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Houston Texans

Key additions: None.

Key losses: OLB Mario Williams, RG Mike Brisiel, CB Jason Allen, TE Joel Dreessen, RT Eric Winston (cut), ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded), FB Lawrence Vickers (cut), QB Matt Leinart (cut).

Keepers and finance: Not everyone got away. The Texans managed to keep two very important players. They re-signed running back Arian Foster before he reached restricted free agency. And after he'd explored the market some, they struck a deal with unrestricted-free-agent center Chris Myers, a vital piece to a line that lost the two starters on the right side when Winston was cut and Brisiel bolted to Oakland.

Ryans was not a full-time player in the 3-4 defense, and his price tag was high. While Houston takes a $750,000 hit this season, he’s cleared from the books in the future. That will help the team as it tries to make sure players like outside linebacker Connor Barwin and left tackle Duane Brown don’t get away like Williams did.

What’s next: Depth paid off in a big way in 2011 as the Texans managed to win the division and a playoff game despite major personnel losses. At several spots, like on the offensive line and at corner, the draft will serve to replenish the roster with the same kind of insurance.

But the Texans are not without need.

While they are likely to stick with Jacoby Jones as part of the team and like Kevin Walter, a more reliable and dynamic weapon to go with Andre Johnson at receiver is something they acknowledge wanting. A third outside linebacker can reduce the high-snap strain on Barwin and Brooks Reed. While they hope Rashad Butler will replace Winston and Antoine Caldwell will take Brisiel’s spot, adding a guy who can compete for one or both of those spots would be healthy.

Indianapolis Colts

Key additions: DE Cory Redding, WR Donnie Avery, C Samson Satele, S Tom Zbikowski, G Mike McGlynn, RT Winston Justice (trade), QB Drew Stanton (trade).

Key losses: QB Peyton Manning (cut), WR Pierre Garcon, TE Jacob Tamme, C Jeff Saturday, TE Dallas Clark (cut), LB Gary Brackett (cut), S Melvin Bullitt (cut), RT Ryan Diem (retired), WR Anthony Gonzalez, QB Dan Orlovsky, CB Jacob Lacey (not tendered), QB Curtis Painter (cut), DE Jamaal Anderson, G Mike Pollak.

So much we don’t know: We know background on coach Chuck Pagano and his coordinators and we know what Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson have said. But there will be a degree of mystery well into the season about what they intend to run and with whom. It’s unlikely to be a sweeping transition to a 3-4 defense, as it takes time to overhaul the personnel. But as they play a hybrid defense and move toward a conversion, they’ll need more than they’ve got -- starting with a nose tackle.

On offense, they’ve said they’ll use a fullback. That’s a major departure from the previous regime. And we don’t know if a Donald Brown-Delone Carter duo at fullback will be sufficient to run behind. They need help virtually everywhere after the cap purge and free-agency turnover. Not everything will get addressed as much as they’d like in their first offseason.

What’s next: I expect more role players like Zbikowski and McGlynn, more castoffs like Justice and Stanton and more guys who are presumed finished by a lot of teams, like Avery.

They are all guys who didn’t cost much but who have upside and can help, at least as role players. And if they don’t pan out, it’s hardly a death blow to Indianapolis' major, long-term plans. Money is limited with big dead-money charges and a $19 million cap hit for defensive end Dwight Freeney the team has indicated it's willing to carry.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Key additions: WR Laurent Robinson, CB Aaron Ross, QB Chad Henne.

Key losses: DT Leger Douzable (did not tender).

Keeping their own: The Jaguars did well to hold on to players who have been valuable to them. The top of that list belongs to safety Dwight Lowery. They traded with the Jets for him before last season, shifted him full time to safety and got good work from him before he was hurt. It was crucial for the team to stay fixed at the position where it was horrific in 2010 before signing Dawan Landry and adding Lowery.

They also re-signed defensive end Jeremy Mincey, a great effort defensive end who was overextended in terms of playing time last year. He’s no sack-master, but he’s going to bust it on every play, break through sometimes and make the opponent work hard to stay in his way. And with the lack of quality defensive ends who hit the market, the Jaguars did well to keep him from jumping to Chicago.

