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PITTSBURGH -- The angry words built up in a somber locker room, and reserved players contemplating an awful loss started to spit them out.

The Tennessee Titans were “disgusted” over their 38-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. They were ticked off that they “got kicked around" and were recipients of “an old-fashioned butt whooping.”

“They kicked our butts and we kicked our own butts,” defensive end Dave Ball said, referring to a scene where Jim Carrey’s character beats himself up in a bathroom in the movie “Liar Liar." "It was a perfect s--- storm."

But Ball and others who so eloquently discussed the result were quick to sandwich it with resolve regarding the potential for it to be duplicated.

“You’re not going to see this Titans team again,” Ball said. “I guarantee that. You’re not going to see the same thing happen again.”

Tennessee is 3-2 heading into its bye, and with Houston, Jacksonville and Indianapolis all dropping games too, the Titans didn’t lose any ground in the AFC South standings.

“That’s good,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said.

That’s about all that’s good from the day.

A look at three elements of the disaster:

The start: Tennessee marched 69 yards on 13 plays on a game-opening drive but stalled badly in the red zone with two penalties, an incomplete pass and a sack.

Rob Bironas' 29-yard field goal felt like a win for the Steelers, and when Antonio Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to midfield, things really started to lean in Pittsburgh’s favor.

“After that we really stalled,” Hasselbeck said. “We didn’t look like we looked on the first drive.”

The Titans' next five series produced two first downs and 49 yards. It was 28-3 by the time they put together another effective drive.

The timing was off, with Hasselbeck frequently throwing behind guys -- some of it inaccuracy, some of it bad communication or lingering unfamiliarity. The team was in two-minute drive mode starting with its second drive of the second half.

“I just have more questions than answers right now,” Hasselbeck said.

Coach Mike Munchak didn't like the idea that a field goal instead of a touchdown was that big a letdown at the start.

"I hope we're not going to go into the tank because we got held to three points instead of seven," he said.

It wasn't the only reason but it helped.

Ben Roethlisberger: Cornerback Cortland Finnegan knew the Titans were thoroughly outplayed, but the corner who picked Roethlisberger's one really bad pass raised his eyebrows in surprise when he was told the Steelers' quarterback threw five touchdowns.

Coming into Pittsburgh, the Titans had faced Luke McCown, Joe Flacco, Kyle Orton and Colt McCoy. Hardly a murderer’s row of quarterbacks.

The Steelers smartly adjusted their offense for their quarterback, who has a sprained left foot. He didn’t hold the ball for a long time and scramble around like he typically does. He got rid of it pretty quickly while benefiting from some max protection that aided a beat-up line.

In such circumstances, the defense then needs to keep things in front of it, hit pass-catchers quickly and limit first downs.

The Titans didn’t.

“They used a different game plan than last week against the Texans,” end Jason Jones said. “They were going to max protect or they were going to get it out quick. We had our opportunities to get to him and didn’t. But it was dink and dunk and max protect.”

Rookie defensive tackle Jurrell Casey had the Titans' lone sack.

Special teams: The Steelers crushed the Titans with that big kickoff return from Brown and a fake punt where Daniel Sepulveda threw a 33-yard pass to Ryan Mundy.

Even when the Titans did good things on special teams, they turned bad.

The Titans recovered a third-quarter onsides kick after cutting the lead to 28-10, but Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel got a piece of Hasselbeck’s throw on the very next play and LaMarr Woodley picked it off. When linebacker Tim Shaw blocked a Sepulveda punt in the fourth quarter, Finnegan returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. But an illegal block in the back call against Jamie Harper wiped away the score.

“It’s a three-phase game, and special teams we’ve got to pick it up,” said linebacker Gerald McRath. “We’ve definitely got to pull our weight. We let the team down.”

Moving forward ...

The Titans pulled off a 3-1 first-quarter record after dropping their opener with a lousy performance in Jacksonville. Hasselbeck said they hope to match it in the season's second quarter. They'll have to win three in a row at home after their bye to do so: against Houston, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

That good start began to create some hype, and the Titans said they hadn’t bought in. But if any self-satisfaction had crept in anywhere, the Steelers snuffed it out.

“I just feel that you can feel people patting you on the back and that’s not what helps you win games,” Hasselbeck said. “I think typically what helps you in games is hard work and feeling like you’ve got something to prove and feeling like you’ve got to give everything you’ve got.

“I’m just slow to accept that stuff.”

After this dud, you can see why that’s the safe route.

A schedule quirk has the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the teams of the AFC South four weeks in a row.

Halfway through their divisional tour, the Steelers are 1-1, with a win at Indianapolis and a loss at Houston.

As they prepare for Sunday’s visit from the Titans, they could be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

He left Reliant Stadium with a boot on his left foot and there is a fear that it’s broken, though even that wouldn’t guarantee he’d miss action.

