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Houston Texans

The Texans see a lot of Shannon Sharpe in Owen Daniels, says Jeffrey Martin.

Shaun Cody and Earl Mitchell are vying for time at nose tackle, says John McClain,

Matt Leinart continues to look sharp, says McClain.

Gary Kubiak is concerned about the injured Brian Cushing, says Martin.

It’s hard not to root for Chris Ogbonnaya, says Richard Justice.

Where does Ben Tate fit into the Texans’ crowded backfield wonders Justice.

Jason Allen can overtake Kareem Jackson, says Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts

The first depth chart says the offensive line is still developing, says Mike Chappell.

Beyond the starters, there are a lot of questions in the defensive backfield, says Chappell.

There was not a lot of new information in Jim Caldwell’s Peyton Manning update.

Indy added tight end Michael Matthews.

Mike Pollak has much to prove, says Brett Mock.

Nate Davis talked with Colts.com about his progress.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert’s the starter in Thursday night’s preseason opener, says Vito Stellino.

Aaron Kampman and Maurice Jones-Drew are among key players not going to New England, says Tania Ganguli.

Jack Del Rio talked to Bill Belichick about joint practices but the lockout kept it from happening, says Ganguli. The Falcons will visit Jacksonville next week.

Todd Bouman is back, says Ganguli.

Del Rio’s had to catch himself and be patient in a camp that didn’t follow a typical offseason, says John Oehser.

Is Jason Hill a roster lock? Alfie Crow wonders.

Tennessee Titans

Stafon Johnson’s completed a second comeback, writes John Glennon.

Cortland Finnegan worked inside in the nickel package, says Wyatt.

Matt Hasselbeck looks for three specific things a day to work on, says David Boclair.

Rusty Smith is staying patient, says Wyatt.

Anthony Smith is ready to compete. He was really bad in Jacksonville a couple years ago.

The lockout is forcing Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to scale back his plans. Eagles head coach Andy Reid is sure we’ll see a worse product when the NFL resumes action because of what will have been missed.

You know what I hear there? Coachspeak. Coachspeak that, at least on some level, is about self-importance and self-preservation.

Look, I know that’s the popular thinking: Cut into a coach’s beloved installation time, erase blocks of the calendar where he’d have control of his guys, and we’ll see jailbreaks and fumbles, blown coverages and dropped passes galore when we get to actual games.

Mine is a contrarian's view for sure. But where is it etched in the Seven Blocks of Granite that simple football is automatically bad football?

I’m not suggesting we play the first game 10 days after the labor impasse ends. But offseason workouts and training camp are way, way overrated.

"Simple is not necessarily bad," one coach told me. "But the game is infinitely more interesting now than it was 30 years ago when it was a novel idea to use three wide receivers. And a big part of that is the complexity of the game."

That sort of complexity isn't all put on players' plates for the first time at a season's first OTA, though. They've grown up in a more complicated football world than their dads did.

I asked Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston about the idea that less complicated football could actually be better football.

"I've always wondered why coaches preach 'execution, execution, execution' and have 500-page playbooks," he said. "It's hard for those things to coexist.

"The Colts, who most fans think have the most complicated offense in the league, in reality, don't do a lot inside the 20s. But they execute better than everyone and thus are as consistent moving the ball and scoring as it gets.

"I can't say with certainty that no OTAs will lead to better football. But I also don't think if we don't have full camps it will be as bad as everyone is saying."

The example Winston cites, the Colts' red-zone offense, may suffer some from lack of repetition. The ability to precisely repeat plays against different defensive reactions is a big deal. Peyton Manning said last season that missed OTAs would lessen the ultimate quality of the game.

Still, I think an offense led by a quarterback who borders on obsessive with diligent skill position players around him isn't going to fall off. Those defenses the Indianapolis offense will be facing, after all, will have equally less time trying to get ready.

Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers is heading toward his third season. His initial response to my question was to ask if I was saying it’s possible for players to get better during the lockout. (That’s not what I was saying, but I don’t think it’s impossible, either. It’s certainly possible for them to not get oversaturated during the lockout.)

Upon clarification, he offered this:

“I think the good players have great work ethic, that's about as simple as it can be, because they will shine. If it's simple enough for everyone to understand, it's a lot easier. ... A game plan means great football if it’s simple enough for everyone to grasp.”

It’s not a ringing endorsement of my thinking, but it does show a player’s capacity to appreciate things that are less complicated. (By the way, you can follow Powers on Twitter here: @jpeezy25.)

Belichick and Reid are better coaches than most, coaches who have their guys ready a vast majority of the time. With changing parameters, I bet they will still be better coaches than most. They can have their guys ready even with less time and less control.

And all of this simplification will benefit coaches like them who have some of the best and smartest players -- players who will still be able to digest more than a lot of their counterparts.