What’s next: Receiver has to be addressed beyond a change in position coach and the addition of Robinson. If it’s not in the first round, it needs to be early. The franchise is trying to maximize Blaine Gabbert’s chances to be a franchise quarterback, and few would be able to establish themselves with the current cast of wideouts.

The Jaguars are a top pass-rushing end away from being a top-flight defense. Can they find him seventh overall in the draft? They could tab someone like South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, though it’s hard to say he or any rookie would be an immediate solution. Most ends need some time to become impact guys in the league.

The Jaguars could certainly look to add in the secondary free-agent market and when players are set free late in training camp.

Tennessee Titans

Key additions: DE Kamerion Wimbley, RG Steve Hutchinson.

Key losses: CB Cortland Finnegan, DL Jason Jones, WR Donnie Avery.

Sidetracked: Did the Titans miss out on real chances to sign either Scott Wells, who went to St. Louis, or Chris Myers, who stayed in Houston, as their new center because they were focused on chasing quarterback Peyton Manning? Perhaps. But when the owner declares that his executives and coaches need to put the hard sell on an all-time great QB with roots in the team’s state, that’s what you do.

Ideally, the team will still find an alternative to Eugene Amano. If the Titans find a new center to go with Hutchinson, who replaces free agent Jake Scott in the starting lineup, the interior offensive line could see a big improvement. That could have a big bearing on running back Chris Johnson, provided he takes care of his own business.

What’s next: The Titans think Wimbley will excel as a full-time defensive end, but they can’t afford for him to be too full time. He’s a smaller guy who’s played mostly as a 3-4 outside linebacker, and shouldn’t be asked to play every down of every game. That means they still need more help at end, where the only other guys they have right now are Derrick Morgan and Malcolm Sheppard.

Look for them to address depth at corner -- where they feel fine about Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner as the starters, if that’s how it falls -- as well as at receiver. One wild-card spot could be running back. Are they content with Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper as changeups to Johnson, or would they like to add a big back?

The Titans are still pursuing center Scott Wells, and landing him would come with dumping Eugene Amano, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

If this unfolds, the Titans would have a line of left tackle Michael Roos, left guard Steve Hutchinson, center Wells, right guard Leroy Harris and right tackle David Stewart.

The line pass protected very well last season, but the Titans' run game plummeted to last in the league. Coach Mike Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman, declined to place blame on the interior line. But if two-thirds of it is replaced, it will show what the team really thought.

With that revamped unit, a lot would fall on Chris Johnson. The speedy back struggled last season after getting a new contract, and his effort came into question. I wrote Friday about my expectations for him if Peyton Manning joins the Titans.

Here’s McGinn:

Tennessee is set at guard, with two-year starter Leroy Harris on the left side and Hutchinson now penciled in on the right side where Jake Scott played every snap in 2011. Scott, their least effective starter, now will depart as an unrestricted free agent.

The Titans aren't overly thrilled with center Eugene Amano, and would easily release him if they can sign Wells, according to an NFL source. They're looking to upgrade the offensive line.

Amano, 30, has three years remaining on a five-year, $26.25 million contract that he signed in February 2010. He started at left guard in 2008 and '09, and then moved to center in 2010 after the departure of Kevin Mawae, but it's no secret that the Titans haven't been satisfied with their production at center since Mawae.

Although Wells left Tennessee at mid-week to visit St. Louis, it's pretty obvious that the Titans would be his preferred landing place. He played high-school football outside Nashville, he makes his home in Nashville, and his agent is from Nashville.

John Clayton reports guard Steve Hutchinson has agreed to a three-year deal with the Titans.

He's expected to take over right guard from Jake Scott, who's a free agent the Titans haven't tried to keep.

Hutchinson is friends with Peyton Manning, and his addition to a Titans offensive line coming off a year of high-caliber pass protection certainly can't hurt Tennessee as it attempts to convince Manning that he wants to play his remaining years in Nashville, not Denver.

Like virtually every element to this situation that we've discussed, this is one small piece. And I can't imagine Manning's looking at small pieces, he's looking at the sum of the small pieces.

But the Titans just upped the sum. Can they make another move soon to boost it again?

The money isn’t mine. I’m not certain about what you can afford and what the market will pay when free agency opens on March 13. I’m not positive about your plans and schemes.

