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Mark Simon of ESPN Stats & Information puts in solid time tracking punters, and he named the Titans' Brett Kern his punter of the day for his work against the Texans in Houston.

A new NFL single-season record for gross punting yards was set Sunday, and Kern did his part: He averaged 47.7 gross yards and 45.8 net yards, with four of his six punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Kern had two giant fourth-quarter punts when the game was tied -- a 48-yarder to the Texans’ 13-yard line and a 52-yarder to the Texans’ 5.

Kern averaged a career-best 39.4 yards in his fourth season. He came on strong at the end of the season, posting a net average of 45.0 or better in three of his last five games.

His inside-the-20/touchback ratio was a superb 18:1 over the last seven games of the season. It was 13:6 in first nine games.

Kern tweeted Monday morning about a franchise-best: “Woke this morn to find out we broke the franchise record for net punting!! Team accomplishment that shows the pride they take in their jobs”

While he and place-kicker Rob Bironas had fine seasons, the Titans' special teams were a constant source of disappointment in the discipline department for Mike Munchak is his first season as head coach.

While the Raiders set penalty records, it was the Titans who drew the most flags on special teams, as you can see in the accompanying charts.

Twenty-nine penalties for 269 yards -- those are ridiculous numbers.

Special teams are always loaded with backups and young players, and the Titans clearly didn’t teach their backups and young players well enough about how not to get called for blocks in the back and a variety of other stuff.

It has to be a major point of emphasis going forward.

With the Titans in Buffalo today, Mike Munchak and Jerry Gray this week got to recall the pain of being part of the Houston Oilers team that blew a 32-point lead and lost a 1992 playoff game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Another person with the Titans now was at that game.

Here’s a piece from Titans Radio on punter Brett Kern, who was in the crowd as a Bills' fan and stuck it out to see The Comeback.

There was also some talk of the Jaguars on Tennessee’s pregame show, as I visited with Larry Stone. You can hear that here.

Faith is a key piece of the lives of a lot of NFL players on Twitter.

Many tweet Bible verses or favorite passages, particularly in the morning when they get in a prayer and a daily reading.

It can be a piece of a well-rounded tweeter, though it's not something that typically scores for a guy in the NFL Twindex.

We seek well-rounded players who deliver good humor, good commentary and good football insight.

You can find what I consider the best player tweets of the week by looking at my favorites.

I try to scan through as many tweets as I can, but it's difficult to see them all and I can always use your help. Call my attention to anything of interest at @ESPN_AFCSouth or @PaulKuharsky.

This week's list:

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Blame the red zone offense for a tough loss at New Orleans, says John McClain.

It was a horror story just like so many Texans games before, says Jerome Solomon.

Schaub showed he’s not in Drew Brees’ class yet, says Jeffrey Martin.

James Casey had a breakout performance, says Martin.

Mario Williams injured his knee but did play some after, says Solomon.

The Texans are still learning how to win, but this is a game we’d always chalked up as a loss, says Richard Justice.

Brian Cushing wasn’t happy with what the defense did, say McClain and Martin.

Brees and Sean Payton showed that few teams can keep up with the Saints, says Steve Wyche.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' defense wore down on the game’s final drive in a loss to Pittsburgh, says Phil Richards.

Indianapolis comes up short in a quarterback-driven league, says Bob Kravitz.

Valiant doesn't cut it in the NFL, where wins and losses are the bottom line and the Colts are 0-3. But Colts defenders displayed resilience not seen in the previous two losses, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Curtis Painter had good moments and bad, says Mike Chappell. I know people are excited about the good touchdown drive. Please temper all positive thoughts with equal time for the terrible fumble.

All the Colts need is a quarterback, says Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars frustrating, drenched loss included some clock mismanagement at the end, says Tania Ganguli.

Jack Del Rio said the clock issue at the end is his fault, says Vito Stellino. That’s not something the third-longest tenured coach in the league should have to say.

Maurice Jones-Drew is back on a Pro-Bowl pace, says Stellino.

The Jaguars must right the ship quickly, says Gene Frenette.