The Texans sacked Roethlisberger five times and constantly harassed him. If he missed Sunday’s game, Houston will have done the Titans a favor. And the Texans and Titans are tied atop the AFC South at 3-1 after the first quarter of the season.

After the Titans game, Pittsburgh hosts Jacksonville Oct. 16.

Roethlisberger’s backups are Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon.

If Roethlisberger is playing, he’ll likely be hobbled and under fire again. His offensive line is banged-up and has been overwhelmed in recent weeks.

The Titans already have an AFC South loss to Jacksonville working against them in the standings. A loss to a team the Texans just beat would be another dent in their record, even if the Texans lose to the Oakland Raiders at the same time.

HOUSTON -- The questions about toughness are getting tiring, but they are not as tiring as the effort it takes to answer them.

When the Houston Texans had held off the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 17-10 win at Reliant Stadium Sunday, outside linebacker Mario Williams limped slowly onto the field for postgame handshakes. He looked more like a beaten man than a winner.

“I’m tired man, I was tired,” he said. “I had nothing left. I was so tired. I’m a big dude.”

One game doesn’t do away with a reputation, but after this one it’s hard to question the Texans’ toughness. The big dude had two sacks as he and his defense swarmed a patchwork offensive line to drag quarterback Ben Roethlisberger down five times. The offense did its part too, making room for Arian Foster to churn out 30 carries for 155 yards and a score.

“[Pittsburgh] is one of the most physical teams in the NFL,” Foster said. “They’re known for their defense, they pride themselves on their defense and they played well today. They’re a tough group of guys. I’m sore. But we believe we’re a good team, we really believe that. We don’t need anybody else on our side, just the 53 guys and coaches in that locker room. And it’s going to be a fun year.”

Said Antonio Smith, the defensive end who’s playing as well as anyone in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 front: “Their O-line, I love playing against them. They’re dirty. They fight. They want to finish you after every play. They want to talk to you. They want to act mean. And that’s why we give it right back to them.”

Behind the swarming defensive front, the Texans put their top cornerback, Johnathan Joseph, on the Steelers’ most dangerous receiver, Mike Wallace. Wallace had four catches for 77 yards, numbers the Texans could survive while limiting Big Ben to 16-for-30 passing for 206 yards with no touchdowns and a game-sealing pick.

“Our front seven were eating,” safety Danieal Manning said.

Roethlisberger rolled out of collapsing pockets like usual, but on the snaps where he bought time he didn’t find any back-breaking plays. On the ground, meanwhile, the Steelers managed 5.4 yards per carry using three different backs, but never really found a run rhythm.

Houston had its chances to come apart. Nine penalties for 64 yards hurt, handing the Steelers two first downs, eliminating 33 yards of Houston offense on undone plays, making moot a field goal block returned for a touchdown, and washing away an interception.

Foster was only the third back since 2001 to top 150 yards against the Steelers, joining Curtis Martin (174 in 2003) and Priest Holmes (150 in 2001).

“He was a challenge for us and he won,” Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley said.

Foster played his first full game of the season after dealing with hamstring issues and took more than a full load. Kubiak said he was surprised the back was able to take 30 carries. His backup, Ben Tate, left the game with a groin injury, which meant Chris Ogbonnaya got some snaps and his first two NFL carries.

Being able to run as Foster did meant the Texans could stay on schedule and keyed a game in which Matt Schaub wasn’t sacked, was hit only once and survived the loss of Andre Johnson to a hamstring injury.

As good as Tate had been in Foster’s place, Foster is simply a better combination of power, speed and an understanding of the team’s scheme.

“Arian’s a special player,” right tackle Eric Winston said. “Arian’s a special player now.”

Big wins have prompted big belief before, and people who’ve jumped on the bandwagon have then been bruised when dumped off it. Owner Bob McNair said after the win he doesn’t know if the team’s had a bigger victory, but players hardly echoed the sentiment. They know they should beat these Steelers right now.

They talked about the fun they’re having, which made you want to believe they can keep having it.

“We’ve been talking about it the three years since I’ve been here, but the belief is finally happening,” said Smith. “The swagger is finally starting to come around. We believe when we come into games we’re not the underdog. We come in here to beat each and every team we play, no matter who it is.

“There is no wishing. … I think we have every component that we need to be a championship team and the only thing we need to keep working on is ourselves and believing in ourselves.”

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: History in the spot.

