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INDIANAPOLIS -- Morris Claiborne is largely regarded as the top cornerback available in the draft.

The Jaguars may be drafting a bit too late at No. 7 to get him, but he’d sure be a great fit. Jacksonville has a quality young corner in Derek Cox. But veteran Rashean Mathis is about to be an unrestricted free agent and is coming off a torn ACL. Even if he’s re-signed and recovered for opening day, the Jaguars need their next starting corner on the roster.

Not long ago, Claiborne wasn’t even a cornerback. He said he was recruited to LSU as an “athlete” and teammate Patrick Peterson, drafted fifth overall by Arizona last year, convinced him to try corner.

He was quickly hooked.

Regarding the combine, Peterson told Claiborne to “go up and take over.”

Claiborne is an admirer of Darrelle Revis and rates himself a technician who funnels receivers rather than being especially physical with them.

He’d be a great piece for the Jaguars. But it may be difficult for him to get beyond Tampa Bay at No. 5.

If I’m Darrelle Revis, I’ve got bulletin board material.

Because to hear Jason Hill -- a receiver who’s done very little to prove himself in the NFL -- tell it, Revis and the Jets are no different than anyone else in the league. They just have the biggest hype machine.

Newsflash: If Hill thinks Revis is a media creation, he’s really in for a surprise when he’s covered like a blanket Sunday at MetLife Stadium if Revis draws him.

Here’s what he said to Tania Ganguli:

"This is a league full of great players. I think sometimes they get overhyped. I talked to Drew [Coleman], Drew played there. He says it's just the aura of New York. They got a big media. That's not the Jacksonville paper, that's the big New York Times paper so they get more pub. That's what it is.

"It's a game that we all play. He been playing the game, Revis, just as long as I've been playing. This is a game full of good players making plays. He just made a lot more plays on TV than we've made being here in Jacksonville. He's a good player. We respect him. Hopefully he respects us because we're going to bring it just like they're going to bring it…"

"I think the whole New York is overhyped. Him personally, he's a good player, Pro Bowl player, I'm trying to make it to the Pro Bowl, too. This'll be a good game to put some notches on our belts too. It's the New York Times vs. the Jacksonville paper. New York Times they got a lot more viewers than you got.”

I guess it’s an admirable attitude in some respects. The Jaguars aren’t kowtowing to the Jets. But it’s also dismissive. Revis being a Pro Bowler and Hill wanting to be a Pro Bowler are far from the same thing, just like the newspapers he compared.

Hill probably could have, and should have, negotiated his theme a little more smoothly.

Revis and Antonio Cromartie would probably love a chance to cover Hill. Unfortunately for them, he's got a hip injury, hasn't even practiced this week and may not play.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Wearing a Cincinnati Reds hat and the sort of grin that comes after a huge payday, Chris Johnson met with the Tennessee media Friday evening.

Points of note out of that chat...

• He said he agreed with Mike Reinfeldt when the GM suggested the prolonged holdout amounted to a “family argument situation.”
• On getting up to football speed: “I’ve been working out every single day just staying in shape. Once I get out there on the field, that something for me and the coaches to get worked out, just to see how my body reacts off the things that they give me. In my mindset and the player that I am, of course I feel I am ready to take the whole load and be out there on Sunday. But you never know your body until you go through the situation.”
• He didn’t watch much of the Titans in their four preseason games because he found it difficult to watch his teammates without him.
• On avoiding the sort of injury that sidelines a lot of holdouts after they return: “I’m sure other guys that went through my situation and went out there and something happened to them, I am pretty sure they tried all the remedies and stretching and doing different things. But I think it’s just a situation where you have to pray about it and ask God to keep you safe out there and hopefully you don’t pull anything.”
• The goals are a playoff appearance and a Super Bowl. Only after he mentioned them did he say he’ll always want to rush for 2,000 yards.
• On staying motivated: “I feel like if I’m not the best player at my position or the best player out there on the field I don’t feel like I am doing my job. Just because I got this deal I don’t think that I won’t play as hard as I’ve been playing.”
• He’s not going to willingly hand carries over to Javon Ringer and/or Jamie Harper early in the season while getting up to speed. “I’d like to get all the reps, that’s just the type of player I am,” he said to laughter. “At the end of the day it’s about more than the big contract and all the money, that’s the business side… When I’m here I want to be the best. When it’s time to win, I want the team to count on me. I want to put the team on my shoulders and steer us to victory.”
• Johnson contacted St. Louis running back Steven Jackson and New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis before his holdout to talk to them about their experiences. They told him to be prepared for it to be difficult and to be lonely. Throughout the dispute he said they called on him to check on how he was doing. “That helped a lot,” Johnson said.