It was the same old story for Team Tease, says Frenette.

Matt Turk’s been struggling so far, says Ganguli.

Stellino and Ganguli’s postgame video.

Frenette’s report card.

Blaine Gabbert didn’t appear overwhelmed, says John Oehser of the team web site.

Trying to sit on a small lead backfired, says Alfie Crow.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans found alternative playmakers en route to a win against Denver, says Jim Wyatt.

Tennessee flexed its entire roster, says David Climer, and guys like Craig Stevens, Daniel Graham and Brett Kern were the big playmakers.

With Kenny Britt’s season in jeopardy, the rest of the receivers know more will fall on them, says John Glennon.

The rushing offense gets an F in Wyatt’s report card.

A goal-line stand energized the defense, says Glennon.

Mike Munchak glossed over a Derrick Morgan vs. Shaun Smith altercation.

The Titans cannot run from the reality of what they’ve become on offense, says David Boclair.

It was a good week for pictures from NFLers on Twitter.

We had tourist shots of Larry Fitzgerald at the Lincoln Memorial and at The White House, a picture of Antonio Garay driving a Hello Kitty car, a shot of a receipt showing off just how much Michael Huff’s dad spent for groceries on his son’s credit card and a freeze frame of Josh Scobee’s locker on TV.

We at the NFL Twindex are in favor of all sharing. We seek insight into football lives, and do our best to weed through a lot of junk to find it.

If you see good humor, good explanations or yes, good pictures from an NFL player or coach or mascot or anyone on Twitter, please make sure we see it by calling our attention to it. Twindex headquarters can be found at @ESPN_AFCSouth and @PaulKuharsky.

To our new edition.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jake Locker was the first player to arrive at the Titans headquarters Tuesday, a symbolic move that was significant for a team and a town eager to move on at quarterback.

At the same time, the Titans likely began making calls on free agents starting with Matt Hasselbeck, believed to be the top target for a team that desires a veteran quarterback to play ahead of Locker and help groom him.

“He’s a great guy, he’s smart, he’s eager to learn, eager to be here, ready to do whatever he can and get going on things,” left tackle Mike Roos said.

Punter Brett Kern said very early in the day he’d already seen Locker and third stringer Rusty Smith walking through the building holding thick playbooks.

Whoever is playing quarterback for Tennessee will be relying on a breakthrough season for tight end Jared Cook.

“It’s always good to learn under vets,” Cook said. “I learned under a vet (Alge Crumpler) and I think everyone at their position learns under a vet. I think it’s good to always have a vet’s experienced to help with the younger guys and also lead the team on the field.”

Cook hasn’t spent time pondering the veteran options.

“How can that benefit me?” he asked. “I’ve got to meet the guy, I’ve got to kind of delve deep into what he’s going for, we have to click kind of physically together.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans certainly got some good out of a two-hour, player organized practice session that included more than 50 participants on Wednesday morning at Father Ryan High School.

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan and guard Jake Scott deserve credit for getting so many players out.

Of note:

• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comOffensive linemen Eugene Amano, left, and Jake Scott work against each other.
  Running back Chris Johnson was part of things. He said his contract isn’t on his mind right now and declared that he expects rookie quarterback Jake Locker to start right out of the gate. Here’s the news story.
• Locker had some nice moments and some that were not so good. About what you’d expect. He certainly threw the ball better than Brett Ratliff. And he didn’t go the Joe Cool route like Ratliff and Rusty Smith, who practiced in sunglasses.
• The host school’s football staff ran the individual position drills, which had to be a cool thing for most of them. From the stretch through some team work, players seemed to strike just the right measure of laughs with work.
• Safety Michael Griffin said the defense just worked through basic coverages. Players expect the new defense, coordinated by Jerry Gray will touch on them all. They thought running through basics rather than trying to learn and execute anything new was the smart approach.
• Among the notables under contract who were missing -- and let’s be clear they didn’t have to be there and could have had very legitimate reasons for not making it -- were Michael Roos, David Stewart, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins, Alterraun Verner, William Hayes and Brett Kern. Justin Gage was a late arrival and just watched.
• Without their own receivers, the Titans benefited from the presence of three quality outsiders: Derrick Mason of the Ravens, Golden Tate of the Seahawks and Patrick Turner of the Jets. Mason started his career with Tennessee and still has an area home while Tate and Turner are both from Nashville. Tate went to Father Ryan arch rival Pope John Paul II, and wore his purple Ryan shirt inside out.
• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comLinebacker Gerald McRath coaches up second-round pick Akeem Ayers.
  Several players who are not under contract for 2011 participated: defensive end Dave Ball, guard Leroy Harris, linebacker Tim Shaw and safety Donnie Nickey. Nickey had a big, early collision in seven-on-seven work with Marc Mariani as both went up for a pass from Ratliff that put the receiver at risk. It was the only obvious injury scare of the day. Both bounced up.
• Plays of note: Mariani dropped a well-thrown deep ball from Locker after slipping behind multiple defenders. Corner Jason McCourty dropped a pick of a pass that bounced off Jared Cook; Ratliff threw an incredibly bad, incomplete pass down the deep middle, a duck that wobbled more than a lot of punts do.
• Among the guys I saw doing a great deal of leading of young guys were Scott, Ball, defensive back Vincent Fuller and linebacker Gerald McRath.
• The Titans will have another session Thursday.

A quick Twitter tour to get a sense of who’s showing up at team headquarters around the AFC South and what’s happened when they have.

I've seen nothing of substance tied to the Texans yet.

Here’s the best from the other three markets.

Indianapolis Colts

@JJFOX59SPORTS (Jeremiah Johnson): Jeff Saturday tells #ESPN that he notified #Colts players and said to keep training as they were (away from facility) "until dust settles"

@Jpeezy25 (Jerraud Powers): Arriving at D1 for workouts....time to get better!

Jacksonville Jaguars

@CBSSportsNFLJAC (RapidReports): Owner Wayne Weaver indicated players won't be getting into the Jags' facility. "We have motions in front of Judge Nelson and I think we just have to wait for her to make a ruling on those motions, then we'll know what our next steps are," he said.

@taniaganguli (Tania Ganguli): #jaguars spokesman tells me what weaver meant was they won't be allowed to work out but will be allowed in the building.

@taniaganguli (Tania Ganguli): Channel 4 left. Now it's just me and first coast news sitting here at EverBank Field. Still no players. #jaguars

Tennessee Titans

@brettkern6 (Brett Kern): Went to the complex to kick ...could not kick but was great to see people !!

@RennieCurran53 (Rennie Curran): Drove all the way out in the rain only to find out no workout, coaches, playbook or nothin. Nobody is really prepared for this situatuion

@glennonsports (John Glennon): Jake Scott says Underwood told him they cld stay in facility, but that there wld be no interaction w organization while there

@glennonsports (John Glennon): Underwood's msg. to Scott today upon arrival: "You’re welcome in the building. Nobody’s going to interact with you if you come in."

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Chris Myers talked with Texans TV.

Indianapolis Colts

Mike Chappell looks at the Colts’ needs at offensive tackle.

Anthony Gonzalez believes the Colts will be ready to play whatever the circumstances, says Philip B. Wilson.

Colts coaches won’t be hit in the wallet like many of their colleagues during a lockout, Chappell says.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Smith sat down with Tania Ganguli for this Q&A.

The Jags re-signed long snapper Jeremy Cain.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Munchak met the national media for the first time as head coach, says Jim Wyatt.

The Titans locked up punter Brett Kern, says Wyatt.

Aspirations were high. Piecing together our second-annual All-AFC South team sounded easy on the front end. Now that it’s time to share, I feel I’m going to insult the division’s best.

Seriously.

How will Colts safety Antoine Bethea, a steady and settling presence in the Colts' secondary at free safety, feel about being part of a secondary with such shaky candidates?

How can I sell that Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew isn’t here when I think he had the second-best running back season in the division and one of the four best in the league, while wedging on a right guard when I didn’t see any I really found worthy?