Houston Texans

2010: OT Anthony Davis (49ers)

2009: LB Aaron Maybin (Bills)

2008: DB Leodis McKelvin (Bills)

2007: LB Patrick Willis (49ers)

2006: QB Jay Cutler (Broncos)

2005: LB DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys)

2004: QB Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

Last year at No. 11, the 49ers got Rutgers offensive tackle Davis, who started every game on the right side. Maybin, taken in the spot in 2009, is on the hot seat in Buffalo, where he’s not come close to expectations. In 2007, the 49ers got the excellent middle linebacker Willis 11th, when the Texans took defensive tackle Amobi Okoye the spot before. The verdict on Cutler is still to be determined, while Ware is a superstar and Ben Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls. Other hits since the NFL-AFL merger include Michael Irvin, Dwight Freeney and Leon Searcy. Other misses: Ron Dayne, Michael Booker.

Indianapolis Colts

2010: WR Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)

2009: WR Percy Harvin (Vikings)

2008: RB Felix Jones (Cowboys)

2007: QB Brady Quinn (Browns)

2006: LB Manny Lawson (49ers)

2005: WR Mark Clayton (Ravens)

2004: QB J.P. Losman (Bills)

Last year’s 22nd pick, Denver receiver Thomas, caught 22 passes and scored two touchdowns. Minnesota grabbed receiver Harvin in the spot in 2009 and he’s one of the game’s most dynamic players already. Quinn didn’t cut it in Cleveland and ranks third now in Denver, and Losman didn’t solve Buffalo’s quarterback issues. The last time the Colts were in this spot, they took receiver Andre Rison in 1989. He played only one season for the franchise, but in 12 years he amassed more than 10,000 receiving yards and caught 84 touchdowns.

Jacksonville Jaguars

2010: DE Derrick Morgan (Titans)

2009: LB Larry English (Chargers)

2008: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Cardinals)

2007: DT Justin Harrell (Packers)

2006: CB Jason Allen (Dolphins)

2005: DT Travis Johnson (Texans)

2004: OT Shawn Andrews (Eagles)

Morgan went 16th to Tennessee last year, but suffered a season-ending knee injury early on. Rodgers-Cromartie had a big rookie season in 2008 as the Cardinals went to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu was a huge find at the spot in 2003 and Jevon Kearse set a rookie record for sacks and led Tennessee to the Super Bowl in 1999. But others in the recent past like Allen, Houston's Johnson and Cleveland running back William Green hardly lived up to expectations. Dan McGwire, a big quarterback bust for Seattle, also went in the spot in 1991. But anyone thinking the Jaguars can’t hit a home run should know that a guy rated by many as the greatest player of all time, Jerry Rice, was selected 16th in 1985.

Tennessee Titans

2010: LB Rolando McClain (Raiders)

2009: OT Eugene Monroe (Jaguars)

2008: DE Derrick Harvey (Jaguars)

2007: DE Jamaal Anderson (Falcons)

2006: S Donte Whitner (Bills)

2005: S Antrel Rolle (Cardinals)

2004: CB DeAngelo Hall (Falcons)

McClain went to Oakland eighth last season and was second on the Raiders in tackles his rookie year. Jacksonville had the spot the two years before that. The Jaguars think they got a long-term left tackle in Monroe, but Harvey might be done already. Jordan Gross is a topflight tackle for Carolina and receiver Plaxico Burress was a Super Bowl hero for the Giants. But receiver David Terrell busted for the Bears, receiver David Boston didn’t fare much better in Arizona and running back Tim Biakabutuka was a dud for the Panthers. Sam Adams’ long career clogging up the middle as a defensive tackle started in Seattle. The last time the Titans had this pick, they landed Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchak, who’s now the team’s coach.

What It Means: The Titans may have a quarterback controversy on their hands, though it would have more substance if Kerry Collins had outplayed Vince Young once he replaced him at the start of the fourth quarter. Tennessee fell to 1-1. The Titans aren’t as good as they appeared a week ago against Oakland. They probably aren’t as bad as they were against Pittsburgh either. But imagine if they faced Ben Roethlisberger instead of Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch.

Tomorrow’s Talker: Who’s the quarterback? Young accounted for three of the Titans’ seven turnovers, and a week after a 142.8 passer rating, he posted a 48.3. But Collins threw a pick and a lost fumble upon replacing him. Young reacted poorly in a similar circumstance in 2008, but the indications have been he is more mature now. Does he respond better or do we get more of the sort of drama that unfolded last time? This should be a good offense, but it was horrific against the Steelers and completely nonthreatening once Pittsburgh made Chris Johnson a non-factor.

What I liked: The defense allowed just 12 points off seven turnovers and laid a lot of good hits. This could have been a blowout of monumental proportions given the turnovers. With a great onside kick at the end, the Titans actually had a chance to tie the game with a late drive, but fell short.

What I didn’t like: Johnson might have had a long touchdown that could have changed the tone in the first half, even without the help of a Eugene Amano hold. Amano told officials about how he let go, but the key there is to not hold in the first place not to be able to claim you didn’t hold long. Penalties were a big issue -- the Titans had 10 for 72 yards.