ESPN.com’s NFL writers rank the top 10 cornerbacks in the league today. Next week: Top 10 quarterbacks.

Positional Power Rankings have produced some wild variations in voting. But none has had so many players mentioned as cornerbacks.

Previously, multiple votes had yielded 17 names. Our polling for the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL touched on 23, a record that might be hard to break.

In another close finish, the Jets' Darrelle Revis edged the Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha. The two collected all the first- and second-place votes, but Revis outscored Asomugha 77-75 thanks to five first-place votes.

Overall, veterans ruled the day, with the top five outpointing the rest of the field by a good deal. Revis and Asomugha were followed by three players with a collective 33 seasons of NFL cornerbacking experience: Green Bay’s Charles Woodson, Philadelphia’s Asante Samuel and Denver’s Champ Bailey.

Woodson finished with 58 points, Samuel with 54 and Bailey with 53.

Of the votes for that trio, only two fell outside of the top five. NFC North maestro Kevin Seifert had Woodson sixth, just behind his teammate Tramon Williams. And AFC East maven Tim Graham placed Bailey seventh, with New England’s Devin McCourty (fifth) and Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield above him.

I had presumed Bailey started to slip in his 12th season in 2010. Then he shut down a red-hot Dwayne Bowe and got my attention in a way I remembered when I put him third on my ballot.

Graham’s thinking was quite different.

“We're in the offseason, so I've taken into account not only last season's performances, but also how the player projects into 2011 when compiling my positional Power Rankings ballots,” he said. “Bailey is going to be 33 years old before the start of next season and is on the downside. He's still great, but for how long?

“Power Rankings shouldn't be career-achievement awards. Devin McCourty was second-team Associated Press All-Pro, a first-team Sporting News All-Pro, voted a Pro Bowl starter by the fans, coaches and players and tied for second in interceptions. He deserved to be ranked ahead of Bailey, who wasn't mentioned for All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement.”

Though Graham had him fifth, McCourty got bottom-of-the-list votes from most of us, who seemed to respect his inaugural campaign but did not want to overscore a player who has been through the league only once. NFC South cruise director Pat Yasinskas left McCourty off his ballot entirely.

“One great season does not make a great career,” Yasinskas said. “Let's see him do it again. I'm not saying he's got to do it for 10 or 15 years. I've got a guy in my own back yard, Ronde Barber, and a lot of people say he's already put up Hall of Fame numbers. I didn't even put him on the list because I think he's not much more than a very nice player in the system. But you have to be consistently at the top for at least a few years before you get on a top 10 list.”

Winfield finished sixth (29 points), Williams seventh (18), McCourty eighth (17), Washington’s DeAngelo Hall ninth (10) and Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan 10th (eight).

Williams was the lone player to make the top 10 while not being looked at as his team’s No. 1 guy. As much as I liked him, that prevented him from getting one of my votes. Same for Oakland’s Stanford Routt.

Although Williams and Routt played very well in 2010, their jobs can be made a lot easier by playing with Woodson and Asomugha rather than being asked to be their team’s version of those players. The toughest receiver on the opposition isn’t usually a factor for Williams or Routt.

John Clayton had Routt sixth and NFC West chart-master Mike Sando had him 10th, which left Routt in 11th place. Clayton set me straight on why Routt was, in fact, deserving.

“Nnamdi has years of not being thrown on,” Clayton said. “He’s had years in which only 14 or 15 passes were caught against him in a season.

“Routt had a phenomenal year in 2010, which led to his big contract,” Clayton said. “The percentage of passes against him that were completed was among the lowest in the league. His job is tougher because he has more passes thrown on him because of Nnamdi.”

Indianapolis receiver Reggie Wayne was fuming after the Colts' playoff loss to the Jets on Saturday night. One of the league’s most prolific receivers matched up with Darrelle Revis and caught one, 1-yard pass. That was the lone time Peyton Manning targeted Wayne.