How do I explain to the Titans' Jason Babin that as the No. 3 defensive end I had to leave him off, while my initial search for linebackers produced only one name?

How do I sort through the Colts' Adam Vinatieri (92.9 percent on field goals), Titans' Rob Bironas (92.3) and Texans' Neil Rackers (90.0) while rewarding a punter from a group whose top net average was 15th in the league and eighth in the AFC?

Here is how I will start: I won’t force. We’re leaving blanks where a guy doesn’t match the caliber required. And top guys -- clear-cut guys, the cream of the division -- get not just a spot on the All-AFC South team, but a spot with honors.

I wanted to create a minimum number of games played to qualify, but that would have taken away too many good players.

The fact is, teams like this generally include the best guy at his position. The context of how good the best guy at another position is doesn’t factor in. But we’re dealing with a small group here, and the skill guys and the pass-rushers were sterling compared to a lot of others.

When Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. sent me back his All-AFC South team to help with perspective, he added four guys he categorized as “by default” and concluded with this:

“Must say, this is a pretty bad all-star team.”

I don’t see it competing very well with an all-division team from anywhere else, but it does have some very fine skill players, so who knows?

Receivers: Houston's Andre Johnson played through a serious ankle injury and was still an incredible threat. Indy's Reggie Wayne made more mistakes than usual but was still exceptionally productive. Three up-and-comers are worthy of mention for strong seasons: The Titans' Kenny Britt and Colts' Austin Collie missed too many games and the Jaguars' Mike Thomas was the best slot guy outside of Indy.

Tackles: It was a down year for the Titans’ line, but Michael Roos was the best of the bunch. His only challenger here was Houston's Duane Brown. The Texans' Eric Winston did not have his best year either, but he’s the top guy in the spot and his team had the league’s leading rusher.

Guards: Wade Smith was an excellent fit in Houston and the sort of veteran addition the Texans need to continue to find. He gets the nod over the stronger Vince Manuwai. He was overweight in camp and didn’t take over the starting job until the Jaguars’ sixth game. Fellow Jaguar Uche Nwaneri was good, not great. But there was space between him and the rest of the middling pool.

Center: Jacksonville's Brad Meester got some good reviews during the year and Colts star Jeff Saturday is an obvious default choice. But my sense is that Houston's Chris Myers is regarded as one of the division’s most underrated players. He’s a smart guy who’s still improving and did a lot to get the blocking for Arian Foster organized.

Tight end: Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis made an excellent jump. He continued great work as a blocker, and his 58 catches and 10 touchdowns were career highs by 17 and eight, respectively. He was tough to get around and tough to cover.

Quarterback: Peyton Manning wasn’t the league MVP, but there is no argument at all about the Colts' star being division MVP. Prefer Foster? The Texans could have won six games and not made the playoffs without him.

Running back: Foster’s the easy choice as he was the league’s most productive runner and also very good as a pass-catcher. Jones-Drew’s chance to challenge faded with the late games missed to a knee injury. What a pool when the Titans' Chris Johnson ranks third.

Fullback: I debated this out when I did my Pro Bowl suggestion post and settled on Houston's Vonta Leach as more than one person I trust said he was better than Jacksonville's Greg Jones.

Defensive ends: Tough group when I’ve got Houston's Mario Williams fourth. He played hurt and saw his season end early. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis didn’t get to tee off as much because the Colts weren’t playing with big leads as much. And still they were very good. Babin was a revelation and right on Mathis’ heels.

Defensive tackles: The enormous Terrance Knighton ate up people and space for the Jaguars and has become a stalwart. His teammate Tyson Alualu is quicker and rates third here because the Titans’ Jason Jones was outstanding. Consistently disruptive, I rank him as his team’s best defender.

Outside linebackers: Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith was quite good, with a lot of uncertainty at the third linebacker spot and in the secondary. Houston's Brian Cushing was not nearly as good as he was as a rookie, but was still better than other outside guys in the division by a solid notch. I didn't love him, but scouts I talked to said he's worthy.