But I’ve got a good sense of your team. We've looked at the free-agent list.

And here’s what I’d try to do with your major issues:

1) Let cornerback Cortland Finnegan go. He’s a good player, not a great one. The Titans will miss his feistiness more than his production, and you don’t pay huge dollars for feistiness. He’s not in the ranks of corners worth in the neighborhood of $10 million annually. Let Alterraun Verner join Jason McCourty in the starting lineup. Let Ryan Mouton, Chris Hawkins, Tommie Campbell and a draft pick and/or a mid-range veteran vie for the nickel role. (Mouton would play inside, in other scenarios Verner would move inside.)

2) Let safety Michael Griffin go. He can be a good player, but is far too inconsistent. He’s at his best when those around him are playing well. But at the price he’ll have now, he should be a guy who sets the tone, not a guy who needs it set for him. Look closely at free agents safeties like Tyvon Branch from Oakland, Dashon Goldson from San Francisco and Dwight Lowery from Jacksonville.

3) Pursue Colts defensive end Robert Mathis if he gets to free agency. He’s got a super motor and, while he just turned 31, I’d bet he can play three more good years. Structure a deal so you can get out after two if you have to and look to him to set the tone for your other primary rushers, Derrick Morgan and a draft pick.

4) Sign Philadelphia guard Evan Mathis to replace Jake Scott. Mathis is older than Baltimore’s Ben Grubbs, but will also be less expensive. In seven seasons with Carolina, Miami, Cincinnati and Philadelphia he’s played in 73 games with 37 starts. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. says he’s a great fit for Tennessee.

5) Re-sign safety Jordan Babineaux. This appears to be just about done. A rule regarding Babineaux’s previous contract prevents the team from completing a new deal before the start of the new league year. But they could have a deal ready to go on March 13.

6) Offer Jason Jones a contract based on moving him back to defensive tackle, admitting he’s better and more productive inside than out. (They’ve said they still see him as an end, and they aren’t in sync with me on this one at all.)

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Titans' offensive line is good as it is. Unless it isn’t.

That was the gist of what Mike Munchak said about the group at the NFL scouting combine.

I think he had an excellent first year overall, and he’s certainly judged foremost on his team’s performance. Few thought he had 9-7 talent, but he fielded a 9-7 team.

He’s an accommodating and accountable media presence.

But too often he takes all sides of an issue, as he did in this piece on the offensive line -- where indications are right guard Jake Scott will become a free agent and where left guard Leroy Harris and center Eugene Amano are coming off less-than-great seasons.

“You’re looking at all your options in the offseason. I could be standing here thinking we’re not necessarily going to do something, then all of a sudden in free agency we feel there’s a lineman out there that could really make a difference," he said. "A lot of times you just want to shake the room up, you want to make a change that’s good for the team. Sometimes that helps, so we’ll look at that. We are open to things depending on how the draft falls. We could go into the draft not thinking about taking an offensive lineman then all of a sudden it’s your pick and there’s an offensive lineman in the second or third round that you weren’t necessarily thinking of taking and all of a sudden maybe it’s the right thing to do for your team at that time. We’re not going into the draft or free agency thinking we must go get this guy because we have this huge hole. I don’t feel we have any holes there, it’s just a matter of we have to play better.”

Munchak said moving Amano back to guard from center is a possibility. He said there is an opportunity for Scott to return, though previously he said the team would get younger on the interior line, and Scott is the only old guy there.

Thursday Munchak also said: “We’re going to be looking at combinations if there’s a better way to fix it and that will be one of the things that goes into the mix over the next few months.”

I understand there are all sorts of possibilities ahead and that the team doesn’t want to publicly box itself in on anything.

But inside a five-minute span there, the Titans coach said the line doesn’t have any holes and offered up that it is looking for a “better way to fix it.”

Are there no holes or does it need to be fixed?

I’m not trying to nitpick. I just want to know.

Who played the most on offense in the AFC South in 2011?