"It's bull. It's bull, man," said Wayne, per Mike Chappell. "I give everything I've got no matter what. Every day, I give it everything. And . . . one ball, that's all..."

"I shouldn't have even suited up. I should have watched the game like everybody else. I was irrelevant."

You’d want to be upset over his role and the result. You’d like for Manning to have looked to him more. You’d like for offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen to have designed more things to get him looks. And, of course, Wayne is free to do better work against Revis, which prompts Manning to throw to him.

Said Colts coach Jim Caldwell on Sunday: “Reggie was expressing some disappointment obviously in not getting it more. But just in terms of how we do what we normally do, week-in and week-out, plays are called that we think are going to give us an opportunity to convert and gain yardage, and all our quarterback does is read through his progressions and does his normal thing. It’s just one of those games.”

Last year we went into the Colts' offseason wondering about Wayne’s role in Tracy Porter’s crucial pick-6 that sealed the Saints’ Super Bowl win. Manning shouldn’t have made that throw, but Wayne didn’t seem to run a crisp route or put up much resistance as Porter jumped it.

This year we go into the Colts’ offseason wondering if Wayne, who made a play for a contract extension last season but is signed through 2012, will carry a bad feeling about the end of the season, and if it will play a role in another contract protest.

As always, ESPN Stats & Info has provided us with special insight into a big game.

Here are some nuggets from the Jets win over the Colts.

The Jets held back: The Jets are a blitzing team, but Rex Ryan sensibly steered away from a philosophy that rarely works against Peyton Manning Saturday night.

In last season’s AFC Championship Game, the Jets sent five or more defenders at Manning 63.4 percent of the time and he completed 16 of 24 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns against it. This time around the Jets used five or more rushers only 14.8 percent of the time.

When the Colts needed 10 yards: Manning boasted a league-high 66.3 completion percentage and 139 passing first downs when the offense needed less than 10 yards to move the chains this season. The Jets buckled down in those situations Saturday night, highlighted by allowing Manning to convert 1-of-4 third-and-6 or shorter attempts through the air.

Manning had a passer rating of 143.9 on 13 throws in which the Colts needed 10 yards or more, and a rating of 70.1 on 13 throws where they needed between 1 and 9 yards.

Manning steered inside: Manning did not target Reggie Wayne outside the numbers. In the regular season, Wayne was the fifth-most targeted receiver outside the numbers. Overall, he finished with one catch for 1 yard matched up against Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Manning’s numbers outside the numbers were down 12.4 in completion percentage (he was 4-for-9, all on the right sideline), three yards per attempt and 32.9 points in passer rating from the numbers he posted in the regular season.

Sanchez struggled with long throws: The Colts’ pass defense had allowed completions on half of opponents’ throws of 10 or more yards this season -- 68-for-136, 26th in NFL. But Indianapolis was a difficult matchup for Mark Sanchez in such circumstances. He completed only 22.2 percent of such passes for 4.7 yards an attempt, had one interception and no touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 6.9.

Frankly, Sanchez was high and wild in the first half. That accounted for these numbers as much as what the Colts were doing.

» Wild-card Final Word: NY Jets-Indy | Baltimore-K.C. | N.O.-Seattle | G.B.-Philadelphia

Three nuggets of knowledge about Saturday's Jets-Colts wild-card game:

Will the Colts target Drew Coleman? Peyton Manning’s going wherever he finds an open receiver. But the Jets emphasized adding cornerbacks after Pierre Garcon had a huge game against them in the AFC Championship Game. ESPN Stats & Info says that Manning really took off in that game when he started attacking the middle of the field. Surely Reggie Wayne and Garcon will run routes that take them there. But if Darrelle Revis and Cromartie do well on Wayne and Garcon, respectively, we’re going to see how the linebackers can handle Jacob Tamme and how the nickel, Coleman, can handle Blair White. I suspect there will be at least a couple of moments when Colts’ fans grimace and wonder how much of a difference Austin Collie would have made. But Indianapolis has enough to still be effective.