Middle linebacker: A tough spot I thought about not filling. Gary Brackett was not as good as usual, but the Colts were better when he was in the lineup than when he wasn’t. The guy who would typically challenge him, Houston's DeMeco Ryans, was lost for the season after six weeks.

Free safety: Bethea was the glue for a secondary that endured unimaginable turnover. Bethea often played with other defensive backs he had very little practice time with. He’s just a sound and reliable football player, and if he didn’t match previous years, his supporting cast had quite a bit to do with it.

Strong safety: The Colts were battered at the spot and the rest of the division’s strong safeties were awful. The best of a bad group isn’t worthy of mention here. It’s going to be a popular draft need.

Cornerbacks: Indy's Jerraud Powers was very good before he got hurt; a two-dimensional corner who covered well and did his part against the run. He’s developing into a premier guy. The second spot is vacant. A lot of corners suffered for the weak safety play, but I’m uncomfortable singling out anyone else’s season.

Kicker: Vinatieri has huge fan support and he was clutch. But when the competition also kicks off, it dents your candidacy. So Bironas, who has a division-high 17 touchbacks to go with 24 of 26 field goals, wins out. Jacksonville's Josh Scobee and Rackers were not far off.

Punter: Jacksonville's Adam Podlesh beats out the Titans' Brett Kern with slightly better numbers. But the entire division can punt better and more consistently.

Special teamer: Montell Owens of the Jaguars benefited from the addition of Kassim Osgood, but edged him in this category. Scouts really like him as a special-teams contributor.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Halftime thoughts from LP Field where it’s 21-7 Colts over Titans.

• Donald Brown is not the guy to solve the rushing problems for Indianapolis. Spins in the backfield provide time for defenders to tackle him in the backfield. That’s especially ineffective when it’s losing yards inside the 5-yard line. Javarris James is simple better in the red zone.
• My understanding of the Titans use of Randy Moss gets worse and worse. He played minimally in that half, and I don’t think he and Kenny Britt were on the field together for a snap. Meanwhile, a drop for Nate Washington and a good bit of action for Justin Gage.
• Kerry Collins can’t get nearly enough on the ball if he can’t step into it and the pocket rarely holds up. There are quarterbacks in the league who can make quality throws as they retreat. He’s not one of them.
• Rookie linebackers Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner were in the starting lineup, but the Colts are mixing and matching at linebacker beyond Gary Brackett. Tyjuan Hagler has played a lot. Philip Wheeler’s been out there some too.
• Two Tennessee giveaways led to two Colts touchdowns -- Dwight Freeney stripped Britt for one, Brett Kern couldn’t pull in a high snap from Ken Amato for a punt and Taj Smith recovered it for the other.
• Ryan Diem, two false starts. Not good. Manning, no picks, good. Still a couple more bad throws than you’d expect -- one where he missed an open Reggie Wayne on a scramble, one where he had James at the goal line.

Brett Kern wasn’t in the Titans’ picture in the opening game of Cowboys Stadium last preseason, when A.J. Trapasso set off a remarkable news cycle and debate by hitting the gigantic scoreboard with a punt during the game.

Ultimately, the league decided that the board could stay where it was and a ball in play that hit it would create a replayed snap.

I asked Kern, now the Titans' punter, if he’s interested in seeing if he can hit the scoreboard.

He said he could in warm-ups, but that hitting it in the game would be foolish.

“I’ll give it a whirl before the game, but it’s not my main objective going in,” he said. "You want to work on what you’re going to do in the game. You know it can be hit. I’ve not been there before, I don’t even know the dimensions.

“It’s not come up this week. If you hit it, it’s a redo. So what’s the point of trying to hit it? You do the play over. It’s pointless. It’s a negative thing. But I might want to go after it in warm-ups just in fun.”

Any mention of Kern right now, in my self-promoting eyes, still warrants a link to this.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

How the Texans respond to the Dallas game will tell us a lot, says John McLain.

The Texans are a week away from Brian Cushing’s return and he’s super-motivated according to Cushing’s trainer, says Jerome Solomon.

Houston’s got to crank up the defense, says Jeffrey Martin.

Andre Johnson is in limbo, says Dale Robertson.

