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The draft is over, the rosters are filled up.

But what areas weren’t sufficiently addressed and where can we expect to see the teams of the AFC South continue to seek help?

Some thoughts.

Houston Texans

Veteran corner Jason Allen left as a free agent. He helped the Texans cover for Kareem Jackson, who played just 55.73 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2011.

Brandon Harris was a second-round pick out of Miami last year, but didn’t show anything. The Texans look to be counting on him to contribute more. They like Brice McCain, but he's a situational guy.

But corner is a spot where the Texans need some additional depth at the very least.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts loaded their roster with offensive players -- eight of 10 draft picks went on that side of the ball.

The defensive picks were on the defensive line.

Which means the Colts still have a ton of work to do in the defensive backfield.

Jerraud Powers is a quality corner and a good leader. But after him, there are no proven corners on the roster. Is the second starter Chris Rucker? Kevin Thomas? Mike Holmes? Brandon King?

That’s not a great group to be choosing from. Look for team to give some undrafted rookies a chance and grab a veteran or two as guys come free during camp cuts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars believe a healthy Eben Britton will help fortify their offensive line and he should.

But they don’t have sufficient depth on the offensive line and should create a situation where there is more real competition.

They re-signed Guy Whimper, who is a swing tackle at best and had some bad stretches last season. They like John Estes as a reserve center, but it would be nice to have someone to compete with him for the right to take over for Brad Meester.

Tennessee Titans

The team has sent major mixed signals about its offensive line.

Tennessee courted all the top centers in free agency but did not land one. And then they didn't draft an offensive lineman. Coach Mike Munchak said it wasn’t a dire need and the team can win with what it has.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports that among the team’s undrafted rookies is William Vlachos. Perhaps the center from Alabama can scramble the mix. But the Titans should still be adding options on the interior.

Brian McIntyre of Mac’s Football Blog has done a tremendous job tracking base salary increases for 2012 triggered by things that happened in 2011. (Hat tip to Alan Burge of the Houston Examiner.)

McIntyre's updated list currently includes 10 players from the AFC South:

Here they are, with their base salary increases:

• Houston LT Duane Brown, $1.3 million
• Houston CB Brice McCain, $693,000
• Indianapolis WR Austin Collie, $693,000
• Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee, $693,000
• Jacksonville CB Derek Cox, $645,000
• Jacksonville WR Jarett Dillard, $645,000
• Jacksonville LT Eugene Monroe, $500,000
• Jacksonville G Uche Nwaneri, $1.926 million
• Jacksonville DT Terrance Knighton, $645,000
• Tennessee CB Jason McCourty, $645,000

Brown did good work establishing himself as a premier left tackle and is now slated to earn $2,081,500 -- still quite a reasonable price. Nwaneri is not quite at that level, but he set the tone for a line that produced the league's leading rusher. Nwaneri will now make $2.775 million.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dillard is now scheduled to make $1,260,000. He’s going to have to have a big offseason and camp to prove he’s worth that.

Make a case for New Orleans running back Darren Sproles if you'd like. Philadelphia defensive end Jason Babin has been a sack machine. Matt Hasselbeck could get some votes for his work as a culture changer and quarterback in Tennessee.

But my vote for the best free-agent addition in 2011 goes to Johnathan Joseph, the Houston cornerback who’s been the key component in a transformation of the Texans’ secondary.

A miserable pass defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season now stands tied for second, a ridiculous jump that could only happen with multiple ingredients:

New coordinator Wade Phillips and his new 3-4 scheme.

A consistent rush from a swarming defensive front, bolstered by the team’s top two rookies, end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Brooks Reed.

And the addition of Joseph and safety Danieal Manning to a young secondary.

“Joseph has been exactly what they needed,” a scout told me this week. “After a horrible first-round draft pick in 2010 in Kareem Jackson, they made up for it with Joseph. He is fast, athletic and can match up with most receivers in the AFC. He plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 191 pounds), because he has good functional strength.

“The added pass rush has helped him, but he is a good player versus run and pass. He was added to the top of the group which allowed players like Jackson and others to play more of a role instead of trying to get things out of them that they were not capable of doing.”


Joseph has regularly matched up with the opponent’s best wide receiver, and his work earned him a Pro Bowl spot.

Sunday, when the Titans are in their base offense and Nate Washington lines up outside, Joseph will track him. In his first two years in the league after he was the 24th pick out of South Carolina in the 2006 draft, Joseph played on the right. The three years after that he was on the left.