Can the coverage contain Brad Smith? The Colts can’t let a big special teams play be a factor, and Smith can be exceptionally dangerous as a kick returner. Indianapolis should take a touchback every chance it gets. Seriously. There are two significant categories where the Colts and Jets are night and day. This is one of them. The Jets' average drive starts at the 31.5-yard line, the best spot in the league. The Colts start at the 22.7, the worst. It’s fair to cringe every time Indianapolis fields a kick, and that’s not a knock on Dominic Rhodes, who’s been handling the job. There is just nowhere for him to go.

What happens inside the 20? The other night and day contrast between these teams is in red zone production. The Colts don’t have to call on Adam Vinatieri a lot because they are busy scoring touchdowns. When they get close, they get touchdowns 67.9 percent of the time, the best percentage in the league by a good margin. New York doesn’t play great red zone defense. The Jets allow TDs 60.5 percent of the time with Indy’s defense faring better (52.1). On offense, the Jets punch it in only 40 percent of the time. That’s a lot of numbers to get to my point: A lot of Nick Folk on the field isn’t going to win this game, I don’t expect.

In last season's AFC Championship Game, the upstart New York Jets were on their way to scoring their third straight road upset in the playoffs. They'd already knocked off a pair of division champions and led the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But the Colts outclassed the Jets in the second half and won easily to advance to the Super Bowl. The Jets had to regroup, knowing that to attain their Super Bowl dreams, they had to figure out a way to get past the Colts.

They won't need to look for them in the playoffs this year. The Jets and Colts will meet in the first round Saturday night, again in Indianapolis.

ESPN.com AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky and AFC East blogger Tim Graham break down the rematch.

Tim Graham: The first thought I have about the Colts is that Peyton Manning isn't going to win this game with his aura. Aside from past experience, the Jets don't have much reason to quake in their cleats Saturday night. They can beat this guy. Manning has proven to be a mortal without tight end Dallas Clark and receivers Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez to target. Seventeen interceptions? Almost knocked out of the playoffs by the Jacksonville Jaguars? These Colts are a shadow of what we've come to know.

Paul Kuharsky: How about with his chakra, then? You've been spending too much time with Ricky Williams, dude. Has Manning been perfect? Hardly. But as Colts blogger Nate Dunlevy points out, and our ESPN Stats & Information confirms, Manning threw for 4,700 yards, tossed for more than 30 touchdowns, connected on 66 percent of his throws, had an interception rate of 2.5 percent and won 10 games. If that's a shadow of what you've known, you must really know Tom Brady’s 2007 season then. Because that was the only other time it has happened.

TG: Yeah, Manning won 10 games. So did Eli Manning and Josh Freeman. They didn't make the playoffs. The Colts' shadow doesn't have much to do with Peyton Manning slinging the ball all over the yard and racking up yardage. He's still great, but he's not a one-man show. If I were a Colts fan, my concern would be how they needed to close with four straight wins to avoid the embarrassment of being edged out of the playoffs by the Jaguars. The Jets, on the other hand, have shown to be a more complete team. That's how an erratic quarterback like Mark Sanchez can win one more game than Manning did and clinch a playoff berth weeks in advance.

PK: Well, Manning's always been crushed for being great in the regular season and not good enough in the playoffs. Congrats on being the first to hammer him for winning "only" 10 games and the division while throwing to Jacob Tamme and Blair White.

TG: That's what I mean. The Jets can contain those guys much easier than Clark and Collie. Plus, the Jets have been preparing for this matchup since last season's AFC Championship Game. They helplessly watched Manning carve the center of the field against them and realized immediately -- even though they had Darrelle Revis -- they needed more cornerbacks. Specifically with Manning in mind, the Jets traded for Antonio Cromartie and drafted Kyle Wilson in the first round. Previous starting cornerbacks Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman gave them depth in nickel and dime packages. The Jets' biggest issue is at safety, where injuries have made them vulnerable.

PK: Manning has a bit of experience against teams with poor safety situations. His numbers against Houston and Jacksonville? Just nine touchdowns, one pick and a 101.5 passer rating. On the other side is the unspectacular Sanchez. I doubt Sanchez will be able to attack Aaron Francisco, the Colts' fourth-string strong safety, in a similar fashion, but we'll see. The Sanchize was near perfect in the first half of last season's AFC Championship Game. But the Jets asked him to throw only seven passes. After intermission, Indy greatly reduced his potency. The Colts didn't sack him and were credited with only four hits that day. The Colts' big-play potential from their Pro Bowl defensive ends was neutralized, and they still rolled to a 30-17 win. Of course, it might have had something to do with Manning throwing two-second half touchdowns to Sanchez's zero (and one interception). What happens this time if Dwight Freeney and/or Robert Mathis are able to introduce themselves to him a few times?