Indianapolis Colts

Speed is essential, especially in the Colts’ scheme, says Phil Richards.

Who’s the fastest Colt? “I am,” say several guys. Good idea from Richards.

Pondering Peyton Manning’s longevity, with Bob Kravitz.

With touchdown catches in the first three games, Austin Collie joined exclusive company.

A look at the matchups from Richards.

Daniel Muir considers himself a king of the kitchen, says Mike Chappell.

John Oehser wonders if Manning can keep this up.

Jason Whitlock looks at the racial makeup of the Colts offense last week.

Eighteen things to look for in Colts-Jaguars, from Nate Dunlevy.

The University of Tennessee named a classroom after Peyton Manning.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Manning is at his best against the Jaguars, says Tania Ganguli.

Deji Karim is ready to do some returning, but it’s unclear if he’ll go this week, says Vito Stellino.

Maurice Jones-Drew is trying to keep a cheery outlook, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Stellino and Ganguli preview the game. (Video.)

The difference between the Jaguars of 2007 and 2010 from Vic Ketchman.

Jones-Drew is the spark the Jaguars need to get going in this game, says Ketchman.

The Jaguars have to force the Colts to run it, says Alfie Crow.

“What I am seeing is an accumulating pile of evidence that talent evaluation and player [judgment] is seriously flawed in our team,” says Terry O’Brien.

Tennessee Titans

Chuck Cecil is helping the Titans defense gain a reputation as tough, says Jim Wyatt.

The Titans might look to lighten the load of Chris Johnson with Javon Ringer, says John Glennon and Wyatt.

The guy to compare Vince Young to in his fifth year is Steve McNair, says David Climer.

Brett Kern’s happy about the way things have worked out, says Wyatt.

The Titans are looking forward to Gerald McRath’s return, says Glennon.

Tony Brown isn’t the first guy Jeff Fisher’s rested during the week and used on Sunday, says David Boclair.

As Fisher prepares for his 250th game as the head of the Titans, Bob McClellan wonders if there is a Hall of Fame candidacy.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

With the Titans and Giants knotted at 10-10, Tennessee faced a fourth-and-15 at its 38-yard line. Brett Kern punted to end the Titans’ first possession of the third quarter.

Michael Griffin is an outstanding special-teamer who I’m not sure always loves playing special teams. He tracked Kern’s punt, made an excellent over-the-shoulder catch with complete awareness of where he was, and stayed just outside the goal line while downing the ball inside the 1.

That play set up the Titans for a scoring flurry.

Within 2 minutes, 56 seconds, Tennessee scored nine points thanks to the field position Kern and Griffin provided. Ahmad Bradshaw’s end zone chop block resulted in a safety and undid a 43-yard Eli Manning-to-Mario Manningham pass play.

Marc Mariani returned the free kick 22 yards and the Titans quickly moved 51 yards en route to a Vince Young-to-Kenny Britt touchdown pass.

The game was never really in doubt from there, with the Titans adding another 10 points as they put the Giants away.

What it means: A 1-0 start a year after starting 0-6 will be a big hit in Nashville, where Chris Johnson showed a slow preseason meant nothing.

Trending: As they did in the preseason, the Titans got a lot of plays from a lot of guys on defense. Will Witherspoon, Jason Babin, Derrick Morgan and Jacob Ford had sacks and Babin and Ford also forced fumbles. Dave Ball had two passes defensed. Jason Jones had a tackle for loss. Ryan Mouton forced a fumble. That’s a lot of production.

What I liked: Third down. On offense, Tennessee converted 53 percent. On defense the Titans allowed conversions only 21 percent of the time. Vince Young was efficient with two touchdowns, no picks and a 142.8 quarterback rating (but a fumble) and Johnson was Johnson (27 carries, 142 yards, two touchdowns).

Unsung hero: Punter Brett Kern averaged 44.5 net yards on four punts, helping produce an average drive start for the Raiders that was 11 yards worse than Tennessee’s.

What’s next: The Titans host Pittsburgh in Game 2 of Ben Roethlisberger's suspension.