AFC South Preview
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Prediction: 12-4 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Colts have had to deal (are dealing) with injuries to several key players: Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, Jeff Saturday, etc. Peyton Manning is like a coach on the field and helps orchestrate perhaps the greatest offense of this decade. The Greatest Show on Turf was better at its peak, but their success hasn't lasted as long. But the most important player on this team is Bob Sanders. The under-sized, playmaking safety is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and without a healthy Sanders, I would expect the Jags to pass the Colts. If it weren't for the difference Sanders made to this defense after returning in 2006, Peyton and the Colts would have never won the Super Bowl that year.
Interesting Stat/Fact: The Colts have the longest current streak of 10-win seasons in the NFL at 6 years.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 152-104 (.594)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (8): vs Jacksonville, at Green Bay, at Tennessee, vs New England, at Pittsburgh, at San Diego, at Jacksonville, vs Tennessee
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 38 wins (12.7 per season)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Prediction: 11-5 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: As good as the Jaguars have been recently, they unfortunately play in arguably the toughest division in football. Every year, I think this could be the year that the Jags overtake the perennial AFC South winner Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars play a smash-mouth style of football and can grind it out with the best of them. They may not be exciting unless, of course, you find winning football games exciting. My biggest concern for the Jaguars are the issues they have had off the field from Fred Taylor getting arrested in Miami and Matt Jones getting arrested for cocaine possession amongst many other issues. Some have referred to the Jags as the "Bengals of the South" because of the number of arrests they have had over the past couple of years. My other big concern is the production out of their wideouts. Reggie Williams and Jerry Porter have been hurt while Troy Williamson still couldn't catch a cold. Matt Jones, their best WR in the pre-season, faces an October court date. The Jags are a 1a to the Colts, but I think it's going to be more of the same for the Jags and a wildcard berth.
Interesting Stat/Fact: Of the Top 10 teams in victories over the last 3 years, the Jaguars are the only team to not win their division at least once in the past 3 years.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 143-113 (.559)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at Tennessee, at Indianapolis, vs Pittsburgh, vs Tennessee, vs Green Bay, vs Indianapolis
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 31 wins (10.3 per season)
TENNESSEE TITANS
Prediction: 9-7 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Colts have the current Defensive Player of the Year (Bob Sanders). However, the Titans may have the league's defensive MVP, if such an award existed. Whether or not Albert Haynesworth is the best defensive player in the league is questionable, but I believe he's the most valuable to his team. And if you think the Jaguars are boring, you're not going to find the Titans much more exciting. Vince Young can make plays with his legs and rookie RB Chris Johnson is electric, but the Titans will win games by winning it in the trenches. I think this is a make-or-break season for Young, who threw nearly twice as many INTs than TDs in his sophomore season. Young will need to protect the ball better if the Titans are going to make it back to the post-season with their style of football. There's a saying about that the 3 most important things in business are "location, location, location." That applies to football too. The Titans are disadavantaged by playing in the same division as the Colts and the Jags (2 of the NFL's top 5 teams in my opinion). The Titans have a shot at the 6th wildcard spot, but I think they lose out on the tie-breaker.
Interesting Stat/Fact: In 2007, 5 of the 6 AFC playoff teams scored 100+ points more than their opponents. The Titans scored 4 more (301 PF, 297 PA). Very efficient.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 139-117 (.543)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): vs Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, vs Green Bay, at Jacksvonille, vs Pittsburgh, at Indianapolis
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 22 wins (7.3 per season)
HOUSTON TEXANS
Prediction: 7-9 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Houston Texans drafted Mario Williams with the 1st overall pick in 2006. Everyone scoffed. How could you not take the electric Reggie Bush or Houston-native Vince Young? After 2 seasons, the Texans are the ones who are laughing last. Plus they hit the jackpot with their 2nd round pick that year, DeMeco Ryans, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans had their first non-losing season last year and are heading in the right direction. However, they're in the AFC South (see Tennessee Titans). If Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson stay healthy, the passing game will be solid (see stat about Andre Johnson below). Their front seven on defense is solid, but the question marks for the Texans are will they be able run the ball consistently and how will their secondary play. The Texans are still at least a year away, but they are building their team around a solid core of young talent.
Interesting Stat/Fact: The Texans were 6-3 last year in the 9 games Andre Johnson played. They were 2-5 in games he did not.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 140-116 (.547)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (8): at Pittsburgh, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, at Indianapolis, vs Jacksonville, at Green Bay, vs Tennessee
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 16 (5.3 per season)
Check back for other 4 division previews (see AFC East Preview, AFC North Preview, NFC East Preview), playoff predictions and post-season award predictions to be released this weekend...