TG: Sanchez absolutely is the pivotal figure for the Jets on Saturday night. But, much like the personnel adjustments head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum made on the defensive side to thwart Manning, they made changes on offense with the playoffs in mind. Sanchez might not have progressed much in his second season, but he didn't have a sophomore slump either. He has gained another 11 months and 16 games of NFL experience since the last time he faced the Colts. Plus, the Jets' offense has the ability to come from behind, something it couldn't do before. Last season's Jets were all ground-and-pound, and if an opponent took a two-score lead, the Jets' chances to win were slim. Sanchez showed several times this year he can strike in crunch time. Santonio Holmes and LaDainian Tomlinson out of the backfield give him much better weapons to go along with Braylon Edwards and tight end Dustin Keller.

PK: The most dramatic on-the-field difference in the Colts this year as compared to last is how they finished up running the ball and defending the run. Indianapolis enters the playoffs coming off four games in which they ran for 4.5 yards a carry and held opponents to 3.5 yards. Last year in their final four meaningful regular-season games, they were getting 3.5 yards and allowing 4.1 yards.

TG: Maybe the Colts will morph into the 1972 Miami Dolphins before our eyes.

PK: A month ago the Colts defense recommitted to playing fast and having fun. It's funny how a team can get away from such simple themes, especially when a return to them produces such fine results. Gary Brackett's been great. Fellow linebackers Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner have been quite good, even as rookies. Veteran Clint Session could return to take time from Conner. Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen's willing to send in whichever back is best suited for a situation or a matchup, so we could see any sort of mix of running backs Joe Addai, Dominic Rhodes and Donald Brown on Saturday night. They are running more than well enough to give the Colts a balance that makes Manning's play-action super effective.

TG: Momentum on the ground has been a concern for the Jets since their bye in Week 7. Tomlinson went from MVP candidate to looking like the worn out player the San Diego Chargers thought they were bidding farewell. But Shonn Greene and Tomlinson found some traction in the closing weeks. Let's not even factor in what the Jets did against the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale, even though their backups trampled the Bills' first-stringers for 276 yards.

PK: I’m always willing to toss out Buffalo. I don’t even really like wings.

TG: Yeah, but I know you still have a cache of Rick James 8-tracks. Anyway, the Jets ran the ball well against three of the NFL's best run defenses late in the year. They surpassed the Pittsburgh Steelers' league-leading average by 43 yards and the Chicago Bears' second-rated run defense by 34 yards. As for stopping the run, the Jets pride themselves on it and improved statistically this year. They ranked third this year at 90.9 yards a game and 3.6 yards a carry. But -- and this is a big one -- they allowed more than 100 yards in each of their games before the finale. The Steelers averaged 5.8 yards a carry. The Bears averaged 4.4 yards. That said, I would be willing to bet if the Colts wanted to try to run the Jets to death and not have Manning throw so much, then the Jets would be thrilled.

PK: Give me a little impersonation of Rex Ryan thrilled after winning this game.

TG: It probably would go a little something like this ... "Well, shoot, doesn't feel much better than that, to be honest with ya. We played like Jets today. It was a dogfight out there; I'll tell ya that much. Those Colts are sunthin' else. One thing I'll say about them: I saw Joseph Addai running like Lydell Mitchell out there and was, like, 'Whoa! Wait a second! We could be in for a long day here.' But our defense was flying around and eventually found a way to wrestle him down out there. I said earlier in the week this was personal with Peyton Manning, and they do a great job. He's great, and it's hard to get to him, but I just feel like we knew what to expect and were able to find a way to bear down and put all our chips in the center of the table and beat him. That guy's had my number and it feels good to know I can beat the guy when it counts. But I gotta give a ton of credit to our offense out there, too. Mark Sanchez played great and showed why we traded up to draft him. That right there's what we saw when we scouted him and just knew this guy was going to be a special player. Their crowd was tough with the way they were roaring at the opening kickoff I was, like, 'Whooo! Here we go!' It was full speed ahead. But one thing I should point out is that I broke out my lucky sweatshirt with the pizza stain this week." ... How would Jim Caldwell react to a Colts win Saturday night?

