The keys to Training Camp - AFC South

Houston Texans

 The Texans finished up 2009 with a 9 - 7 record, the first time in the teams history that it has recorded a winning record.  This is great news for the Texans, a real sign that they are moving in the right direction, about time to with the talent of QB Matt Schabb and WR Andre Johnson.  The next step for the Texans is to push on and gain a place in the playoffs.  Will it be this year??  Here are the things to look out for at training camp.


Who will be the kicker??

Ever since the Houston Texans came into the NFL in 2002, their kicker has been Kris Brown.  The Texans have come really close in many tough games against the Colts, as well as others, and it has come down to a last ditch kick from Brown.  Unfortunately, Brown has missed a few of these kicks, and this has cost the Texans dearly.  This off season the Texans bought in former Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers (pictured).  This will make for a kicker competition in camp.  It will be very interesting to see which of these players will get the job full time, and which will get released.


Just how good is the secondary?

The major key to beating division rival Indianapolis Colts is to stop Peyton Manning, and the passing game.  The Texans though, allowed their number 1 CB from last year, Dunta Robinson, to leave and join the Falcons.  This, obviously is a major concern.  The Texans tried to address this problem by selecting CB Kareem Jackson (pictured), from NCAA champion Alabama, with their first round pick in this years draft.  Kareem will probably start, but it will be interesting to see who will start around him in the secondary.  Potential candidates for this are Glover Quinn and Brice McCain.

Who will be the starting RB?

Last years starter Steve Slaton (pictured) had alot of fumbling problems during the year, and received heavy competition for his starting job.  This Texans took RB Ben Tate with their 2nd round pick.  He is expected to push Slaton all the way for the starting job this camp.  It is vital that the Texans improve their running game.  Last year their offence was one of the top offences in the league.  It actually was the best pass offence, but was then ranked 30th in run game.  If they can get this run game going, look out for the Texans this year.


Indianapolis Colts

 Last year the Colts finished with a 14 - 2 record.  This could have been even better if they did not rest their starters at the back end of the regular season.  They then picked up where they left off in the playoffs, beating the Ravens and Jets, before losing to the Saints in the Superbowl.  What do they need to get back to that stage, and go one better?


Will there be a Superbowl hangover?

The last time that a Superbowl losing team got back to the Superbowl the following year was in 1995 - the Buffalo Bills.  Can the Colts break this trend?  I feel that teams usually struggle with this because they struggle to lift their spirits, and motivate themselves.  Will the Colts have these problems? Not if legendary QB Peyton Manning (pictured) has anything to do with it.  Peyton is one of the very bet leaders in the NFL.  He is a perfectionist, and there is no doubt that that INT in the Superbowl, that was returned for a TD by Tracey Porter, has been replayed over and over in his head.  Manning will want to put this right, and this is the reason I believe there will be no Superbowl hangover for the Colts this year.

Will the change of Offencive coaches effect Manning?

E

 Ever since Peyton Manning came into the NFL, he has played under the coaching of Tom Moore and Howard Mudd (pictured).  Alot of what the Colts offence does on the field is called by Manning, and therefore people believe that the departure of Moore and Mudd, will not effect this team at all.  I think though that the trust that Moore and Mudd have placed in Manning, as well as the knowledge that they undoubtedly supply him with during the game will be heavily missed.  I'm not saying that Manning and the Colts will not be as effective this year, but I believe there will be some knock on effect - what will this be? and how much will it effect Manning?

Which players will start in the Safety positions?

Bob Sanders (pictured) is seen as one of the best S's in the NFL.  He is immense against the run, and his presence is sorely missed by the Colts when he is not in the lineup.  The problem that Bob has is that he is very injury prone.  In the last 2 seasons, Bob has only managed to start 8 games (2 in 2009).  This problem has obviously had to be looked at by the Colts.  Last year the players that stepped up were Antonie Bethea and Melvin Bullitt.  These 2 players obviously did a fantastic job as the team went to the playoffs.  Bethea has just received a big contract, and the Colts really like Bullitt.  This will be an interesting battle during camp.