It will also, sadly for all coaches, dent the whole beloved, storybook idea of football as rocket science and football coaches as Einsteins in headsets.

One coach's simpler system, installed several fewer times than usual, and a simpler game plan will have to beat another coach's simpler system and simpler game plan.

I’m not convinced it can’t be good for the players. I’m not convinced it won’t actually be good for the games.

Is Jim Caldwell a top-10 coach?

Before you jump to say he is not, consider there are only 24 coaches in the league who’ve got real résumés to judge -- there are eight new coaches heading into their first seasons.

Here are the power ranking results and Tim Graham’s piece on how things sorted out.

Bill Belichick is our unanimous No. 1 and Caldwell finished 13th. I rated him eighth and gave Graham this rationale:

“I voted for Caldwell late, frankly, because I was running out of good candidates.

“I do not think he’s a particularly good game-day coach. The rationale he had for the late timeouts that helped the Colts lose at Jacksonville and to the Jets in the playoffs was flawed.

“But in terms of delivering a consistent message, setting expectations and holding a team together through an injury-riddled season, he did excellent work. And those are very important elements to the job.”

I did not consider Jack Del Rio or Gary Kubiak at all, and Mike Munchak is one of those eight new coaches.

Here is my ballot, not to be confused with the overall results, which you’ll find in the link above.

1. Bill Belichick
2. Mike Tomlin
3. Andy Reid
4. Mike McCarthy
5. Tom Coughlin
6. Sean Payton
7. Rex Ryan
8. Jim Caldwell
9. Mike Smith
10. Ken Whisenhunt

Reading the coverage ...

Vince Young, Glover Quin and the Texans defense were among the least valuable players in the league Sunday, says Shutdown Corner.

Houston Texans

The pass defense undid the day in short order, says John McClain.

The Texans have perfected the art of losing late, says Jerome Solomon.

The secondary spelled doom again, says Dale Robertson.

McClain’s report card.

What will Bob McNair do about this, and when? Alan Burge asks the question.

Indianapolis Colts

The big rally fell painfully short, says Phil Richards.

It was last year’s script with a new ending, says Mike Chappell.

It was a hard loss to swallow and a hard loss to forget, says Bob Kravitz.

The defense stiffened, but not soon enough, says Chappell.

The AFC South crown is still well within reach, says John Oehser.

Be thankful for another classic Tom Brady-Peyton Manning clash, says Pete Prisco.

Just another Colts-Patriots classic, says Don Banks.

The Patriots' defense got it done for Bill Belichick this time, says Jason Cole.

That young New England defense put a new twist in the rivalry, says Judy Battista.

What it would have taken to win, from Nate Dunlevy.

How the Colts managed to lose, from Brett Mock.

Jacksonville Jaguars

A gem of a screen and a solid defensive effort put the Jaguars in first place, says Tania Ganguli.

Maurice Jones-Drew’s big play was in the middle of it all, says Vito Stellino.

The Jaguars are only going to the playoffs if they change their typical late-season course, says Gene Frenette.

The defense is coming of age at the right time, says Frenette.

Frenette and Stellino recount the game. (Video.)

The Jaguars’ defense did well to minimize the impact of turnovers, says Jeff Elliott.

The defensive line was charged up by memories of last year, says Stellino.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans lost the game and maybe their quarterback, says Jim Wyatt.

If you missed my take on the Young drama, it’s here.

There appears to be irreconcilable differences between Jeff Fisher and Young, says David Climer.

Climer asks if a handoff to Chris Johnson was Young’s last play as a Titan,

Clark Judge thinks the Titans can’t go back to Young.

The Titans third-down defense is far from fixed, says John Glennon.

Overtime penalties were killer, says Glennon.

Randy Moss has been a civil spectator so far, says Joe Biddle.

The Titans are now reliant on rookie Rusty Smith, says Glennon and Climer.

Reviews of Young, the pass rush, the defense of tight ends and some love for Marc Mariani, from Bob McClellan.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:

Look long: I’ve been critical of Jaguars QB David Garrard’s ability to see receivers downfield and connect with them. But in his past two games he has been ridiculously good on balls thrown over 10 yards. (Yes, that includes the batted Hail Mary that won the Houston game.) In two games since returning from a concussion, ESPN Stats & Information says Garrard has hit on 66.2 percent of such throws for a 20.5 yards per attempt average, three touchdowns and no interceptions and a 149.3 passer rating. The Browns will certainly be conscious of that, which may mean there is a little more room underneath for a guy like Maurice Jones-Drew.

More men on Manning: Since Colts tight end Dallas Clark was lost for the season with a wrist injury, defenses have been blitzing Peyton Manning more. The thinking is that Clark was an excellent safety blanket and outlet for Manning to find against extra rushers, but that he’s got less reliable options in those situations now. In the past three games, he has seen five or more rushers 37.7 percent of the time (as compared to 21.9 percent before). In those situations, he has completed only 54.2 percent of his passes, posted a passer rating of 66.5 and been sacked four times. Will Patriots coach Bill Belichick find a way to have a similar effect?