Flipping around hasn’t been a problem and he’s happy to be looked at to slow an opponent’s best guy.

“It was something new that I had to adjust to,” Joseph said. “If that gives us our best chance to win, that’s what I am up for. Covering the top guy, you’ve got to go out each week and try to win your battle. We have a saying here about going out and being 1-0, whether it’s one play at a time or one game at a time. If you’re on the top guy, you’re going to get some balls thrown your way.”

The Colts’ Reggie Wayne, the Raiders’ Darrius Heyward-Bey and the Ravens’ Anquan Boldin had big games against the Texans. (Joseph covered Pierre Garcon in both games against Indianapolis.) But in their past nine games, no receiver has accounted for more than 82 yards against them. That was Carolina’s Steve Smith.

The Texans have played 75 percent man coverage, according to defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. He said his top corner has been a fantastic example for the Texans' stable of young, contributing defensive backs: safeties Glover Quin, who’s been excellent as a starter converted from corner, and Troy Nolan, and corners Jackson, Brice McCain and Sherrick McManis.

“He’s practiced every day,” Vance Joseph said. “That was important for our young secondary to see. Every day he was out there working whether he was sore from the game, sore from previous injuries. He worked every day. Those guys take his lead. Every day was game mode, every ball was contested, every ball they could pick off they picked off.

“So that’s the foundation of what we’ve been here on the back end. Johnathan wants to be the best and he’s worked to be the best every day. That’s been amazing for a veteran player of his caliber to come in and practice every day.”

Houston grabbed Joseph from the Bengals with a five-year, $48.75 million contract with $23.5 guaranteed. The Texans were players for Nnamdi Asomugha, the cornerback who was viewed as a singular prize player in free agency. But Asomugha moved slowly, and the Texans feared winding up without either Asomugha or Joseph. Plus, Joseph’s price meant the team could also add Manning at safety.

They were lauded for the strategy and it panned out perfectly.

Pro Football Focus rates Joseph as just the 10th best cornerback in the league at this point. The website can’t always know coverage assignments, but it says he’s given up three touchdowns, catches against him have averaged 12.3 yards, the passer rating on throws into his coverage is 71.3 and quarterbacks have completed 57.9 percent of balls thrown against him.

Those numbers aren’t worthy of being posted in neon lights. But in the context of the Texans’ defense and the Texans’ season, his play has been excellent.

The team and a lot of NFL people agree with Joseph that, so far, things could not have turned out any better. He’s got four interceptions, 15 passes defensed, a forced fumble and rave reviews.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it’s been a 10,” Joseph said. “It’s been an awesome experience coming in here, being with the guys, adjusting to the different way things are done here. It’s been tremendous all together. There is not one bad thing I can say about the experience that I’ve had.”

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Gary Kubiak’s play calling caught the Bucs off-guard on the first play, and they were rendered helpless the rest of the way as the Texans romped to a 7-3 record, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Is it time to forget everything you thought you knew about the Texans? At the moment, they are doing a pretty good imitation of one of the NFL’s best teams, says Richard Justice of the Chronicle.

The Texans backed up that No. 1 defensive ranking, says Jeffrey Martin of the Chronicle.

Finally healthy, Derrick Ward got in the end zone against a team that let him go, says Martin.

Cornerback Brice McCain is blossoming under the new coaching staff, says McClain.

McClain’s report card.

Indianapolis Colts

The moribund Colts offense couldn’t do much in loss No. 10, says Phil Richards.

As much as management would love to keep both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, maybe have Manning tutor Luck through one season, it's not practical or financially viable, says Bob Kravitz of the Star. “You think the Colts will pay Manning that $28 million roster bonus so he can work with Luck for a year? Either they'll pay him and trade him, or they'll choose not to pay the bonus and watch him walk in free agency -- likely the latter.”

The Colts' offense was so inept Curtis Painter threw two interceptions in one series, says Reggie Hayes of the News-Sentinel.

The defense was good, but not good enough to win, says Mike Chappell of the Star.

Dan Orlovsky was in the game at the end again, and the Colts could decide to start him over Painter after the bye, says Chappell.

The Colts have a huge gaping hole in the roof, says Nate Dunlevy of 18to88.com.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert’s baby steps included a long third-quarter touchdown drive, says Vito Stellino of the Times-Union. The Jaguars got a needed win against a bad team, but I sure wish Gabbert had shown more than that in such a setting.

