AFC South preview: Texans, Colts, Jaguars and Titans
AFC SOUTH
HOUSTON TEXANS
Coach: David Culley (first season as a head coach at any level)
Last season: 4-12 (third in the division).
Key additions: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Mark Ingram II, RB Phillip Linsday, DE Shaq Lawson, DT Maliek Collins, OLB Christian Kirksey, OLB Kevin Pierre-Louis, CB Terrance Mitchell.
Key subtractions: DE J.J. Watt, LB Tyrell Adams, C Nick Martin, WR Will Fuller, G Zach Fulton, TE Darren Fells.
Looking ahead: We will skip the obvious Apollo 13 joke. From this chair, the team looks more like the Apollo 13 scene where they dump a box of stuff on the table and tell the smart guys to make a filter. The Texans are cobbling together a team that will likely be underdogs every week. J.J. Watt, the franchise’s greatest player and three-time defensive player of the year, requested and got his freedom to leave. QB Deshaun Watson has pending both a trade request and some sexual misconduct lawsuits. Once the NFL’s most promising team, now crashing like the NFL’s Skylab.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Coach: Frank Reich (fourth season in Indianapolis, 28-20 in regular season, 1-2 in playoffs).
Last season: 11-5 (second in the division), lost in the AFC Wild Card round at Buffalo.
Key additions: QB Carson Wentz, OT Sam Tevi, DE Kwity Paye, S Sean Davis, OT Julie’n Davenport
Key subtractions: OT Anthony Castonzo, DE Denico Autry, DE Justin Houston, QB Philip Rivers, LB Anthony Walker.
Looking ahead: When Frank Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator and Carson Wentz fresh out of North Dakota State, Wentz developed into an MVP candidate. Now, that Wentz’s post-Philly tour to rediscover himself has reached Indianapolis, the obvious question is “Who’s his backup?” Wentz tends to get hurt, and his potential backups have zero career snaps. The Colts succeeded on few negative plays and a No. 2 turnover differential.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Coach: Urban Meyer (first season in the NFL).
Last season: 1-15 (fourth in the division).
Key additions: QB Trevor Lawrence, WR Marvin Jones, Jr., TE Chris Manhertz, S Rayshawn Jenkins, RB Carlos Hyde, CB Shaquill Griffin.
Key subtractions: Teams coming off 1-15 seasons have no key subtractions.
Looking ahead: Urban Meyer knows what makes a good team work. Can he make a team work when he can’t create a talent gap by recruiting it, as he could in college-affiliated football? To improve the Jags combustibility, Meyer’s got Lawrence, the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick, and Lawrence’s Clemson RB Travis Etienne, so he — whoops, Etienne, foot injury, out for the season. Expect the Jags to be a tougher matchup later in the season as Meyer adjusts to the NFL.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Coach: Mike Vrabel (fourth season with the Titans, 29-19 regular season, 2-2 playoffs).
Last season: 11-5 (first in the division), lost in the AFC Wild Card round to Baltimore.
Key additions: LB Bud Dupree, CB Caleb Farley, OT Dillon Radunz, CB Janoris Jenkins, DT Denico Autry, WR Julio Jones.
Key subtractions: TE Jonnu Smith, CB Malcolm Butler, DE Jadeveon Clowney, NT DaQuan Jones, S Kenny Vaccaro, DT Jack Crawford, WR Corey Davis.
Looking ahead: Derrick Henry’s seven predecessors in the 2,000-yard Season Club each showed significant reduction in production the following season. None of them were 6-3, 247 pounds, however. Henry and QB Ryan Tannehill excelled in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, but Smith is now Atlanta’s head coach. Vrabel’s a former linebacker, so he won’t accept another year of being 30th in sacks, 29th in pass defense and 28th in total defense.