PK: I can hear him, his voice just the same as if they'd have lost: "We're pleased to have beaten a good football team, a quality football team. It's gratifying that our work this week paid off. I shared with you some of the examples of the studiousness I encountered during the preparation week. You saw the rewards of that. We'll enjoy it, we should enjoy it, it was hard-fought and we’re fortunate. We will have to do those same things to prepare for Pittsburgh. It’s a tough place to play, an excellent football team. It's a new challenge. It will be fun to see them get out there and see what they can do."

TG: In that case, I'm glad I'll be covering the Jets' locker room, win or lose. It'll be more interesting. I think the Jets have a better chance to win the game than a lot of prognosticators are giving them credit for. But even if they can't pull off the upset, they'll face a lot of questions as an organization. With all of the negative attention they've generated this season, a loss against the team they spent a year preparing for should lead to considerable introspection in Florham Park. Should we make picks?

PK: Sure. I pick St. Elmo. Make a reservation.

Reading the coverage …

The top guys around the league who could be heading for free agency, from Jason Cole.

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson against Darrelle Revis is best against best, says Sam Khan.

Jason Allen should see time against the Jets, says Dale Robertson.

A dose of reality helped the cornerbacks, says Jerome Solomon.

Matt Schaub expects to be ready, says Dale Robertson.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will be tough to replace, says Phil Richards.

Why the Colts and Patriots hate each other, from Bob Kravitz.

The Patriots are well aware of the threat of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Austin Collie practiced but still needs to be cleared, says Mike Chappell.

Phil Richards breaks down the matchup.

Phil Simms respects the genius of Manning, says Richards.

Colts-Patriots never gets old because of the quarterbacks, says Albert Breer.

Jeff Linkenbach brought more power to the run game at right guard, but his pass blocking was suspect, says Scott Bolander.

A look at chip shot field goals and red zone production, from Joe Baker.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Adam Podlesh has quietly recovered from a cancer diagnosis, says Tania Ganguli.

Ganguli and Vito Stellino talk about Browns-Jaguars. (Video.)

Examining the good David Garrard and the bad Garrard, with Luis DeLoureiro.

What if they played on a field of pudding, wonders Vic Ketchman.

A look at some of the Browns’ tendencies, from Adam Stites.

Tennessee Titans

A look at the potential for Randy Moss’ role to grow, says John Glennon.

It looks like Jared Cook is in line for playing time with Craig Stevens hurt, say Glennon and Jim Wyatt.

A game breakdown from David Boclair.

As the Houston Texans consider the hole they’ve dug themselves at 4-5, they’ll be able to look across New Meadowlands Stadium Sunday and see hope.

The New York Jets weren’t just 4-5 last year before making a run to the AFC Championship Game, they were 4-6.

On a Wednesday conference call, Houston media asked Rex Ryan about the key to rebounding from a less than great first nine games.

“I’ll tell the key after the game,” he said. “I’m just kidding. I just think that you do what you believe in. With us, there was no question that we believed in the direction that our team was heading. We stayed the course and it worked out in the end.”

“…I think with us, it was just the belief that we had in each other. That’s it. That’s what you do in the offseason. That’s what you create, that kind of environment and you surround yourself around those kind of people. We are fortunate that we have an organization that recognizes it is committed to winning. It has a belief and we believe in our system. So it doesn’t even come up, regardless of what people say or whatever. They weren’t the ones playing games or coaching or anything else. We knew we had a good football team. We just had to go out and prove it.”

The Texans have believed that about themselves, at least with what they’ve said, for the better part of the last four years.

Maybe they make a remarkable turnaround. But they don’t have the easy finishing schedule down the stretch the Jets had last year, including games against two teams with sealed up playing positioning who didn’t care if they lost.

And they don’t have Rex Ryan.

And they definitely don’t have Darrelle Revis.

Less than a day after telling the Titans' primary beat reporter that he wasn’t mad at the Titans, running back Chris Johnson fired off a trio of tweets that made it sound like he’s mad at the Titans.