What’s next: Fisher, Young and Collins will address the quarterback situation inside the next hour. But no matter how firm Fisher is about the plans, they will all face further questions about it this week. It’s not the sort of storyline the Titans hoped for heading to New Meadowlands Stadium where they will see old friend Keith Bulluck in his third game as a member of the New York Giants.

The Titans already drew the Steelers at a favorable time in the season. Tennessee is one of four teams to face Pittsburgh during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension.

Now the injury news from Pittsburgh following the Steelers' overtime win over Atlanta is also favorable to the Titans in their Week 2 matchup.

Starting left tackle Max Starks is expected to be out of action for at least a couple weeks with a high ankle sprain, meaning Jonathan Scott will likely play in his spot. The team’s starting right tackle, Willie Colon, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during the summer and has been replaced by Flozell Adams.

Tennessee’s defensive line was excellent against the Raiders, and could add end William Hayes, who was out of the Oakland game because he tweaked a previously sprained knee last week.

It’ll be hard to take one of the ends who played Sunday out of the mix, as Jason Babin, Dave Ball, Jacob Ford and Derrick Morgan all contributed.

David from Orange Park, Fla., writes: The NFL just cancelled the remainder of the Jaguars OTA's for the spring. I believe the term used by the NFL was that the OTA's were too "intense." It's no secret that the league wants to increase the number of regular season games to 18. Is the NFL sending a signal to the players that team activities during the offseason are going to be monitored more closely to minimize the injury factor? The NFL appears to be laying the foundation for CBA negotiations to expand the regular season and to modify the offseason workout activities for their teams.

Paul Kuharsky: It’s not just the league, it’s the league and the NFL Players Association. It’s clear the players aren’t putting up with business as usual, putting the league in position to have no choice but to crack down. Someone’s reported the Ravens, Raiders, Jags and Lions. I would too. If the rules are bargained for and on the books, they should be enforced.

If they go to 18 games, the offseason work will get lightened.

Philippe Bourdon from Bristol, Conn., writes: Of course Vince Young should be disciplined. What does it matter if he received the equivalent of a Motor Vehicle citation? What did Ben Roethlisberger receive the equivalent of? Oh, that's right, the equivalent of nothing... He wasn't charged. If Goodell doesn't discipline Young, he will only emphasize what he is, and that is extremely inconsistent in his ruling. The NFLPA should never have granted him so much power when it comes to player behavior. Shame on them and shame on Goodell for abusing his power.

Paul Kuharsky: Actually Goodell’s not inconsistent with first-time offenders whose troubles weren’t major. They don’t get suspended.

Justin from French Lick, Ind., writes: Since Albert Haynesworth wants a trade, do you think the colts would have enough money to try and trade for him. He would be a big help in the middle of the field. Maybe try and package draft picks with Mathis, since we draft Hughes in the first round?

Paul Kuharsky: They drafted Jerry Hughes to learn behind Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, not to immediately replace one and then have no third outside rusher again.

They don’t want a Haynesworth type and they don’t generally deal picks for players.

Peter in Nashville writes: What is this I just read about a chat hiatus? Are you serious? C'mon. I work at a bank. The most exciting thing going on here is that a new Sweet Cici's is opening across the street. Cut me a break. There are only so many ways for me to waste time. Your chats got me through my statistics class last semester; help me out a little more. Thank ya much.

Paul Kuharsky: I have some vacation coming up. You want me fresh for camp and the season, no?

Jim from Greenville, S.C., writes: Who makes the roster of the three Titans WR's Marc Mariani, Dominique Edison or Paul Williams? Is there a chance two make the roster?

Paul Kuharsky: Lavelle Hawkins is the X factor to me. Presuming he holds fourth, then right now I’d guess Damian Williams will wind up fifth, Mariani sixth, Edison seventh and missing out, Paul Williams finally gone.

My brother lives in Taylors. We were down there Memorial Day weekend. Downtown Greenville is fantastic.

“Critic” from parts unknown writes: Your response to the reader questioning the media's regularly positive take of Peyton Manning and their general lack of scrutiny towards him despite his mediocre postseason totals, including his win/loss record was very unprofessional in my humble opinion. You treated the guy like it was blasphemy to even attempt to measure the greatness of a QB by his postseason play, and I know you will probably not think twice about my comments to you, but perhaps you should check your cocky, pretentious attitude at the door before you respond to your loyal readers. Just a thought

Paul Kuharsky: Of course it’s not blasphemy. But downgrading Manning’s regular season success is just silly. And people expect me to call silly, silly.

If you read me with any regularity, I’m kind of hard-nosed and sarcastic. Works well for a lot of people, not as well for others.

I always appreciate hearing from both sides -- especially when they attach their name to their email.

I’m heading out to Titans practice shortly and will bring you reaction from the team and from Vince Young, assuming he talks, following his Sunday citation for misdemeanor assault in a strip-club fight.

