The Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars or Indianapolis Colts: which organization has the brightest future amongst these AFC South representatives?
That’s a difficult question to answer when one considers the injuries that have plagued every team from this division since the beginning of the 2011-12 NFL season. Peyton Manning, Kenny Britt, Matt Schaub, Mario Williams and approximately 60-percent of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster ended the season on injured reserve (IR) or never played.
Here’s a brief outlook at every team in the AFC South following the 2011-12 season. What obstacles must these franchises overcome if they want to take that next step toward becoming a Super Bowl contender?
Houston Texans (10-6, AFC South champions)
Have the Texans finally become that perennial playoff contender that many fans had expected for the past few seasons? The Texans clinched their first division title in franchise history despite losing their final three games. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips turned one of the NFL’s worst defenses into a unit that ranks in the top four in run defense and pass defense.
The Texans entered this season as the second-youngest team in the division. However, they have the NFL’s fifth-oldest offense. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter will all turn 31 before next preseason. Owen Daniels will turn 30 in November.
How healthy is Coach Phillips? Phillips will turn 65 before next season. The Texans were 10-3 before Phillips had to take a medical leave of absence. He’s had to call plays from the press box as he recovers.
Are the Texans a flash in the pan or will they maintain their competitive level of play?
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
At 9-7, the Titans were the only team who failed to qualify for the playoffs with a winning record. First-year head coach Mike Munchak did a remarkable job with a team that many fans thought would be lucky to win more than six games. The Titans had to overcome Bud Adams’ late hiring of Coach Munchak and the NFL lockout that prevented the players from getting acquainted with their new coaches and quarterbacks. They also had to survive training-camp fiascoes from Cortland Finnegan and Chris Johnson.
The Titans have the NFL’s sixth-youngest team. They entered the season with the NFL’s fourth-youngest defense. The Titans have some promising rookies that include Jake Locker, Colin McCarthy, Karl Klug, Jurrell Casey and Akeem Ayers. The Titans have shown that they can compete with some of the NFL’s best teams. They defeated the Baltimore Ravens and were within seconds of upsetting the New Orleans Saints.
The Titans entered the 2012-13 season with questions aplenty. Will Coach Munchak remain loyal to Matt Hasselbeck? Can they improve on the interior of their offensive line? Will Kenny Britt make a full recovery? Can offensive coordinator Chris Palmer incorporate Chris Johnson into the offense? Will Palmer become too conservative? Can the Titans improve their run defense? What will the Titans do with Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin? Can they find any pass rushers? Will they draft another big-play receiver alongside Nate Washington and Britt? Will they get anything from Derrick Morgan?
That’s a lot of concerns for a team that just finished 9-7. Does that mean that they overachieved this season?
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
What are the Jaguars? They finished the season with more than 30 players on IR. Jack Del Rio was terminated following a 3-8 start. The Jaguars finished 2-3 with interim head coach Mel Tucker. 2011 first-round pick Blaine Gabbert started 14 of 16 games this season. The Jaguars are also under new ownership with Shahid Khan.
The Jaguars are probably closer to a seven-win team when they’re healthy. Their defense just collapsed at the end of the season because of the injuries. The biggest question is whether Gabbert is this franchise’s long-term solution at quarterback. The 2012-13 season could become a “Throw-away year” as any new head coach determines whether Gabbert has made any progress as a starting quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts (2-14)
Colts owner Jim Irsay has recently claimed that a healthy Peyton Manning will play for the Indianapolis Colts. Yet, following the terminations of Bill Polian and Chris Polian, wouldn’t an incoming general manager like the opportunity to get his franchise quarterback in his first season, especially when that quarterback is Andrew Luck?
Could Luck and Manning co-exist with one another for more than one season?
The Colts have a plethora of aging players that include Jeff Saturday, Reggie Wayne and Joseph Addai (29 for a halfback is old). There’s no guarantee that head coach Jim Caldwell will return next season. The Colts have the oldest roster in the division. The Colts proved that, outside of Manning, their roster is basically an empty cupboard.
Verdict:
Being mediocre is pretty easy in the AFC South. With a few quality drafts and transactions from Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt, there’s no reason that this team can’t rule the division for years to come.
Joshua Huffman graduated from Middle Tennessee State University as a marketing major in 2009. He’s been a Middle Tennessee resident from 1986-1988 and 2001-present. He lived in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin from 1988-2001 and for approximately eight months in 2009-2010 while completing a 20-game volunteer position with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. His favorite sports organizations include the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, and Nashville Predators. He also follows the Tennessee Titans, his favorite AFC team.
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