1. 
   ChrisJohnson28 Just got off the phn w/ my agent & its not gd news I'm feeling lk @Revis24 rt now at least dey offering him (cont) http://tl.gd/1t6veb 15 Jun 2010 from UberTwitter
2. 
   ChrisJohnson28 Its like how u expect ur players to give they all and put their bodies on the line when you not willing to give them what they deserve 15 Jun 2010 from UberTwitter
3. 
   ChrisJohnson28 How do u wnt player 2 honor their contract but the team dont have 2 honor it. If u dont wnt 2 pay a player early dont cut a player early. 15 Jun 2010 from UberTwitter

He also said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, also upset about his contract, is better off.

In The Tennessean’s story Johnson had said he’d be willing to meet with Jeff Fisher at Johnson’s youth camp in suburban Franklin, Tenn., on Wednesday, when the Titans have an OTA break.

I think it’s a bit bold to tell the boss where he can find you, but Fisher didn’t dismiss it.

“There is always a chance,” Fisher said. “He invited me [previously] and my invitation is still open to him for my camp.”

Quality reads

The Colts were the second-most injured team in the league, the Titans were second to last.

Give this Pro Bowl a chance, says Pat Kirwin.

The Pro Bowl stinks, but how can it be fixed, asks Ross Tucker.

Drew Brees’ success tells us we should give Tim Tebow a chance, says Stewart Mandel.

Don Banks’ first mock draft.

Super Bowl and the Indianapolis Colts

Jim Irsay turned an unstable franchise into a model one, says Mike Chappell.

Bob Kravitz previews his week.

Jacob Lacey’s been delivering, says Curt Cavin.

"If we had to verbally defeat teams, we'd probably lose a lot," says Jeff Saturday. Chappell gathers reaction to Gregg Williams’ comments.

The Colts are on a roll in the red zone, says Phil Richards.

The defense will be the difference when the Colts roll, says Clark Judge.

Jerraud Powers and Lacey have been huge factors, says Doug Farrar.

Ryan Diem remembers the Super Bowl Shuffle and is sure the Colts won’t have a version, says Jeff Rabjohns.

Special teams have been solid, say Richards and Chappell.

Jamie Silva still likes to turn trash into cash, says Phil Richards.

Sean Payton’s got Hoosier roots, says Mark Alesia.

Indiana high school coaching legend Dick Dullaghan has a ticket and a torn allegiance, says Kyle Neddenriep.

Todd Golden can’t find anything to complain about in this Super Bowl.

The Colts are looking to be the hunters, says Justin Cohn.

Pierre Garcon’s reached the game of his dreams, says Stacy Clardie.

For common opponents, the Colts get an edge, says Vic Carucci.

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson is back in school, making good on a promise, says Richard Justice.

Johnson feels right at home at the Pro Bowl in Miami, says Justice,

Crazily thorough mock drafting from Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are about to send out season ticket renewal notices, a huge step for them, says Vito Stellino.

The Jaguars will stick with a 4-3 front. Gene Smith talked some identity issues with Stellino.

A Black and Teal mock draft.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans Pro Bowlers brought Steve McNair’s sons, reports Jim Wyatt.

Chris Johnson had to do a lot of work to get to NFL stardom, says Gary Estwick.

The guys who paved the way for 2,000 yards got invites to Miami from Johnson, says Wyatt.

Adrian Peterson ranks Johnson as the NFL's second-best back, says Wyatt.

Kyle Vanden Bosch doubts he will be back, writes Wyatt.

Earnest Byner still doesn’t understand why Jeff Fisher let him go, says Estwick.

Darrelle Revis respects Cortland Finnegan’s game, says Wyatt.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning’s post game press conference Sunday night was filled with good stuff, and I wanted to revisit a couple pieces and also share some numbers.

Sneaky: Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, the Colts got to the 1-yard line. After Austin Collie came up short on second down, they hurried to set up Manning for a sneak attempt that took forever for a quick play and was stuffed.

Manning felt like officials stood over the ball too long, allowing the Jets to substitute when the rule is the defense substitutes at its own peril if the offense doesn’t make any changes.

“We didn’t substitute and for some reason the referee stood over the ball,” Manning said. “Why he stood over the ball and allowed them to get set, I’d like to get the explanation on that. That allowed them to get set. That was a shame.”

Jim Caldwell said the explanation he received was that officials were not waiting on the Jets. Officials who raced in to spot Collie from the play before needed time to back out and clear, and that’s why there was a delay, Caldwell was told.