Jeremy Mincey was at the center of a dominant defensive effort against the Colts, says Vito Stellino.

Cornerback Rashean Mathis will have an MRI of his knee, says Tania Ganguli of the T-U.

The Jaguars will take the win, but they sure could use some style pointers, says Gene Frenette of the T-U.

Frenette’s report card.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans sacked Cam Newton five times and disrupted his rhythm all day in a rout of the Panthers, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The Titans got Chris Johnson and the run game going as the Panthers wore down, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

First-quarter production was a big change for the Titans and sparked success, says Glennon.

Colin McCarthy looked solid in his first start for the Titans as he subbed for the injured Barrett Ruud, says Wyatt.

Tennessee looked at the trip to Carolina as a chance for a fresh start, says David Climer.

Wyatt’s report card.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Jacoby Jones and Brice McCain debate who’s the fastest member of the Texans. If they played as well as they boast, says Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle, the team would be set at receiver and corner.

Andre Johnson is hopeful he can be back from minor hamstring surgery after only missing two weeks, says John McClain of the Chronicle. That would mean he’d play against the Titans on Oct. 23.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are put off by the idea of tanking the season to get into position to draft Andrew Luck, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Reggie Wayne is waiting to light up cigars sent to him by Michael Irvin, says Phillip B. Wilson of the Star.

Jacksonville Jaguars

As Blaine Gabbert learns how to be an NFL quarterback, a big part of it is about footwork, writes Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

Ganguli breaks down Bengals-Jaguars.

Tennessee Titans

Scranton native Mike Munchak returns to his home state for the first time as an NFL head coach as the Titans play the Steelers today, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

As the Titans prepare to play his former team, Nate Washington is playing his best football, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

A first look at the Texans' unofficial depth chart gives us these nuggets to consider:

• James Casey is the No. 1 fullback ahead of Lawrence Vickers.
• Derrick Ward is the second running back, followed by Steve Slaton and Ben Tate.
• Shaun Cody is ahead of Earl Mitchell at nose tackle.
• Kareem Jackson is the starting left cornerback with Brice McCain and Brandon Harris behind him.
• Jason Allen is the No. 2 right cornerback behind Johnathan Joseph.
• Fifth-round pick Shiloh Keo is fourth at free safety.
• New linebacker Tim Dobbins is listed fifth in line at middle linebacker, but worked today with the second and third team.
• Trindon Holliday is the front-line punt and kick returner.
• Undrafted Brett Hartmann is listed as the first punter, ahead of veteran Brad Maynard.

The Houston Texans have a new lead defensive back. According to John McClain, when they couldn’t lock up the biggest prize in free agency, they decided they couldn’t lose out on the second-best cornerback.

So rather than continue to wait on Nnamdi Asomugha, they reached an agreement with Cincinnati free agent Johnathan Joseph on a five-year, $48.75 million contract with $23.5 million guaranteed and a $12.5 million signing bonus.

Joseph becomes the top defensive back for a team that, for a long stretch last season, had a historically bad pass defense. He will start, likely opposite last year’s No. 1 pick, Kareem Jackson, who struggled badly as a rookie. The team also has draft pick Brandon Harris and several guys who contributed to the terrible defense in 2010: Jason Allen, Brice McCain, Sherrick McManis and Antwaun Molden.

Glover Quin, the team’s best corner last season is in line to play free safety. The Texans are now in the market for a veteran strong safety to play with him. McClain said they are one of three finalists for Chicago free agent Danieal Manning who could decide on Friday.

Joseph is a good get, and surely has the endorsement of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Phillips had a strong say in a defense-heavy draft class as he transforms the team to a 3-4 scheme.

Here’s Scouts Inc.’s assessment of Joseph:

“Joseph is a good combination of size, strength and athleticism for a perimeter defender. He is explosive, quick and sharp out of his breaks. Joseph gets off the ground well and has very good overall speed. He reads plays well in zone and can stay on his opponent's hip in man coverage. He is a solid run-support player and a reliable tackler in the open field. Joseph has had some durability concerns throughout his career, but when healthy, he's an excellent cornerback.”

Joseph is a big-ticket acquisition for a team that doesn’t do a lot of big-ticket free agent shopping.

