Tulloch. Michael Griffin was the big time safety in the secondary that broke out last season and made a huge addition to this defense. Him and Nick Harper will stack up this secondary and Cortland Finnegan will be on the opposite side of Harper as he looks to top last seasons five interception count. Chris Hope is the last piece to this secondary and he'll be doing his share of helping this defense dominate opposing offenses.

Kylen Vanden Bosch and David Thornton will
be a wrecking crew as they play alongside one
of the league's top defensive lineups.

This team surprised everyone with 13 wins in the regular season. Opponents will be much more prepared before taking on the Titans this season and the road to the playoffs will not be easy with their division slowly getting better and better, not to mention that the Colts are in the same division. The Titans will will twelve games in the regular season at most and we will see a tie in the division as the Colts and the Titans both finish with a record of 11-5.

Colts 11-5
Titans 11-5
Texans 7-9
Jaguars 7-9

It may come down to a single field goal to
determine the winner of this tight division.

The division will be tough and the top two will be a close fight as the bottom two will be the same. Doesn't seem logical? Can't predict them all correct but you can assume that this is more than likely to happen. Indianapolis for the division!

-Jason C