Prediction: 12-4 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Colts have had to deal (are dealing) with injuries to several key players: Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, Jeff Saturday, etc. Peyton Manning is like a coach on the field and helps orchestrate perhaps the greatest offense of this decade. The Greatest Show on Turf was better at its peak, but their success hasn't lasted as long. But the most important player on this team is Bob Sanders. The under-sized, playmaking safety is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and without a healthy Sanders, I would expect the Jags to pass the Colts. If it weren't for the difference Sanders made to this defense after returning in 2006, Peyton and the Colts would have never won the Super Bowl that year.
Interesting Stat/Fact: The Colts have the longest current streak of 10-win seasons in the NFL at 6 years.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 152-104 (.594)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (8): vs Jacksonville, at Green Bay, at Tennessee, vs New England, at Pittsburgh, at San Diego, at Jacksonville, vs Tennessee
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 38 wins (12.7 per season)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Prediction: 11-5 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: As good as the Jaguars have been recently, they unfortunately play in arguably the toughest division in football. Every year, I think this could be the year that the Jags overtake the perennial AFC South winner Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars play a smash-mouth style of football and can grind it out with the best of them. They may not be exciting unless, of course, you find winning football games exciting. My biggest concern for the Jaguars are the issues they have had off the field from Fred Taylor getting arrested in Miami and Matt Jones getting arrested for cocaine possession amongst many other issues. Some have referred to the Jags as the "Bengals of the South" because of the number of arrests they have had over the past couple of years. My other big concern is the production out of their wideouts. Reggie Williams and Jerry Porter have been hurt while Troy Williamson still couldn't catch a cold. Matt Jones, their best WR in the pre-season, faces an October court date. The Jags are a 1a to the Colts, but I think it's going to be more of the same for the Jags and a wildcard berth.
Interesting Stat/Fact: Of the Top 10 teams in victories over the last 3 years, the Jaguars are the only team to not win their division at least once in the past 3 years.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 143-113 (.559)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at Tennessee, at Indianapolis, vs Pittsburgh, vs Tennessee, vs Green Bay, vs Indianapolis
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 31 wins (10.3 per season)
TENNESSEE TITANS
Prediction: 9-7 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Colts have the current Defensive Player of the Year (Bob Sanders). However, the Titans may have the league's defensive MVP, if such an award existed. Whether or not Albert Haynesworth is the best defensive player in the league is questionable, but I believe he's the most valuable to his team. And if you think the Jaguars are boring, you're not going to find the Titans much more exciting. Vince Young can make plays with his legs and rookie RB Chris Johnson is electric, but the Titans will win games by winning it in the trenches. I think this is a make-or-break season for Young, who threw nearly twice as many INTs than TDs in his sophomore season. Young will need to protect the ball better if the Titans are going to make it back to the post-season with their style of football. There's a saying about that the 3 most important things in business are "location, location, location." That applies to football too. The Titans are disadavantaged by playing in the same division as the Colts and the Jags (2 of the NFL's top 5 teams in my opinion). The Titans have a shot at the 6th wildcard spot, but I think they lose out on the tie-breaker.
Interesting Stat/Fact: In 2007, 5 of the 6 AFC playoff teams scored 100+ points more than their opponents. The Titans scored 4 more (301 PF, 297 PA). Very efficient.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 139-117 (.543)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): vs Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, vs Green Bay, at Jacksvonille, vs Pittsburgh, at Indianapolis
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 22 wins (7.3 per season)
HOUSTON TEXANS
Prediction: 7-9 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule
Overview: The Houston Texans drafted Mario Williams with the 1st overall pick in 2006. Everyone scoffed. How could you not take the electric Reggie Bush or Houston-native Vince Young? After 2 seasons, the Texans are the ones who are laughing last. Plus they hit the jackpot with their 2nd round pick that year, DeMeco Ryans, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans had their first non-losing season last year and are heading in the right direction. However, they're in the AFC South (see Tennessee Titans). If Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson stay healthy, the passing game will be solid (see stat about Andre Johnson below). Their front seven on defense is solid, but the question marks for the Texans are will they be able run the ball consistently and how will their secondary play. The Texans are still at least a year away, but they are building their team around a solid core of young talent.
Interesting Stat/Fact: The Texans were 6-3 last year in the 9 games Andre Johnson played. They were 2-5 in games he did not.
Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 140-116 (.547)
2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (8): at Pittsburgh, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville, vs Indianapolis, at Indianapolis, vs Jacksonville, at Green Bay, vs Tennessee
# of Wins Past 3 Years: 16 (5.3 per season)
Check back for other 4 division previews (see AFC East Preview, AFC North Preview, NFC East Preview), playoff predictions and post-season award predictions to be released this weekend...