Careful with Cooley: The Titans have struggled against tight ends recently, getting lit up by San Diego’s Antonio Gates and Miami’s Anthony Fasano in recent weeks. Jason Witten and Kevin Boss also have had big games against them. Jeff Fisher has said it’s mostly on the linebackers. Well, they need to do better against Washington’s dangerous Chris Cooley, a guy who can do some damage after the catch. There can’t be communication issues about who’s on him when and where, or he can tear them up.

Force Foster: The Jets are fifth against the run and 14th against the pass, but that doesn’t mean the Texans should minimize Arian Foster. Offenses with a good back against good run defenses shouldn’t presume he won’t be able to gain yards. I think the Texans would be well served to show some attitude here. When they lost their opener to the Jets last season, New York players suggested the Texans were a finesse team that couldn’t slug it out toe-to-toe. Forcing the issue early with Foster would go a long way in this game toward showing the hosts that’s no longer the case. Trouble is, it may still be.

Force fumbles: If the Patriots happen to be losing late and trying to muster a late drive, they should be hyper-aware of Dwight Freeney. In the Colts’ past two wins, he has had a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to get Indianapolis the ball back. Even as offensive linemen and quarterbacks know what’s coming, Freeney is able to dig down and make a giant play to help secure a win. Second-year tackle Sebastian Vollmer is 6-foot-8, 315 pounds. Will there be a critical moment when the 6-1, 268 Freeney speeds, or spins, around him?

The annual AFC showdown is upon us, and with it come the recurring storylines.

That's right, the Indianapolis Colts will meet the New England Patriots on Sunday for an eighth straight season. The NFL's greatest ongoing interdivisional rivalry showcases two of the great organizations of this generation and renews the discussion about Peyton Manning's stats versus Tom Brady's championships.

We've decided to rekindle the debate, but before you throw your head back and groan in anticipation of the clichés, hold your horseshoes.

The purpose of this debate is to eliminate Manning and Brady and look into the future.

Which team has the better long-range outlook once Manning and Brady move on?

For the purpose of this discussion, we've set the target for 2015 -- one year beyond the length of Brady's latest contract extension -- to examine which team has the better infrastructure to cope with life minus its iconic quarterback.

Tim Graham: Time to get after it, Paul. But no weapons this time, please. I've just recently completed the physical therapy from our last debate.

Paul Kuharsky: Well, this back-and-forth will be less physically taxing, and since there is so much forecasting, you may actually be able to put your Jedi training to use.

Graham: Get this debate started we shall, hmmm?

Kuharsky: So what do the Colts and Patriots have now that's going to be a big factor for them in five years?

I count eight guys who are in their first, second or third year with the franchise who I expect will still be prime contributors in 2015. But only three of the eight fit into the framework of the four most important positions on the field -- quarterback, left tackle, defensive end and cornerback. Those players would be corners Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey and defensive end Jerry Hughes.

Hughes is still unproven, but it's early and Colts president Bill Polian saw the potential for him to ultimately replace a Dwight Freeney or a Robert Mathis.

Others who may still be staples when Manning is gone: receiver Austin Collie, linebacker Pat Angerer, tight end Jacob Tamme, tight end Brody Eldridge and punter Pat McAfee. Can that group be the core of a team that continues to win? I wish I could offer a solid yes or no instead of a tepid maybe.

Beyond that, we've got five drafts to consider, right? And Polian regularly finds undrafted gems. I don't doubt the Colts will have talent. But they'll need new Freeney-, Dallas Clark- and Reggie Wayne-caliber stars, plus the replacement quarterback.

Graham: Patriots overlord Bill Belichick has drawn deserved criticism for his draft failures. He has swung and missed at his share of Terrence Wheatleys and Kevin O'Connells and Chad Jacksons in the early rounds.

But when you accumulate as many picks as the Patriots have and have elite football minds evaluating the talent, those bad decisions are going to even out eventually. The Patriots appear to be warming up when it comes to successful drafting.

The Patriots went into Heinz Field and manhandled the Pittsburgh Steelers with four rookies in their starting defensive lineup (defensive end Brandon Deaderick, outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, inside linebacker Brandon Spikes and left cornerback Devin McCourty) and a rookie tight end (Rob Gronkowski), who caught three touchdowns. Another rookie tight end (Aaron Hernandez) ranks second on the team in catches and receiving yards. Their punter is a rookie.

They don't have as many second- and third-year contributors, but inside linebacker Jerod Mayo was defensive rookie of the year in 2008. Among the sophomores are starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer and receivers Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman, who also handle return duties.

