AFC South

For the sixth consecutive year, the Indianapolis Colts won at least 12 games. That is truly a remarkable feat knowing the amount of parody we see in the NFL. The Colts were one and done in the playoffs after losing in overtime to the Chargers, and that was the last game coached by Tony Dungy. Longtime assistant Jim Caldwell takes over, and he already has a vision on the defensive side of the ball. The Colts will look to get away from their speed based unit, and look to get bigger in the front seven in hopes to shore up their numbers against the run. As long as Peyton Manning is under center, Indy will have an electric passing offense. But their running game is lacking, and their special teams may be one of the worst in the league. They addressed those two needs in the draft, so only time will tell if they pan out.

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their pattern of alternating good and bad seasons after finishing 2008 at 5-11. Many expected the Jags to build off their stellar 2007, but cluster injuries on their offensive line prevented any improvement. The O-line is still an issue as both starting guards will be returning after missing all of ’08, and rookies will manning the tackle spots. Reports out of Jacksonville say that QB David Garrard has dropped 20 pounds, and if true, his mobility may be able to mask their shortcomings on the line. Wide receiver has also been a sore spot for the Jags over the last few years, and question marks still remain. Once their strength, the defensive line is now a liability unless their young talent makes a big jump. If their trend continues, look for the Jaguars to return to the playoffs in 2009.

One of the best defensive teams resided in Nashville last year. The Tennessee Titans held 12 of their 16 opponents to 14 points or less as running on this team was near impossible. But losing Albert Haynesworth could be a big factor in determining if the Titans can come close to being that immoveable force. With Haynesworth, the Titans went 28-11 over the last 3 years and just 3-7 without him which may indicate how much they will miss him. Their offense was consistent over the first 13 weeks of the season, but when the games really mattered, the Titans were held to 12 points or less in three of their final four games. Head coach Jeff Fisher is one of the best in the league, but he’ll miss DC Jim Schwartz who left for Detroit.

Spotlight Team

The team on the verge of a breakout season is the Houston Texans. This team is loaded with young talent on both sides of the ball, and they are finally playing up to their potential. Matt Schaub is a certified NFL quarterback that has all the tools to lead this team to big things in ’09. Their offensive line is now one of their strong suits, and after implementing Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme last year, the Texans had a very good ground game with Steve Slaton. Andre Johnson is one of the best receivers in the game who just makes big plays week in and week out. Their defense does need to improve, especially in the secondary. But after bolstering their defensive line in the off-season, a lot of pressure on the back seven should be alleviated. Let’s call for the Texans to make the postseason in 2009.

? Caution ?: If the teams listed below fail to perform like we expect, discontinue betting-on or against them. You’ll learn more by watching a couple of games than you do by making preseason assessments.

Thanks for reading, Matty