For all the debate Young has stirred up in his four seasons with the Titans, he’s been a good citizen. Does this development dent that résumé?

Under the personal conduct policy, the league tends to be lenient for first-time offenders. But with all of the negative attention brought to the NFL by Ben Roethlisberger this offseason -- and I’m not comparing what Young did to what Roethlisberger is alleged to have done -- the spotlight on players got even brighter.

I wonder if commissioner Roger Goodell is a bit quicker to discipline a player who put himself in a bad situation now.

It’s been categorized as equivalent to a traffic citation and comes with a maximum fine of $500. Do the setting and behavior make it bigger than that to Goodell?

Will Young be disciplined by Goodell? Should he be?

I’m curious to hear where you stand.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter reported that Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended four to six games.

That will have directly impact one AFC South team: The Tennessee Titans host the Steelers on Week 2 on Sept. 19.

Instead of dealing with Roethlisberger, they will face Dennis Dixon or Byron Leftwich.

That’s a better deal on an NFL Sunday for sure.

But while Roethlisberger led the Steelers to an overtime win in the NFL’s season opener against the Titans last year, his line wasn’t phenomenal: Roethlisberger connected on 33-of-43 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice and sacked four times.

I expect the Tennessee defense the Steelers see this time around will feature six new starters.

Kyle Vanden Bosch is now with Detroit; Jevon Kearse and Nick Harper are free agents they won’t re-sign; Keith Bulluck is a free agent coming off a blown out knee I don’t expect them to re-sign; Jovan Haye should rank behind Jason Jones or Sen'Derrick Marks as well as Tony Brown; and banged up David Thornton's starting slot is in jeopardy.

The most unbalanced offensive line in the AFC South belongs to the Indianapolis Colts.

But it's a group whose superiority in pass protection fits with the AFC champion's design, which is first and foremost “do no harm to Peyton Manning.”

Following similar logic, Jacksonville’s offensive line could understandably be very good run-blockers and below average pass-protectors, considering that Maurice Jones-Drew is the Jaguars’ centerpiece.

But as the Jaguars broke in two rookie tackles in 2009, the melding of the group wasn’t always smooth and the line’s play sometimes felt disjointed.

Yes, Jones-Drew had an excellent season with 1,391 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. But the Jaguars still had six games in which their run game averaged less than the league average of 4.2 yards per carry. And David Garrard was sacked 42 times, more than any quarterback in the league besides Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Jason Campbell and Matt Cassel.

For a team that craves a physical identity, it wasn’t good enough.

Offensive line coach Andy Heck has installed his offseason theme, and it’s “finishing.”

“All the guys in our line are tough guys. I think we can all work to finish better,” Heck told me this week. “Play to the whistle. Our run game is something we’ve taken a lot of pride in down here, and while our blocking has been good, we can’t just assume because it’s been good it’s going to continue to be good.”

And the pass protection must be significantly better.

All offensive linemen would like to be equally good in both departments. Heck estimated 70 to 80 percent of starting linemen in the league can say they are, with young players or players in an offense that overemphasizes the run or pass accounting for the others who are not as balanced.

His left guard, Vince Manuwai, said he thinks 70 percent of NFL linemen are better run-blockers than pass-protectors.

At Farrington (Hawaii) High School, Manuwai was in a run-heavy scheme. At the University of Hawaii, he was part of a pass-happy team. So he felt like he came into the league well-versed in both and ready to be versatile. He still rates himself as a better run-blocker.

“Run blocking is a lot easier,” he said. “With run blocking, a lot of the time you just have to move the guy maybe a couple inches, a couple feet and if you have a good running back, he makes you look good. You can miss a block and a lot of times he will break arm tackles from the guy you’re blocking. Pass blocking is a lot tougher. …You’ve got to be so patient, you’ve got to be prepared for so many moves. You can’t really be aggressive trying to dominate on the line. Run block, you can be aggressive and go full speed and come out looking good.”

Manuwai said the finishing theme is often a matter of “football awareness,” starting with quicker adjustments as things unfold.

Said Heck: “Being a good pass-blocker you’ve got to have some God-given talents, some agility, some foot quickness and athleticism. To be a good run-blocker, it’s good to have all those things, but really all you need is the right mindset. And to be a really good run-blocker, you need strength and leverage and all that. But you can be a decent run-blocker if you’ve got the right mindset, in other words the drive to finish.”

For the Jaguars to make a jump next season, they need to keep Garrard far cleaner. Coach Jack Del Rio talked about how the team needs to be good around Garrard for him to be good. That starts with him having better protection more often.

The one change could come at center, where 32-year old Brad Meester slipped and the team can use a talent upgrade at the cost of leadership and experience.

Here is our look at Jacksonville’s starting five. Heck, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson and ProFootballFocus.com, a site that grades a player on a scale of minus-2 to plus-2 on every play and offers totals based on his cumulative play over the season, provide assessments.