Without question, there will be a drop-off at quarterback when Brady retires, but the Patriots are loaded with core youth.

Kuharsky: The Colts may draft better, but they also draft less. Polian's not the draft pick wheeler-and-dealer Belichick is. Are those the guys who will be lining up the Manning and Brady successors?

It's a quarterback-driven league, and teams minus Manning and Brady will have major voids. We've got to talk about the replacements for the iconic quarterbacks, but it's hard to offer much conjecture on what kind of guy that will be without talking about who will be finding him.

Polian is 67 years old, and the last time I asked him about any sort of plan for retirement he gave me a head tilt and an uncomfortable expression.

Graham: I've noticed a lot of people do that around you.

Kuharsky: If things are neat and tidy, the suspicion is he and Manning -- the guy he hit the jackpot with when he picked him over Ryan Leaf -- will exit together. The next generation is waiting in the wings. Chris Polian is Indianapolis' vice president and general manager.

I'd expect Bill Polian will have a strong hand in selecting the Colts' quarterback of the future. But it will ultimately be Chris Polian who's connected to that signal-caller the way Bill Polian is connected to Manning. The younger Polian has a good reputation and good football genes, but it's hard to know how much of his father's personnel judgment he's inherited and how much he's learned. And having to replace a guy many will argue is the greatest quarterback of all time will be an awfully difficult assignment.

Graham: I don't know how long Belichick plans to coach, but even if he were to get tired of the week-to-week grind of getting his boys ready to play, it's fathomable he'll stick around to run the operation, handpicking his successor and overseeing football operations.

It would be silly to give Belichick more than a smidgen of credit for drafting Brady in the sixth round a decade ago. If Belichick truly knew what Brady was capable of, the Patriots wouldn't have passed on him until the 199th pick. So it's not like Belichick will simply wait until Brady's on the verge of retirement and automatically snag a replacement.

Kuharsky: True. But they knew more than everybody else when they finally did take him.

Graham: Belichick trusted his scout, and they unearthed a gem.

I believe Belichick's support staff is stronger than Polian's. Senior adviser Floyd Reese oversaw the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans' drafts when they picked Steve McNair and Vince Young. Player personnel director Nick Caserio, like a lot of Belichick's sidekicks over the years, will develop the tools to run his own show someday.

Kuharsky: I don't know that Belichick's got better support. It's just more well known and visible support.

Graham: And a high-profile owner who is willing to trust his front office, will spend money and doesn't dare meddle. That's another key component to New England's success over the past decade.

Kuharsky: Moving onto the replacement quarterback himself, Curtis Painter is Manning's current backup. But based on his work in a couple of regular-season games the team didn't care about winning at the end of last season and some preseason work, most people aren't forecasting anything special from him. And that would amount to quite a lengthy apprenticeship anyway.

Graham: You wouldn't think the Patriots have Brady's successor on the roster either. Brian Hoyer is an undrafted sophomore with virtually no experience so far. But you never can tell how these guys will develop while working alongside Brady for a few years. This is the team that identified Matt Cassel, a seventh-round draft choice who hadn't started a game since high school, as its top backup for 2008. He ended up going 11-5 when Brady blew out his knee.

Kuharsky: The Colts will need a guy for a super-tough replacement job. It would be awfully difficult for them to land in a Aaron Rodgers for Brett Favre or Michael Vick for Donovan McNabb replacement situation.

After hitting a grand slam with the No. 1 pick in 1998, odds would suggest that it will be tough for them to line up with the right guy at the right pick at the right time. The way they build, odds are Manning's heir will be a guy who plays a full college career. So he's a college freshman or a high-school senior right now, depending on their plan for easing him in.

Graham: The Colts and Patriots finish too high in the standings every year and don't get to pick until the 20s. That will make it nearly impossible to snag some golden-armed top prospect in their assigned draft positions. But the Patriots frequently go into drafts with other teams' picks -- and an abundance of them. They often have copious draft assets to move up if they want to. Or maybe the Patriots will obtain that big-ticket pick waaaaay in advance. A year ago, Belichick traded Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for their 2011 first-round selection. That's the kind of creative investing that could pay off with a high-quality quarterback prospect down the road.

Kuharsky: It will definitely be more difficult for the Colts to get to the top of a draft to get a premier guy. And there may need to be a post-Manning down-cycle for the team to get up there and find the guy. Scribes in Indianapolis often wonder aloud what happens to the Colts' crazed support if they turn into a 5-11 rebuilding project. The rest of the AFC South certainly hopes that's how it works, and that the division is a lot more wide open once Manning's not in it.

And while we're forecasting five years out, I have two questions: Will Manning still be a deadpanning TV commercial superstar? And will Brady have had a haircut?

Graham: There's one unwavering prediction I can make about hair, Paul, but it's not about Brady's.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Sometimes, when working to build a post, the entry is accelerated and breaks into pieces.

