Here’s an interesting fact: the NFL’s leading passer, rusher and receiver in 2009 all came from the AFC South. Here’s another interesting fact: not a single one of them played for the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have clearly dominated this division since its creation in 2002. They have won six of the eight AFC South titles ever crowned. The Colts will easily be the favorite in the division heading into 2010, but that won’t stop the Titans and Texans from reaching for their share of wins.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

    The Colts are clearly the class of the AFC South. They have enjoyed 10 wins or more for the past eight straight seasons. They also haven’t missed the playoffs in eight years. Their last regular season record with less than 10 wins came in 2001, the year before the AFC South was created. The Colts have never finished worse than second place in the AFC South.

    The Colts’ dominance can largely be traced to one man, Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis mainstay has taken NFL MVP honors four times. That’s more than any player in NFL history. He’s also got a Super Bowl ring to solidify his legacy.

    Indianapolis finished the 2009 regular season at 14-2 under first-year head coach Jim Caldwell. Can they keep it up in 2010? Yes. Not only is Manning in his prime, but the Colts will be returning all 11 defensive starters from 2009. They have a talented, young receiving core with Anthony Gonzales and Austin Collie and a strong backfield with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown.

 

Tennessee Titans

    The Titans are a team going in two different directions at once. They finished 2008 with a shocking 31-3 regular season record. They opened the 2009 regular season with six straight losses. The Titans did manage to finish 2009 with at 8-8, but missed the playoffs.

    The Titans offense seems to be looking up. Running back Chris Johnson rushed for 2,000-plus yards in 2009, more than any other rusher in the league. Despite off-the-field drama, quarterback Vince Young is improving. His 2009 quarterback rating of 82.8 was the highest of his professional career.

    Tennessee’s defense is a different story. They ranked 28th out of 32 teams in 2009. To put it in perspective, their 2009 defense was worse than Oakland and only slightly better than St. Louis. To make matters worse, linebackers Keith Bulluck and  Kyle Vanden Bosch are gone.

 

Houston Texans

    This could be a landmark season for the Texans. Since their inception in 2002, they have never made the playoffs. More importantly, they are the only team out of the four major pro sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) that has never made a postseason appearance.

    Stop 10 people on the street and ask them who led the NFL in passing yards last season. I’m guessing almost every single one of them would say Peyton Manning or Drew Brees. Wrong. The correct answer is Houston quarterback Matt Schaub. Try asking them which wide receiver led the NFL in receiving yards last season. Larry Fitzgerald? Wrong. Houston’s Andre Johnson tops that list. Their defense isn’t bad either. Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing and 2006 No. 1 overall draft pick Mario Williams know how to hold their own.

    That being said, Houston’s problem isn’t their passing game or their defense. It’s their rushing game. Their top running back, Steve Slayton, didn’t even crack the top forty in terms of total yards (there’s only 32 teams in the NFL). Slayton did make the top five in terms of fumbles. If Slayton and the Texans can improve their ground game, Houston may be in for a stellar season.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

    What can I say about the Jacksonville Jaguars? Despite starting out strong as an expansion team in 1995, the Jags have fizzled as of late. They finished dead last in the AFC South the past two seasons. They don’t have a winning record against any other team in the AFC South. They have only made two postseason appearances over the last decade.

        The one thing the Jags do have is stud running back Maurice Jones-Drew. The former UCLA Bruin finished fourth in rushing in 2009 ahead of Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice. That being said, Jones-Drew can’t do it alone. The Jags are clearly the fourth-best team in the AFC South and look to stay there for at least one more season.

    Agree/disagree? Email sports@themeridianstar and let us know your thoughts. Next week we’ll take a look at the character-driven AFC East.