But he won’t come in regarded as a savior. Maybe that’s part of the silver lining in not getting Asomugha. Had the Texans landed him, a lot of people outside the team, and perhaps some inside it, might have thought him the solution to all their problems.

Joseph is a good player who will be a good piece. But no one will expect him to fix the team on his own, so no one will be tempted to think it’s all taken care of.

The Texans were terrible against the pass last season. It’s the first thing we say about the team whenever we discuss upgrades, as we debate just how much a better pass rush can help a young secondary.

There will be personnel additions on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary as they shift into the 3-4 scheme of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

They need to defend the middle of the field far better.

ESPN Stats & Information says the Texans were one of only three teams in the NFL to allow a passer rating higher than 100 on throws inside the numbers. They allowed 20 touchdowns in that territory while collecting just five interceptions.

They allowed a league-worst 9.1 yards per pass and 113.2 passer rating to go along with a completion percentage of 68.5 (27th in the league).

When the Texans went to nickel, bringing Brice McCain or Jason Allen on the field as an extra defensive back, they also struggled: 7.2 yards per attempt ranked 26th, 15 sacks tied for 30th, 18 touchdowns tied for 29th and an 89.5 passer rating was 29th.

I’ve leaned heavily toward outside linebacker or defensive end high in the draft based on the players likely to be available for the Texans at No. 11. While they certainly need a cornerback, I tend to think a veteran would be the better addition to the mix, and to emphasize that the safety spots are also a giant issue.

But it’s hard to count on landing a quality corner in free agency as the top guys don’t come free and the Texans are unlikely to open the vault for the one big prize, Nnamdi Asomugha. Perhaps the veteran for the secondary comes at safety.

Which means if he’s still on the board, Nebraska corner Prince Amukamara could be enticing when measured against the best front-seven options.

In general, we expect too much from late-round picks. (And from overall draft batting averages.)

In a recent conversation with former Denver general manager Ted Sundquist, he pointed to an article he once read in Ourlads by Joe Landers. Apologies, I couldn’t find the link.

“Using some common sense and a little investigative research, you'll find that it's rare, at least according to Landers’ study, to find a cornerback or running back or wide receiver that's really going to help you in the last three rounds,” Sundquist said. “And yet you'll find teams constantly take a reach on one of these positions.

“Evidence shows you're more likely to find a defensive tackle, offensive lineman, safety or tight end in the later rounds. Why? Most conventional wisdom says don't draft a safety or tight end high due to escalating rookie salaries and the going market at the position. As for defensive tackles or offensive linemen, it’s probably because of the greater numbers at the position. Both circumstances force down talented players at those positions.”

I went back and combed over the AFC South drafts since 2002, to see how many picks they spent on each side of the ledger Sundquist sets forth and how often the Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans did well with a fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round pick at those spots. This is, of course, highly unscientific. Metrics guys can probably shred it. But I thought it worth fiddling with.

Notables are players who played significantly, even if it’s been with another team, or recent picks who appear on track to contribute.

Houston Texans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 9

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 14

Most: Six safeties, four receivers, corners and defensive tackle

Notables:

• Cornerback Brice McCain, 2009 sixth round
• Safety Dominique Barber, 2008 sixth round
• Receiver David Anderson, 2006 seventh round
• Safety C.C. Brown, 2005 sixth round
• Corner Demarcus Faggins, 2002 sixth round
• Defensive tackle Howard Green, 2002 sixth round

Colts

WRs, RBs. CBs: 7

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 13

Most: 13 offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Brody Eldridge, 2010 fifth round
• Receiver Pierre Garcon, 2008 sixth round
• Guard Jamey Richard, 2008 seventh round
• Tackle Charlie Johnson, 2006 sixth round
• Safety Antoine Bethea, 2006 sixth round
• Guard Jake Scott, 2004 fifth round

Jaguars

WRs, RBs. CBs: 12

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 9

Most: Five receivers, four offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Zach Miller, 2009 sixth round
• Running back Rashad Jennings, 2009 seventh round
• Guard Uche Nwaneri, 2007 fifth rounder
• Defensive tackle Derek Landri, 2007 fifth round
• Safety Gerald Sensabaugh, 2005 fifth round

Titans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 14

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 16

Most: Seven offensive linemen, six wide receivers

Notables:

• Corner Cortland Finnegan, 2006 seventh round
• Running back Quinton Ganther, 2006 seventh round
• Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, 2007 fifth round
• Offensive lineman Daniel Loper, 2005 fifth round
• Tight end Bo Scaife, 2005 sixth round
• Guard Jacob Bell, 2004 fifth round
• Center/guard Eugene Amano, 2004 seventh round
• Safety Donnie Nickey, 2003 fifth rounder
• Guard/center Justin Hartwig, 2002 sixth rounder

Of the notables from the division drafted since 2002, 73 percent (19) have been from the positions Sundquist says teams should concentrate on late while 27 percent (seven) play positions he believes should generally be avoided.