Since arriving at Colts camp, I’ve been asking questions about Clyde Christensen, who’s in his ninth season with the team but his first as offensive coordinator.

It’s a job he’s held once before in the NFL, and his offense in 2001 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not very good. (Here’s an interview he did leading into that season.) On Wednesday I asked head coach Jim Caldwell about Christensen in his new position and about that Tampa Bay experience. His answer prompted me to look back at those Bucs and to write now even though I expect to talk to Christensen on Friday.

The Bucs were 30th in rushing with an injured Warrick Dunn, 15th in passing, 26th in total offense and 15th in scoring.

After 12 games, Christensen told the St. Petersburg Times: "It has to begin with me. That's my job. To get them coordinated. I have no problem with the criticism. The bottom line is the performance, and we should be better than we are.

"If I was giving myself a grade, I'd say about a C. Dead average. That's disappointing, because being average is not satisfactory."

Then after Philadelphia routed the Bucs 31-9 in the wild-card round, Tampa Bay receiver Keyshawn Johnson said: "A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play."

Per Caldwell’s request, I checked the stats, and here’s what I think he was driving at: A year after Tony Dungy and his staff were fired and Jon Gruden took over, the Bucs won the Super Bowl.

But that championship offense, in a league with one more franchise, was 27th in rushing (three spots better than Christensen’s), 15th in passing (same), 24th in total offense (two spots better) and 18th in scoring (three spots worse.)

Gruden was regarded as an offensive genius at that point, but his offense had a lot of the same weak spots as Christensen’s did.

While Caldwell indicated he thinks Christensen got a bad rap in Tampa Bay, the Colts coach also mentioned how a lot of coaches who were perceived to be not great in their first go-around rebounded to fare much better in a second chance.

He pointed to his own poor win-loss record as coach at Wake Forest, mentioned the difference in Dennis Green from college to the NFL and nodded in agreement when I mentioned Bill Belichick as another example.

“You ought to check the stats and see what exactly we were trying to get done and what we got done,” he said of Christensen’s year as coordinator with the Bucs, when Caldwell was quarterbacks coach on the same Dungy staff. “A lot of people make assumptions and have preconceived notions about things.

“But he’s a very good football coach, he’s a very capable guy, he’s an excellent leader and I think you’ll see he’ll do a great job.”

In Indy, Tom Moore is still around as senior offensive assistant and Peyton Manning is still determining what exactly to do on a play as he assesses things after breaking the huddle. We aren’t going to see a discernable difference because Christensen is now officially at the helm. He’s put in good years with the team, earned Caldwell’s trust and loyalty as well as this promotion. He’s obviously inheriting a great offense.

Still, it’s reasonable to look at that stint in Tampa Bay and wonder how it will go.

“He’s in his position because he’s capable,” Caldwell said. “He’s a very good, very strong offensive mind. He knows our system extremely well. He’s been working in it for a number of years now, had played a major role in it, oftentimes behind the scenes. ... [He’s worked on] our red zone, we’ve been very effective in that particular area, and our third-down packages as well.”

Stay tuned for more on him, and hopefully from him, later this week.

Set your board. Stick to your board. Build with a foundation first. Trust what you see.

With the first pick of his second draft, Jaguars general manager Gene Smith looks to have stuck to his tenets, outside opinion be damned.

Picking for a team that’s struggled to sell tickets and generate excitement, Smith wasn’t necessarily expected to take anyone flashy.

But Jacksonville wasn’t expected to take Cal defensive tackle Tyson Alualu either.

And that’s kind of the point here.

Owner Wayne Weaver wasn’t looking for pizzazz when he installed the low-key Smith, a scout who’d been with the team since it started in 1994, as GM last year. He was looking for solid football acumen and a steady hand.

The rushed judgments will say the Jaguars reached for Alualu. When Jacksonville is on the clock, Smith is obligated to factor in how a favored player is valued by the rest of the league. Count me among those who believed they liked C.J. Spiller and Rolando McClain. If, with those two gone, Alualu was the best player on the Jaguars’ board and they stayed true to their months of homework, well despite our inclination to snicker, we have to wait and see just what they got.

“I don’t mind defending players that I feel very strongly about because I understand where you’re coming from, I do,” Smith told Jacksonville reporters. “There will be questions on this guy. He wasn’t certainly in everybody’s mock draft at the top end of the first round but he was certainly on our draft board.

“And again we’re going to allow the body of our work drive our decision-making and with all due respect, I feel very confident that this guy will come in and be what we want to help our team to get to where we want to go.”

Said coach Jack Del Rio when asked about selling Alualu to Jaguars fans: “I think we have to trust our work, and then people have to trust the people doing the work.”