Grind: Manning is conscious of overusing words. He said several times how he grinded in preparation for the Jets and how the game was a 60-minute grind.

“That’s kind of my word for the day,” he said. “I’m trying not to say ‘obviously.’ That’s been a habit of mine. So I’m saying grind.”

Pumping Wayne: Manning was sure to mention the importance of Reggie Wayne in every question he fielded that touched on the big games by Pierre Garcon and Collie.

He also didn’t like the idea of people suggesting the Colts feared or stayed away from Darrelle Revis. Clearly there were better matchups elsewhere to take advantage of. But Manning indicated he connected on a handful of solid plays against Revis too.

Yes, Manning had a passer rating of 139.9 on plays to Garcon and Collie. But he was at 104.2 to everybody else, and that’s outstanding too.

Chilly Archie: Asked about the possibility of cryogenically freezing Archie Manning for the purpose of producing more quarterbacks, Peyton Manning said: “I think he’s done.”

Onward to ESPN Stats & Information fine observations about Manning in the win:

Big rushes and big drops: When New York brought six or more rushers and Manning took a full seven-step drop, he was eight for 10 with a 16-yard average, a TD and a 152.1 passer rating.

First 28: The Colts started the game with balanced attack on offense. Twelve of their first 28 plays were rushes (42.9 percent). After Joseph Addai fumbled on the 28th play from scrimmage, the Colts changed their play-calling drastically and ran on just five of the next 28 plays (17.9 percent). Manning played much better when he got in a rhythm and didn't have to worry about the run game.

On the first 28 plays he was eight for 14 with a 90.8 passer rating, two sacks and the Colts produced six points.

On the next 28 plays, he was 17 for 23 with three touchdowns, a 142.4 passer rating and the Colts produced 21 points.

Run defense: Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene of the Jets averaged 4.9 yards against base defenses in playoff wins over Cincinnati and San Diego. Against the Colts base defense, that number was just 3.1

Houston Texans

The Texans weren’t in the playoffs in large part because of the Colts and Jets, says Jerome Solomon.

Watching the East-West Shrine game while thinking about fits for the Texans with Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

Another Lombardi trophy is tantalizingly close, says Mike Chappell.

The Colts have been given (and earned) a perfect opportunity to put the proper exclamation point on a remarkable decade, says Bob Kravitz.

Reggie Wayne relishes the rematch with Darrelle Revis, writes Chappell.

Revis expects to move around a lot, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Missing the playoffs last year gives Gary Brackett an added sense of urgency, says Chappell.

The Colts aren’t worried about their run game, says Chappell.

Phil Richards talked with Bill Polian.

It’s pressure time for kickers, says Curt Cavin.

A few former Colts are now part of the Jets, says Wilson.

Wilson’s final pregame thoughts.

The mindset is the same and the focus is narrow, says Jim Caldwell in this preview from John Oehser.

Caldwell and Rex Ryan are far from inexperienced, says Tom James.

Rick Gosselin’s preview. He likes the Colts.

So does R.J. White.

A lack of a good running game hasn’t hurt the Colts, says Lee Jenkins.

Hitting Peyton Manning is the key for the Jets, says Damon Hack.

In some ways, the Jets look like a champion, says the Fifth Down Blog.

The red zone will be a big key, says Stampede Blue.

Deshawn Zombie considers who the Colts would rather see if they’re in the Super Bowl.

Matt Stover understands why kickers are 0-for-5 against the Jets in the playoffs, says Nancy Gay.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The title teams should give the Jaguars hope, says Gene Frenette.

Hiring Joe Cullen could be worth the risk, says Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

Gaines Adams death’ prompted Jovan Haye to go to the doctor, says Jim Wyatt.

Stephen Tulloch breaks down Sunday’s games.

Five Titans have had surgeries, reports Wyatt.

Tim Tebow is training near Nashville, says Wyatt.

ESPN’s Field Pass.

Football Outsiders’ preview looks at how Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney uniquely affect the Jets' play-action game with Mark Sanchez, a breakdown of Reggie Wayne's seven targets with Darrelle Revis in coverage from Week 16, and the history of Rex Ryan defenses versus Peyton Manning.

ESPN’s experts.

Sunday Countdown crew.

Bill Simmons.

Intel Report.

Your picks.