I'd be fine with the Titans not wasting yet another late pick on a receiver and with the Texans using late-rounders on something other than corners and receivers for sure. But it's not like Houston's spending late picks on safeties or the Colts use of such selections on offensive linemen have paid huge dividends either.

I'd love to read your thoughts.

Good defensive backs should have short memories. Typically that cliched line is applied play-to-play or game-to-game. In the case of the Houston Texans, season-to-season would be good, too.

Houston had the worst pass defense in the NFL in 2010, yielding 267.5 yards a game. The Texans gave up single-game passing totals of 419, 403, 329, 305 and 301 yards.

Their plan to rely on young cornerbacks Kareem Jackson, Glover Quin and Brice McCain backfired.

“They are terrible,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said of Houston’s defensive backs. Veteran safeties Eugene Wilson and Bernard Pollard could both be replaced.

“In fact, they are right there with division-mate Jacksonville as the worst secondary in all of football. The Texans' safeties -- who are terrible in coverage -- deserve a lot of blame, as does a pass-rush that could use upgrading," Williamson said.

"But I blame the secondary much more than the pass-rush. As for the cornerbacks, it is way too early to write off Jackson. I did like him coming out of Alabama and he has to get better in Year 2. But wow, he was pretty terrible as a rookie.

“I would classify Brice McCain and Troy Nolan as ‘just a couple of guys’ and they need to be down-the-line contributors. Glover Quin is the best of the group right now, but in the end, I like him as a No. 3 corner with Jackson as one starter [possibly] and someone to be determined as the opposite starter. As for adding a veteran [Champ Bailey?], I am all for it. Not only does this secondary need veteran leadership, but so does the entire football team.”

Surely the Texans will be players in free agency -- if and when there is free agency. If they add a superstar corner like Nnamdi Asomugha or Bailey, shift each corner the Texans already have down a peg, find better safeties and get a better pass rush out of the 3-4 being installed by new coordinator Wade Phillips, things could be a lot better.

But Vance Joseph, who after five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers replaces David Gibbs as Texans secondary coach, can’t depend on that big addition. He’s got to focus on who he has right now.

Joseph has met and talked with his young guys about having clean slates and about how they can develop.

As is the nature of football in February, Joseph is relatively upbeat.

“I’m aware of what they did last year, I’ve watched the film and I’ll tell you, it’s not as bad as everyone thinks,” he said. “You’ve got to play better. And until those guys go out there and play better, that’s going to stick to them. We’ve got to do a good job of protecting those young corners.

“Obviously getting some pass rush helps, having some scheme things tweaked where they won’t be on their own a lot helps. But you regain confidence by playing well. So until they play better, that won’t be the case.”

When a new position coach joins a team to help fix a problem area, I want to know what he sees early on that he believes can be changed. Joseph said he often saw guys in position who couldn’t make the play.

Joseph said while secondary guys always need to be wary of getting beat for a big play over the top, fear of that can really cost a defense.

Expect the 2011 Texans to be closer to pass catchers on shorter stuff.

“That’s the part I’ve got to get right, finishing and making plays and giving them tools to make and finish plays,” Joseph said. “…On early downs, it’s back-pedaling, staying square and challenging routes. In the NFL, [receivers] are going to catch balls, but you want to make them bang-bang plays. When they catch the ball, I want them tackled.

“That’s something we can help them with, playing more square from the line of scrimmage and not bailing as much. When you’re bailing, you’re conceding most routes. You say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to get beat deep but I’m going to give you a 20-yard comeback.’ We’re going to play square and we’re going to challenge routes.”

While Joseph hopes his group will be able to play a wide variety of coverages, he also believes it’s important that in times of crisis they can fall back on something standard.

Last season, the defensive backs rarely seemed to have that reset mode. Going forward, Joseph’s hope is they always can return to something they know they are good at that can help them get through a tough day with a good result.