Smith is the son of a construction man, and talks over and over about building a foundation. His first draft featured a first- and second-round one-two punch of offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton.

Jacksonville is now at least four-deep on the interior defensive line. A fading, 31-year old John Henderson may now be available via trade. Last year’s third-round choice Terrance Knighton is a solid run stuffer and journeyman Attiyah Ellison earned a new contract with his showing last year.

Alualu, who is of Samoan decent and grew up in Hawaii, is married with two kids and not far from a degree in ethnic studies from Cal. He said the Titans and the Patriots rated as the two other teams that showed the most interest in him.

He’s never been to Florida. But one day not too far in the future he’ll be in the Sunshine State to sign a deal that includes a signing bonus well beyond what would have come where he was projected -- in the late-first or early-second round.

The two long-time lead dogs in the AFC, New England and Indianapolis, don’t typically draft in line with outside opinion and it’s worked out fine for them.

Don’t get me wrong: Smith doesn’t have the skins on the wall of Bill Belichick or Bill Polian.

But if you want to try to find certain qualities to build around and not fall victim to what one AFC South Blog reader and great debater, Nathan Cherolis, recently called “a common mind set among the decision makers that blinds them in areas.”

So what if it’s Smith and his scouting department that saw this clearly, and it’s all the teams that valued Alualu less that were blinded to an accurate value? Then we won’t be talking about a reach when the fair time frame for evaluating arrives. We’ll be talking about Smith’s courage and praising him for how bold he was.

“I’m not trying to win a popularity contest,” Smith said. “I’m trying to win a Super Bowl and I feel like he’s someone that can help us do that… “He’ll bring a lot of energy. He’s a type of player on the defensive side that inspires others…

“He’s got a lot of the things that you look in a defensive lineman at this level, a guy that can be a force inside. Maybe for a scout it’s probably a little easier to understand because we have a little bit more knowledge of him throughout his career. I certainly embrace the questions and trying to get more knowledge about Tyson because I’m excited to have him, again, a part of this team.”

Everyone’s looking for outside-the-box thinkers, people who don’t fall easily in line with conventional wisdom, who can make the case for something original. But when we see someone who might be trying to set such a course, we are appalled and offended by his straying from the pack.

Remember the horror when the Titans picked Chris Johnson? What about the outcry over Mario Williams?

When I texted a scout about how early he felt 10th overall was for Alualu, his first reply was one word, a reaction much the same as mine: “Wow.” He later said his team expected Alualu to be drafted in Friday’s second round. Another AFC insider said he loved Alualu as a player, but also figured he’d be a Friday guy.

I don’t picture Smith flinching at such reactions or caring much about them.

He’s got a window -- three or four or five years -- to build a small-market team into an efficient one that can contend with mighty Indianapolis, budding Houston and steady Tennessee in the AFC South.

To do so, Smith’s clearly going to stick his neck out.

If it gets chopped off, so be it. But let’s not swing the axe just yet. Please, not yet.

Could Rex Ryan be contagious?

I’d like to send you to this post by Newsday’s blogger Neil Best where he discusses the idea that Ryan’s candor and say-anything attitude could be catchy in the NFL.

But it’s behind the paper/web site's new pay wall.

I’m guessing they’d be OK with me teasing it.

“[Ryan’s] taken fear out of the equation,” CBS’ Jim Nantz said. “He really doesn’t care what he says… It’s going to be interesting to see if this does create a new atmosphere.”

It’s a wonderful dream, but in my opinion it would take several ingredients for Ryan’s approach to overtake the more popular, reserved and less informative approach that is more prevalent now:

1. Multiple Super Bowl wins a la Bill Belichick and Bill Polian, two architects with long-term success never categorized as outspoken or regarded as big-time sharers.
2. Sufficient disciples and copycats.

While I wish it wasn't so, I’m prone to buy into an idea I heard Dan Dakich express on the radio in Indianapolis this week: while loose and fun is highly entertaining during the week, time has shown it to be a less successful formula in the modern NFL, and sports in general, than serious and buttoned up.

Ryan's bravado had a very narrow lead in this poll pitting it against Jim Caldwell's quiet confidence when I posted this.

Fewer players were on IR this season than last.

Houston Texans

The Texans didn’t take kindly to Bill Belichick’s review of the Reliant Stadium turf and its role in Wes Welker’s injury, says Dale Robertson.

Matt Schaub’s durability was big for the Texans’ progress, says John McClain.

Andre Johnson has been voted as the NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year for the third time, says McClain.

Considering Bill Musgrave as an offensive coordinator candidate, with Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

What happens if there is no new labor agreement? Mike Chappell considers.

The worst-case scenario of the labor issues could result in the cancellation of Indianapolis’ Super Bowl, says Chappell.

Charlie Johnson and Antonio Johnson were the only two starters who didn’t practice, says Phil Richards.