Jacksonville Jaguars

 The Jaguars finished last season with a 7 - 9 record, a record that saw them finish last, in this very competitive division.  This was hugely disappointing as they went into December in prime position to take a wildcard spot.  There is no doubt that this division will be just as good this year, so how can the Jags lift themselves off the bottom, and push on towards the playoffs?

Has the defence got better?

 Kampman (pictured) during free agency, and also selected DE Tyson Alualu with their 1st round draft pick.  In fact the Jaguars selected D Linemen with their first 4 picks in this years draft.  This should lift the level of competition at the position, and competition can only produce improvement.  Look for Kampman to have a big year, returning to his preferred 4 - 3 defence.

Can they protect their QB?

 The Jaguars had a huge problem keeping QB David Gerrard up right last year.  In fact, he was sacked a total of 44 times.  This kind of pressure obviously will not help a QB.  The Jaguars did have 2 rookie T's on the field last year, and this may help to explain this problem.  Hopefully with a year under their belts, they will be better this year.  This pressure on Gerrard caused him to fumble the ball 14 times in 2009.  This is one of the main reasons that people are starting to question Gerrards ability.

Has the passing game improved?

 Another area where the Jags offence struggled last year was the passing game.  This is frustrating for a team that had the 10th best rushing attack (mainly down to pocket rocket MJD) and it could only come in 19th place in the passing category.  This is another reason why QB David Gerrard's postion at QB is under question.  I believe though, that the problems in the Jags pass game are not of Gerrard's doing.  I think that the WR's and TE's need to step up and start making plays.  Last year Mike Sims-Walker (pictured) led the Jags in receptions with 63.  The next person on the list was RB MJD, with 53.  This shows that plays just aren't being made by the WR's.  Who will step up to the plate this year?  To help drive this offence on.

 
Tennessee Titans

 The Titans finished 2009 with a 8 - 8 record, in 3rd place in the AFC South.  This record was seen as quite a good finishing point for a team that actually started the season 0 - 6.  QB Vince Young came back into the lineup at the 0 - 6 mark, and helped turn the team around.  RB Chris Johnson ran for over 2,000 yards, which really helped this team.  Can these two, with the support of the rest of the team, carry the Titans to the playoffs?

Can Vince Young carry this team?

 VY (pictured) has had a very interesting career so far in the NFL.  In his previous 4 seasons he has started 39 games, been the backup and has had alot of off field problems.  This will be his 5th season, he will be the starter - Time to grow up Vince!  We all know VY has the ability, he has shown it time and time again, especially against the Cardinals last year, when he drove the field, getting a end of game, match winning TD.  What he now has to do is become a leader, and stop getting into trouble off the field.  He has the perfect situation in which to succeed.  I'm sure there are alot of QB's around the league that would love to have Chris Johnson as their RB.  Having Johnson on the field means that defences often go out to stop the run, leaving gaps for Young to exploit in the pass game.  I believe VY can get it right this year, lets hope he does.

Who are the leaders?

 During the off season the Titans lost a number of players that you would consider being the leaders on this roster.  C Kevin Mawae (pictured), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and LB Keith Bullock were all declared as free agents in March.  This veteran leadership will undoubtedly be missed on both sides of the ball.  The Titans played many close games over the course of last season, and the most important thing during close games is leadership.  I just wonder if they have alot of close games this year, who will step up, and be those much needed leaders?


How happy is Chris Johnson?

 A 'HUGE' talking point surrounding the Titans this off season was Chris Johnson's contract.  If you keep in touch with nflgbview regular you will be well aware of this situation.  The Titans have finally decided to pay Chris more money for this season, but the problem will defiantly arise again during the next off season.  The question for me is just how happy is Johnson with the deal he got?  Yes, Johnson will now make alot more money than he would have done without this contract redo, but he is still on nowhere near the same money as rival RB Adrian Peterson for example.  Just how much will this impact on his game this year?  The Titans will have to hope that it won't, because in all honesty, he IS the Titans offence.  Looking forward to seeing 'CJ2K's' commitment this year.

Check back tomorrow for a look as we wrap up the AFC, with a look at the AFC West.