Around the AFC South: News, Notes and Links

While Titan Sized focuses mainly on the Tennessee Titans, it’s important to stay updated on what’s up with other AFC South teams.

The Tennessee Titans are the only team that matters in the AFC South, let alone the NFL. Wait, that’s not right, is it? While Titans news is what fans are looking for and what we bring you on Titan Sized, what the other teams in the division are doing is just as important. Let’s snoop around the AFC South and see what the Titans’ three rivals are up to.

Houston Texans

New franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson has supposedly displayed a work ethic that past Texans quarterbacks hadn’t showed. Despite the hard work and his talent, head coach Bill O’Brien isn’t quite ready to anoint the 21-year-old just yet. O’Brien was quoted as saying that Watson is “not nearly where he needs to be to be a full-time starter in this league”. Watson still has some work to do before he’s given the starting job, but expect him to start at least half of the Texans’ games this upcoming season.

Former All-Pro wideout Wes Welker joined the Texans as an offensive assistant earlier this offseason, and his effect has already been palpable on wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Braxton Miller. According to Patrick Starr of Scout.com, “Welker’s influence on the team has been a positive one and, with a jump needed from the receiver group, his arrival might have come at just the right time”. The Texans offense went stale at times in 2016, so maybe Welker can give it the jolt it needs from the sidelines.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts defense was putrid last season, so they are banking on more physicality in training camp helping to improve the unit. They say that practice makes perfect, but the Colts will need more than changing some practice habits in order to make their defense much better. Luckily for them, they added some very nice pieces on that side of the ball. Johnathan Hankins, Malik Hooker, Jabaal Sheard, John Simon and Quincy Wilson figure to be significant upgrades. We’ll see if it all comes together.

More from Titan Sized

The Indy Star gives five reasons for why the Colts are a sleeper team heading into 2017. I agree with three of Stephen Holder’s five reasons; defensive improvement, a more competitive roster and a quicker start due to a fairly easy opening schedule all make sense and are hard to be argued with.

The other two reasons I’m not quite sure about. One is that the AFC South still needs work. That may be true, but the Titans and Jaguars are certainly on the rise and the Texans have a new franchise quarterback and a great defense. This division isn’t as bad as everyone thinks it is.

The other reason that Holder mentions is that the Colts offense is nearing a new level. Their offensive line is still littered with question marks, the only position players they added were Marlon Mack and Kamar Aiken and they lost Dwayne Allen. Color me skeptical that they’re going to take off even more than in recent years offensively.

Jacksonville Jaguars

In a bit of abundantly shocking news, Blake Bortles is on the hot seat. So you’re telling me that the former third overall pick with a career 58.8 completion percentage, 79.6 quarterback rating and 69:51 touchdown to interception ratio isn’t safe in his job as a starter? I’m baffled. Sarcasm aside, this really is Bortles’ last year to prove in any capacity that he should be given another contract after his rookie one is up after this season. Odds are he won’t show enough to warrant it.

The Jaguars are trying to hide their “franchise” quarterback behind a running game led by fourth overall pick Leonard Fournette, but they have to throw eventually. New head coach Doug Marrone has said that he won’t tolerate turnovers by Bortles and that the magic number for Bortles pass attempts in a game is “zero”, so that a turnover is not an option. Fournette may be a mega talent, but he needs clean blocks and holes up front in order to maximize his potential. Considering the offensive line that the Jaguars possess, that may not be as easy as their head coach thinks it is.

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