John Oehser considers the tone Reggie Wayne set with his arrival at training camp in a dump truck, as well as looking at six other issues/ themes.

The bye-week focus is on the fundamentals, says Oehser.

The case for Peyton Manning as MVP, from Deshawn Zombie.

Curtis Painter questions abound in this Chappell mailbag.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jack Del Rio’s fate is a tough call for Wayne Weaver, says Gene Frenette.

“It’s a shame what’s happening to football fans. They’ve lost control of their emotions and have completely given way to frustration. The daily rants and raves I receive in my inbox are embarrassing.” Great entry in Vic Ketchman’s Ask Vic. I share the sentiment, and the struggle with the inbox.

Tennessee Titans

With so many guys heading for free agency, the Titans could gut the roster, says Jim Wyatt.

Vince Young finished third in the comeback player of the year voting, says Terry McCormick.

Houston Texans

Arian Foster could start at running back against New England, says John McClain.

Bill Belichick hasn’t offered up any info on his plans for playing starters, says McClain.

Rating Houston’s young linebacker corps with Mike Kerns.

Indianapolis Colts

Jim Irsay was intrigued by the idea of 19-0 but signed off on the Colts’ plan, says Mike Chappell. I think the owner could have done better in soothing angry fans and I imagine just about everyone can find better examples of courage.

Colts' reserves are looking forward to more playing time in Buffalo, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Robert Mathis is savoring his second Pro Bowl selection as much as the first, says Richards.

Dwight Freeney says the Pro Bowl never gets old, says Oehser.

The Buffalo game will resemble a preseason finale, say Chappell.

The Colts don’t do damage control, says John Oehser.

History snub could forever taint the ’09 Colts, says Charles Robinson.

Wilson: “I hope the Colts' braintrusts have learned something from the experience. I hope they go forward with a new appreciation of those who care about this team.”

They botched the way they pulled starters, but it’s not the end of the world, says Deshawn Zombie.

Fourteen players missed practice, says Oehser.

Comparing Peyton Manning’s reaction to sitting to Brett Favre’s reaction to being asked to sit, from Lou DeLoureiro.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The short story of the Jaguars-Browns game will be about short running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Jerome Harrison, says Vito Stellino.

The Jaguars have no lack of motivation, says Michael C. Wright.

Jeff Lageman subs for another edition of Ask Vic.

Even a middle of the road pass rush would have a big impact for the Jaguars, says Adam Stites.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson is having fun while trying to rewrite a section of the record book, says Terry McCormick.

Kerry Collins wants to play but doesn’t know what the Titans’ plans are, say Jim Wyatt and Gary Estwick.

The Titans signed cornerback Jamar Love, says Wyatt.

Jevon Kearse details his knee issues and says he intends to play somewhere next year, says Estwick.

Keith Bulluck was fined $7,500 for a horse-collar tackle before he got hurt.

Five misconceptions about Jeff Fisher, from August West.

Houston Texans

“Here's a bulletin from the department of somewhat relevant information: [Gary] Kubiak is 27-33 as head coach of the Texans. That happens to be the same record Jeff Fisher had after 60 games and is two games worse than Jimmy Johnson and Bill Belichick at the same point.” Richard Justice on Kubiak.

Matt Schaub could play Sunday against Seattle, says John McClain.

Kubiak’s focus is on ending the skid, not his job security, says McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts can clinch the top seed in the AFC with a win Sunday.

As defenses try to take away Reggie Wayne, other players step up, says Mike Chappell.

The winning formula for the Colts usually includes no mistakes, says Phil Richards.

Bill Polian says while Anthony Gonzalez is a bit behind schedule, the Colts are still hoping for a contribution from him, says John Oehser in a review of Polian’s radio show.

Jim Caldwell isn’t certain a team ever benefits from a loss, says Oehser.

Considering resting down the stretch with Deshawn Zombie.

Jacksonville Jaguars

From the politician stepping out of his realm department: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has told the Jaguars he thinks they should draft Tim Tebow.

The next two likely determine the Jaguars’ playoff fate, says Vito Stellino.

“There's absolutely no excuse for there not to be a huge walk-up crowd for this game because this is practically a do-or-die playoff scenario. For the Jaguars, it's just about a play-in or play-out game for the postseason.” Gene Frenette’s column.

The Jaguars are 9,000 tickets away from a sellout and no blackout for the Miami game, says Michael C. Wright.

Previewing the Dolphins game with five questions with Derek Cox, from Wright.

The Dolphins are the team to beat in the wild-card race, says Vic Ketchman.

Tennessee Titans

Once against Vince Young, Scoop Jackson now finds himself pulling for the quarterback.

Jeff Fisher wasn’t happy with some officiating as well as his team's mistakes, says Jim Wyatt.

A penalty like Tony Brown’s is never OK according to Jeff Fisher, say Wyatt and Gary Estwick.