Left tackle Eugene Monroe

Heck: “I see him doing some things athletically and in terms of balance that few people in this world can do. He had unbelievable God-given talent to be a great pass-protector. Things that will help him as a young player will be more awareness of defenses and situations, which comes with experience. Especially as a tackle it’s a process. In pass protection, he’s off to a great start. In run blocking, I know that’s an area he’s looking to improve, and I think I can help him with some leverage things and always working to finish.”

Williamson: Far better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-12.4 in pass blocking, plus 7.1 in run blocking.

Left guard Vince Manuwai

Heck: “This year he came off a knee injury. Just before his injury, I think it would have been hard to find many guards who run blocked as well as he did. He’s got so much leverage and strength. I look forward to getting a healthy Vince back, not that he wasn’t healthy last year, but he was working his way back. I think he can be a dominant run-blocker. Vince can be a very capable pass-protector. He’s got one of the strongest punches that you’ll find anywhere.”

Williamson: Better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-3.1 in pass blocking, plus-7.1 in run blocking.

Center Brad Meester

Heck: “We got strong veteran leadership from him. I’ve never been around a player that was more dedicated to his craft than he is. He’s really outstanding at communicating and getting us all going in the right direction and is the leader of our group. I’d say Brad is a very well-balanced player. The thing that he has that the young tackles don’t have is the benefit of a lot of experience. There is not a lot that he hasn’t seen. He’s able to sort out difficult looks and play smart football.”

Williamson: Better pass-protector, “but he was a liability in all regards this past season.”

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-3.0 in pass blocking, minus-13.7 in run blocking.

Right guard Uche Nwaneri

Heck: “He’s shown some steady improvement in all areas of his game. I think that he can be a very good run-blocker and is athletic enough and smart enough that he can be good as a pass-protector as well. At times he’s looked very good at both, and at times you can see where he needs to improve.”

Williamson: Slightly better pass-protector.

ProFootballFocus.com: Plus-4.0 in pass blocking, minus-2.6 in run blocking.

Right tackle Eben Britton

Heck: “He’s a guy that’s got great heart and desire. He’s similar to Eugene as a young player. He’s going to look to improve his awareness. Every one of those games from the personnel to the looks he’s going to see, all those things will help him kind of sort out some gray areas. I think that will help him in his pass protection as well, an area I think he can improve and will improve.”

Williamson: Far better run-blocker.

ProFootballFocus.com: Minus-14 in pass blocking, plus-3.0 in run blocking.

The champs have been crowned. Thirty-one other teams now head toward March 5 when free agency begins and the 2010 league year begins.

In the copycat NFL, everyone is already wondering how they match up to the New Orleans Saints.

Not everyone will toss their formulas and look to install the Saints' systems. But it makes sense to look at how the Saints got where they are and set off "Lombardi Gras."

And so here’s a look at the AFC South and how its teams stack up against New Orleans. (AFC South teams won't be playing the Saints during the 2010 regular season; they've drawn the NFC East for next season.)

Houston Texans

The Saints are built around quarterback Drew Brees and the Texans feel they’ve got a Super Bowl-caliber signal-caller of a similar ilk in Matt Schaub. Like Brees, Schaub is accurate and capable of posting some serious numbers -- he actually threw for 382 more yards than Brees did in the regular season. But Schaub had to throw more because he didn’t have a run game to match the one Brees worked with.

The Texans didn’t need to see the Saints' path to the title to know their run game is insufficient. Coach Gary Kubiak re-emphasized Wednesday that his team will be committed to the run. That means finding a guy who can take a good share of the carries and work in some sort of tandem with Steve Slaton is priority one on offense.

A defense that can make big plays can supplement that sort of offense. The Texans have defensive playmakers in Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Bernard Pollard. But they don’t have a guy like Darren Sharper, and free safety is clearly a spot Houston needs to improve to be championship-ready.

The big stat: The Saints averaged 39.4 yards per game and a full yard per carry more on the ground than the Texans in 2009.

Indianapolis Colts

We don’t need to say much here, as we just saw how the Colts measure up to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Their offensive line and special teams didn’t match up well. They’ve allowed special teams to be an issue for too long, and need to look to upgrade those units. They can win with a less-that-fantastic run game. But when the Colts need that vital rushing yard, the line needs to deliver the blocking more consistently.

The big stat: While New Orleans led the league in average total yards per game (403.8) and Indianapolis ranked ninth (363.1) in that stat, the Saints were far more balanced (sixth in rush yards a game, fourth in pass yards) than the Colts (32nd and second).

Jacksonville Jaguars

It wasn’t only the Saints. Three out of the NFL’s final four teams got there largely because an elite quarterback led them there. David Garrard doesn’t fit the bill. I’m one of any number of commentators or analysts who don’t believe he does, and his coach Jack Del Rio has said it as well. I expect the Jaguars will be looking to upgrade the spot in the draft.