Phillips’ new defensive system won’t affect the secondary like it will the defensive line and linebackers. But there will be benefits out of a more unpredictable front for defensive backs.

“The beauty, I think, of playing defensive back in the 34 is the disguise mechanisms,” Joseph said. “You’re going to start in a basic two-shell, then move into your coverages. When you’re a 4-3 team, they know the four rushers, they’re down with their hands on the ground.

“Now, we can hold our coverage and the offense doesn’t know where that fourth rusher is coming from …. It kind of helps protect corners. Until a ball is snapped, that quarterback won’t know what we are in.”

Young guys, in disguise, able to fall back on something they know they are good at, eager to prove they are better than 32nd in the league. It’s like a lot of offseason recipes, filled with hope and promise.

Shooting for the stars is fine, but the Texans' secondary doesn’t have to be filled with stars to alter its reputation and play winning football.

“We don’t need guys who are going to Hawaii every year,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to stress here that we just need guys who fit what we do and are capable of doing the job within the system.”

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 21
Preseason Power Ranking: 14

Biggest surprise: Houston liked what it saw from Arian Foster late in 2009. The team believed he would feed off the motivation and opportunity it offered him in the offseason. But even plugging him into the Texans' best-case scenario, it would have been hard to envision Foster earning the NFL’s rushing title as a part of a pass-centric offense backed by a shaky defense. He burst onto the scene with 231 rushing yards against the Colts, and it stood up as the biggest rush game of the season. He carried 327 times for 1,616 yards (a 4.9-yard average) with 16 touchdowns. He was also the team’s second leading receiver with 66 catches for 604 yards and two more scores. It was an incredible season.

Biggest disappointment: The defense was not going to be the strength of the team, but it would have been hard to envision just how poorly this group was going to do. The front didn’t hurry quarterbacks enough, and they posted a collective 100.5 passer rating against the Texans. In their last 10 games, they beat only Titans rookie Rusty Smith and Jacksonville backup Trent Edwards. The veteran safeties, Eugene Wilson and Bernard Pollard, were ineffective against the pass and did little to offset the inexperience of the Kiddie Corps Corners -- Kareem Jackson, Glover Quin and the eventually benched Brice McCain. Jason Allen was an improvement when he came in, but not by a ton. Houston gave up 33 passing touchdowns, a number bigger than its sack total (30).

Biggest need: Defense. It starts with a replacement for defensive coordinator Frank Bush and several other new defensive assistants as the Texans are sticking with head coach Gary Kubiak. From there, whether they stick with a 4-3 or unwisely move to a 3-4 which would hurt Mario Williams, they have desperate needs. At least one penetrating defensive tackle, safeties who are comfortable in coverage and fast, and a veteran corner who could lead a young group would be big additions.

Team MVP: Foster. It’s hard to look another direction considering Andre Johnson dealt with an ankle injury all season and missed three games. Foster was steady and could have produced even more but for some questionable play-calling, particularly in the loss at Indianapolis.

Work as a unit: Fullback Vonta Leach earned a Pro Bowl spot for his work leading Foster, but none of the offensive linemen was even named an alternate to the all-star game. The group and tight ends, led by Joel Dreessen, did fine work making things happen for Foster in their first season without the offensive line coach who set up their scheme, Alex Gibbs. The pass blocking was not as good as Matt Schaub was taken down 32 times, even if a share of those were on him. If the Texans can improve there, this batch of relative unknowns could really have an impact in 2011.

HOUSTON -- Greetings from Reliant Stadium where we’ll have a closed roof Monday night.

So that you are not alarmed when they take the field on your TV, here’s a public service announcement. It’s Battle Red Day, which means the Texans will be in head-to-toe red uniforms. They look good when they win in them.

As far as altering any national perception, a good performance by the Texans will get dented as the New York and Minneapolis markets will likely be watching the rescheduled Giants-Vikings game from Detroit. People with the full NFL package on DirecTV will also be able to flip between the games.

The Texans have Owen Daniels active, but will start Joel Dreessen at tight end. The Ravens have Todd Heap inactive and will start Ed Dickson at tight end.

Be sure to join our Monday Night Live chat.

Inactives:

Texans: QB Matt Leinart, WR Dorin Dickerson, CB Brice McCain, S Quintin Demps, G Kasey Studdard, G Shelley Smith, TE Anthony Hill, TE Garrett Graham.