Cortland Finnegan lobbied for Kyle Vanden Bosch to get a new contract, says Terry McCormick.

The Titans can still hit individual goals, says Joe Biddle.

The Colts did a good job on Chris Johnson, says Biddle.

Houston Texans

The spotlight beckons Mario Williams again, says Richard Justice.

Matt Schaub sees Monday night as a chance to showcase the Texans, writes John McClain.

Vince Young is a double threat for the Texans, says McClain.

A replay of McClain’s chat.

Indianapolis Colts

Surpassing John Mackey humbles Dallas Clark, says Mike Chappell.

Gary Brackett is quite familiar with Ray Rice, says Phil Richards.

A knee injury means Terrell Suggs won’t play against the Colts on Sunday.

The Colts are missing Anthony Gonzalez, are watching Jerraud Powers gain confidence and are relentless on defense, says John Oehser.

The standard is high for Clark, there’s accountability on the offensive line and Reggie Wayne is as good as there is, says Oehser.

Thirteen players missed practice Wednesday, writes Oehser.

The league is looking into a postgame incident where Bill Belichick’s security guy and a cameraman came into contact, says Tom Spalding.

Yes, the failures of Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollak are bad, but the Colts have been able to replace them, says Stampede Blue.

The Colts and Saints are the league’s two best teams, but one of them probably won’t make the Super Bowl, says Clark Judge.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Perry Fewell will make his head coaching debut against the Jags, a team he used to work for, says Vito Stellino.

Rashean Mathis is out of the Buffalo game with a groin injury, says Michael C. Wright.

Is there a segment of Jaguars fans that spend time searching for signs of disrespect? Vic Ketchman wonders,

Clint Ingram is not what he should be, says big Cat Country.

Jimmy Smith got probation after a guilty plea to a drug possession charge.

Tennessee Titans

With Chris Johnson and Young, the Titans are double trouble running the ball, says Jim Wyatt.

David Letterman saluted Bud Adams, says Jim Wyatt.

Adams is making the weekend a reunion of the original Oilers, says Terry McCormick.

Chase Stuart looks at Johnson’s numbers.

Houston Texans

James Casey was back at practice, but Jacoby Jones was out, says John McClain.

The Titans will be the second of four consecutive AFC South games for the Texans, writes McClain.

Once again it seems like the biggest game ever, says Richard Justice.

Jones’ injury could dent both special teams and the offense, says Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are masters of great escapes. Here are Mike Chappell’s top five comebacks of the Peyton Manning era.

Opinions vary on Bill Belichick’s fourth-down decision Sunday night, says Chappell.

The schedule doesn’t get easier, says Phil Richards.

Bob Kravitz’s report card.

A review of Bill Polian’s radio show from John Oehser in three parts. Part I: “If we run this way for the rest of the season, we're going to be perfectly OK.” Part II: The defense deserves more credit for what it did after Belichick’s decision. Part III: Playoff talk is premature.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Rashean Mathis might not be able to play against Buffalo because of a groin injury, says Vito Stellino.

Jack Del Rio had a better game for the Jaguars than Belichick did for New England, writes Gene Frenette.

Del Rio’s strategy symbolized a new way of thinking in the NFL, says Vic Ketchman.

Tennessee Titans

Vince Young’s finding his groove, writes Jim Wyatt.

The Titans are focusing better, says Gary Estwick.

Bud Adams’ bizarre behavior cost him $250,000, says Wyatt.

The fine was too much, blogs Wyatt.

The team’s confidence in Young is growing, says Terry McCormick.

Titans Radio previews the Texans game.

An abbreviated version of Reading the Coverage we’ll call a “national-press-at-the-big-game and local-columnist” edition.

Houston Texans

Coming off their bye week, the Texans reconvened for a practice this morning. Looks like the press corps paused as well, and good for them.

Indianapolis Colts

“Maybe the Lucas Oil Stadium mice burrowed their way into Bill Belichick's brain. Or maybe one of those indoor fireworks, which set off a small fire at the 50-yard line early in the game, set his cranium on fire and caused a short-circuit. How could it happen?” Bob Kravitz’s take.

It was one of the most confounding coaching decisions imaginable, says Judy Battista.

“Each and every week we see bad coaching decisions in the NFL, but never, and I mean never, have I seen one as dumb as the decision Patriots coach Bill Belichick made Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts.” Pete Prisco lets us know how he really feels.

Belichick’s errant gamble might haunt the Patriots all season, writes Don Banks.

The gamble backfired, says Mark Maske.

Defending the fourth-down decision, says Brian Burke.

It was gutsy, but it was a blunder says Vic Carucci.

The Pats gambled, the Colts cashed in, says Sam Farmer.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars deserve your attention, says Gene Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson is the best running back in the NFL, writes David Climer.