Jacksonville is not going to be built in the Saints’ mold, as it looks to prove a defensive, run-oriented team can grind away and knock off teams like New Orleans. But to be that sort of team at a playoff level, the Jaguars need to find a way to beat division-rival Indianapolis with some regularity. That means winning without an elite quarterback against an elite quarterback.

While we can debate the way to throw Peyton Manning off his game -- blitz and look for ways to hurry him or complicate the coverages -- we know the Jaguars don’t yet have the personnel to do either well enough. The pass rush will be as big an offseason issue for the Jaguars as anything.

The big stat: No matter how much the Jags want to run the ball, they need to score more. New Orleans outscored Jacksonville by a 510-290 margin over the regular season. That’s nearly two touchdowns a game.

Tennessee Titans

Stylistically, the Titans are going to be more like the Jaguars than the Texans or Colts, though Chris Johnson gives them a dynamic player who can match anyone’s most explosive option on offense. They won’t build to try to mirror the Saints’ mold; they will build intending to be ready to shatter the Saints’ mold.

To do so, they’ll need to rush the passer better and play stickier coverage -- keys to beating elite quarterbacks. The Saints beat Eli Manning and Tom Brady and lost to Tony Romo in the regular season before knocking off Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in the playoffs. Tennessee lost to Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, lost twice to Peyton Manning and split against Matt Schaub.

If Vince Young emerges as an elite quarterback, he’ll still be of a vastly different style than Brees. He had one receiver who averaged better than 13.7 yards a catch in 2009 while the Saints had three who were at 15.3 yards a catch or better.

The big stat: The 2009 Titans surrendered 31 passing touchdowns compared to the Saints’ 15.

MIAMI -- Cue it again.

All the talk about Peyton Manning's failures in the clutch, all the comparisons of the Indianapolis Colts to the Atlanta Braves.

Boy, the Colts sure are good in the regular season, but when it comes to collecting rings …

A team that made a season out of fourth-quarter comebacks couldn’t find one Sunday night, and when it came to explaining Tracy Porter's game-sealing 74-yard interception return with 3:12 left, the Colts didn’t have a lot to say.

"Porter made a great play on the ball," Manning said not long after New Orleans’ 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV was in the books and red and silver confetti littered the Sun Life Stadium floor. "He made a good break on it. And he just made a heck of a play.”

"He jumped the route," said Reggie Wayne, the intended receiver. “He did a good job jumping the route.”

The quarterback and receiver both treaded lightly, not wanting to cast blame about what went wrong on a play Manning said they’ve run quite a bit. The throw was a bit off, or the route was, or both. And while we want to dissect it precisely, they weren’t interested parties.

Brett Favre threw an interception that hurt the Vikings' shot in the NFC title game in New Orleans. Like Manning, he owns a 1-1 record in the Super Bowl. I expect, though, that while Favre keeps people’s attention cast as a rugged gunslinger, Manning will get a new round of holes punched in his résumé for being a cerebral signal-caller with just a .500 playoff record.

A win would have done a lot for those wanting to crown him the best of all time. A loss led to a classification in much more terrestrial terms.

“I don’t think it dents him,” Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “He’s one of the top three quarterbacks in the league right now. Would he like to have that throw back? Of course. But every quarterback would like to have his interceptions back.

“I don’t think it really does anything to his legacy. He’s still going to be a Hall of Fame quarterback. And if he wins another, he’ll probably be the best quarterback to ever play the game.”

Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell, the rookie coach who guided an improbably successful season, shared the sentiment.

“I don’t think it will have any bearing on his legacy,” he said. “Obviously, he’s a great player. It never comes down to just one single play in a game. There are a lot of different things that could have happened in that game that could have put us in a different position. He’s still a great player, and outstanding performer, a great competitor. And that doesn’t diminish it at all.”

Even the most confident Saints had to think that Manning could tie the score quickly after Jeremy Shockey caught a 2-yard touchdown pass and Lance Moore added a two-point conversion to put the Saints up 24-17 with 5:42 on the clock: That’s a lot of time for that quarterback and that offense.

Manning and the Colts regularly march the field in less. Their 11-play, 96-yard drive in the first quarter matched the 1985 Bears for the longest touchdown drive in Super Bowl history, and that one took just 4:36.

The way they played in a 14-2 season made them believe they would simply do it again. The worst that could happen was overtime.

With no huddle and out of the shotgun, Manning moved them 39 yards before the fateful third-and-5, which followed a timeout.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Porter trusted the play, knew the rush up the middle wouldn’t allow Manning the time to beat him deep, allowing him to make the read and jump the pass.

“I felt that was the route they were going to run,” Williams said. “Tracy knew that was the route they were going to run.”