Ravens: CB Fabian Washington, FB Jason McKie, ILB Jason Phillips, ILB Daniel Ellerbe, DT Arthur Jones, OL Bryan Mattison, TE Todd Heap, DT Lamar Divens.

HOUSTON -- Quick thoughts from Houston's 20-0 victory over Tennessee.

What it means: The Texans and Titans are now both 5-6 and Houston’s in third place in the AFC based on this result. The two teams play in Nashville in three weeks.

What I liked: The Texans have been horrific against the pass all season. All it took was Jason Allen’s insertion into the starting lineup, the benching of nickel corner Brice McCain, a rookie quarterback and a lifeless effort by the Titans. Houston’s offense was efficient and precise, and it didn’t take until the second half for it to get that way. The Texans found and attacked soft spots and Tennessee had no answers. The Texans were the more physical team and played with far more of a purpose.

What I didn’t like: The Titans were ineffective on both sides of the ball. They crossed midfield on only one possession with Smith struggling but also getting little help. The defense got picked apart in the passing game by a precise Matt Schaub who spread the ball around, found open guys and threw for two touchdowns. Arian Foster went over 200 yards from scrimmage as Tennessee continued to struggle on third down and found another tight end, Joel Dreessen, it could not figure out a way to contain.

Suspension talk: Andre Johnson scored a win in a fourth-quarter fight with Cortland Finnegan where both helmets came off and punches were thrown. They both got ejected. While Johnson has an exemplary record, Finnegan’s been warned that another fineable offense could lead to a suspension.

Sad send off: Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger called plays on an ineffective afternoon. Monday he begins chemotherapy cancer treatment.

What’s next: Houston has a quick turnaround for a Thursday trip to Philadelphia where it’s likely to find much stiffer competition. The Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars for a rematch of a Tennessee blowout win earlier this season.

HOUSTON -- Halftime thoughts from Reliant Stadium where the Texans are dominating the Titans and have a 14-0 lead:

• The Texans are winning time of possession 20:03 to 9:57 and have 15 first downs to two for Tennessee.
• The Titans needed good offensive line play from the start to give rookie Rusty Smith a chance. They undid him in the first series, allowing a sack by Mario Williams and enduring a false start by Michael Roos. Then they watched Justin Gage drop a good third-down pass. Later, Nate Washington had an alligator arms drop and Bo Scaife was unable to haul in a ball that was a touch long but that he got his hands on.
• The Texans benched Brice McCain, who’s been in their nickel package most of the season, playing outside in three-corner sets. Jason Allen has covered Randy Moss with Kareem Jackson coming in as the third DB as Glover Quin moved inside like usual.
• Houston’s gotten some yards with short stuff over the middle to Andre Johnson, who gains a crossing route edge on Cortland Finnegan and finds space near Stephen Tulloch.
• The Titans’ run game is all out of whack, and hasn’t helped in time of possession where the Texans are winning big. While Arian Foster has 12 carries for 51 yards and backup Derrick Ward has four for 34, Chris Johnson has three carries for 2 yards, with backup Javon Ringer getting two carries for 10.
• The Texans continue to use Joel Dreessen well. The Titans continue to fail to cover tight ends closely. He was wide open in the back middle of the end zone on his 1-yard touchdown reception.
• Matt Schaub made a bad decision on the last play of the half, but Eric Winston bailed him out with a giant fumble recovery.

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A clearly downtrodden Gary Kubiak just finished talking to the Houston press and I was able to watch online.

The predictable gist: Things need to change.

"There is no reason for [the defense] not to be improving somewhat,” he said. “There should be some progress... It's trending the wrong way."

Brice McCain rotated some at corner with Kareem Jackson. Jason Allen, claimed off waivers last week from Miami, will get worked in this week, Kubiak said without making his anticipated role clear.

Coordinator Frank Bush will continue to call the defense, with veteran assistant Ray Rhodes sitting right beside him.

Kubiak also talked about the need to find more snaps on offense, but better defense is one main street they can travel to that.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Texans are the first team since the 1970 merger to allow 24 points in each of their first nine games of the season.

Every time we discuss or talk about the offense -- and I think it can-slash-should score 30 a week -- let’s recall that defensive nugget. It’s hard to comprehend.

It creates a culture and atmosphere where things like the correct play by Glover Quin wind up a 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown that wins the game for the other guys.

“You can’t lose a game in that situation,” Kubiak said. “But we did.”