2011 AFC South Predictions
Written by Steve Janus
Even when the Indianapolis Colts aren’t at their best, they proved they are still more than capable of winning the AFC South. Battling a number of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, it looked as though the Colts would possibly miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years. The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to take complete control with a win in Indy in week 15, but they would lose that game and the following two to finish 8-8. The Colts wound up winning their final five games to finish 10-6, while the Houston Texans (and Tennessee Titans both disappointed with 6-10 records. With the Colts back to full health, it will be hard to keep Indianapolis from winning their 8th division title in the last 10 years, but their could be a couple surprises in the division in 2011. Here is a quick look at my AFC South predictions.
1. Indianapolis Colts – The way Peyton Manning put this team on his back and carried them into the postseason was one of the more impressive accomplishments of his career. The Colts postseason dreams ended after just one game, but with all the players coming back from injury this team is going to be one of the elite teams in all of football. I not only think the Colts are the team to beat in the South, but one of the top Super Bowl contenders coming into the season.
2. Houston Texans – Year after year we keep waiting for the Texans to make that jump from mediocrity. One of the league’s worst defenses made sure 2010 wasn’t the year. Houston has one of the best offenses in the NFL with quarterback Matt Schaub, wide out Andre Johnson, and running back Arian Foster, but unless the defense improves this team will be sitting around. 500 yet again in 2011. I like the addition of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. It will take some time to adjust to his 3-4 scheme, but I believe the defense will instantly be better than what was on the field in 2010. I look for the Texans to stick with the Colts for most of the season in the South, and finish right around 10 wins.
3. Tennessee Titans -After 16 seasons, Jeff Fisher has moved on from the Tennessee Titans, and it’s hard telling how this team will respond to new head coach Mike Munchak. They will have a completely different look at quarterback with either veteran Matt Hasselbeck or rookie Jack Locker starting, and they have yet to come to terms with running back Chris Johnson on a new contract. While the offense has some big question marks, I really like what the Titans have done on the defensive side of the ball. They made a point of beefing up the defensive line and have added some nice free agent additions in defensive tackle Shaun Smith and middle linebacker Barrett Rudd. While it seems likely that Hasselbeck will open the season as the starter, I think the future is very bright with Locker running the offense.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars had their chance in 2010, but it looks like this team is gearing up for the future, as they went out and used their first round pick on quarterback Blaine Gabbert. They still have starting quarterback David Garrard, but he and head coach Jack Del Rio both figure to be out the door after another poor finish in 2011. The Jaguars somehow managed to get even worse at the wide receiver position, and there are some concerns with running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who had offseason knee surgery. The defense made some nice moves to improve almost every area of the field, but I just don’t think they have enough talent overall to compete at the level needed to win a division.
Individual Team NFL Season Predictions
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