And so with a chance to bolster his legacy, Manning and his Colts instead watched Drew Brees build his. Instead of joining Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger as multiple Super Bowl winners, Manning was joined by Brees in a club of quarterbacks with one.

Brees posted the second-best completion percentage in Super Bowl history as the Saints’ 10-point comeback matched the largest deficit overcome to win the ultimate game.

“Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are two of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League, and the people tonight got their money’s worth watching two great warrior quarterbacks play,” Williams said. “We were able to come up with a play, but he made plays also.

“We were able to hit him, we were able to hurry him, we were able to move him off his spot. He was still making plays. We made one play right there that was the difference in the ballgame. I’m sure he’d like to have that one back. But I’m happy we made it.”

Pro Bowl Watch: AFC » East | West | North | South  NFC » East | West | North | South

In previous seasons, Matt Schaub's misfortunes have been related to cheap hits and injuries no one would have played through.

This season he encountered a different kind. First, the Texans' inability to get the last AFC playoff slot, when it was in range.

Second, to produce a career season that coincided with Peyton Manning's fourth MVP year and Chris Johnson's 2,000-yard season.

When you throw for a league-high 4,770 yards and don't get considered for offensive player of the year because of what players in your own division have done, that's a little tough.

It was the sixth-best passing yardage season in league history. Remember when Daunte Culpepper went crazy in 2004? He was a giant story. Schaub's year was better than that, and also topped Dan Marino's second-best year.

I believe Schaub has now established himself as a player who deserves mention at the back end of the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. He's not far off from Aaron Rodgers, who ranks as the top up-and-comer in many people's eyes.

With Manning in the Super Bowl, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger bowing out because of injury, Schaub's in line to start for the AFC in Sunday's Pro Bowl.

It's not the biggest spotlight he's going to earn before he's finishes in Houston.

Here a review of Schaub's season from Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.:

"Extremely successful. I was very torn as to who should have gotten the third quarterback spot in the Pro Bowl for the AFC between Roethlisberger, Brady and Schaub. He stayed healthy, which is gigantic for him. He was consistently productive, even after Owen Daniels went down, which should have crippled that passing game much more than it really did. After that injury, remember, they had no running game and really only one true receiving weapon in Andre Johnson. While QBs get too much credit and too much blame for such things, I also think it was very impressive that the Texans made a late-season run and did finally get over .500. Would grade his season as an A-minus."

The watering down of the Pro Bowl continues.

The AFC quarterback pool is now all AFC South: Matt Schaub and Vince Young were already in as alternates, and David Garrard is now in with Peyton Manning a non participant.

Garrard threw 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, was sacked 42 times and had an 83.5 passer rating. He appears to rank ninth among AFC quarterbacks in the voting. Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer all bowed out or passed on an invite. It’s believed Joe Flacco also declined.

With Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis now unavailable, Tennessee’s Kyle Vanden Bosch was added to the AFC roster, too.

Manning was pretty funny Sunday evening when he was asked if he might go ahead and play in the Pro Bowl Sunday despite getting a pass since the Colts will be preparing for the Super Bowl. He turned the conversation to his tight end, first-time Pro Bowler Dallas Clark.

“Dallas is going to play,” Manning said to laughs. “He’s so excited to make the Pro Bowl and he thought he could use an extra game to work on some of his blocking techniques. They didn’t say you can’t play. He’s going to play but I’m not going to play this year.”

Vince Young is going to his second Pro Bowl, Jim Wyatt reports. The Titans quarterback is replacing San Diego’s Philip Rivers.


It’s the second replacement among AFC quarterbacks Wednesday.

The original three quarterbacks were Peyton Manning, Rivers and Tom Brady.

Matt Schaub got a spot after a banged up Brady dropped out and Ben Roethlisberger passed because of a shoulder injury. Now Carson Palmer has also opted out because of an injury and Young replaces Rivers.

Young was very good, and sometime great, after taking over as Tennessee’s starter following an 0-6 record with Kerry Collins at quarterback.

But we’re now seven deep in the AFC Pro Bowl quarterback pool, and if the Colts win the AFC Championship and advance to the Super Bowl, it’ll be eight because Peyton Manning won’t play.

Eight of sixteen starters in the conference may be able to call themselves Pro Bowlers. Apologies, but that doesn’t feel like a big honor and it’s another reason why the Pro Bowl is broken.

Sign me up for a league where the half the people with my job qualify as all-stars.

Schaub should be excited, it’s a big moment for him. But he said the Pro Bowl is “the highest honor in my opinion you can get in this league.”

I feel very strongly that All-Pro is way bigger, as you can read here. There are 27 All-Pros and that list can’t grow. There are already 94 Pro Bowlers and that list will continue to grow, and that doesn’t count people like Roethlisberger and Palmer who passed.