Here’s a rundown, with percentage of offensive snaps played:

QB – Matt Hasselbeck, Titans, 90.4

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, 74.93

FB – Greg Jones, Jaguars, 38.71

WR – Reggie Wayne, Colts, 98.8

WR – Pierre Garcon, Colts, 95.5

TE – Owen Daniels, Texans, 79.13

C – Brad Meester, Jaguars, 100

G – Wade Smith, Texans, 100

G – Uche Nwaneri, Jaguars, 100

G – Jake Scott, Titans, 100

T – Jeff Linkenbach, Colts, 100

T – Michael Roos, Titans, 100

A few notes:

Chris Johnson was the only back other than MJD to play as much as 60 percent of his team’s snaps (70.23).

Jones was the only fullback to play at least a third of his team’s snaps. Houston’s James Casey was next in fullback playing time, working 32.39 percent of the Texans’ snaps.

Wayne missed just 12 snaps and Garcon only 44 for the Colts. They are both heading for unrestricted free agency, and if both are lost that’s a lot of playing time to fill in. The next biggest number for a receiver in the division? The Titans' Nate Washington at 82.9.

Daniels didn’t beat out Jacksonville’s Marcedes Lewis (76.75) by much. I’d bet guessing the No. 3 tight end would be tough. Prove me wrong in the comments section below.

Two other offensive linemen narrowly missed 100 percent: Titans guard Eugene Amano missed only one play and Colts center Jeff Saturday was off the field for just six.

Carl from Iowa writes: I still don't understand why Miami still seems to be a favorite to land Peyton. Why would he choose to play against Tom Brady twice, Rex twice, and at least one hellishly cold game in Buffalo every season? The AFC East already has two legitimate teams, and I think if he chooses Miami he's headed straight for irrelevance (as much as Peyton could be irrelevant).

Paul Kuharsky: I don’t know that Miami will be the favorite for Peyton Manning if he’s free.

I guess New England is a sure thing to be good, but you really think Manning is fearing Rex Ryan? Or anyone?

If I am him, I’m not putting a lot of weight into what division I’m playing in. It’s not about the other guys, it’s about you and your guys.

And things change so dramatically year to year, what’s to say he goes to a “softer” division, say to Arizona in the NFC West, only to see the Seahawks emerge as a big breakout team to go along with the 49ers next season? There are surprises every year -- good teams getting bad and vice versa.

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Marty from Jacksonville writes: You say you like Gene Smith but then you go on to say "it would take quite an effort to be worse" for the Jaguars in 2012. Are you saying you like Gene Smith personally but you think he's incompetent?

Paul Kuharsky: That’s quite a leap you made there. That’s not what I am saying at all.

I like him and he’s found some very good players. The defensive additions last season were excellent.

His quarterback of choice played too soon and was horrible. It doesn’t mean Blaine Gabbert is going to be horrible for life.

Good people who are good at their jobs are part of bad seasons all the time. It doesn’t make them incompetent.

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Matt from Miami Fla., writes: "Independent of that, I’ve fished around to see if I should allow the idea of Tennessee pursuing Manning to breathe or do my part to snuff it out. And all indications have been that wise reporting would be to do the latter." Why don't you just report on what's happening regardless of what you consider wise? If it's happening and affecting people on your beat, report it. You won't go wrong that way.

Paul Kuharsky: I wasn't saying what move would be wise, I was saying what would be wise to report. My desire there was to be transparent. I’d gotten indications they weren't interested in Manning that I was not ready to report. Then general manager Ruston Webster said what he said, and that changed the environment and made what I had appropriate to share as a supplement to his public comments.

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Jason Peters from Los Angeles writes: If we, the Titans, need a new potential free agent to lust over, it should be Mario Williams. In his prime and within the division? That's a rare opportunity. Plus we have plenty of cash to spend.”

Paul Kuharsky: Don’t get carried away with the “plenty of cash” concept. Between $30-35 million available, but a good share of that money has to fund Cortland Finnegan or a replacement, two starting safeties (Michael Griffin, Chris Hope, and Jordan Babineaux are gone or need to be re-signed), a starting guard (Jake Scott’s gone) and a defensive linemen (either Jason Jones or his replacement). If that lineman is Williams, that’s a big chunk of that money.

Yes, they can afford him. But Williams will be overpaid. And the Titans don’t generally say, “We’re willing to overpay in order to get Player X.” They generally go find Player Y instead.

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Aaron M from Houston writes: Paul, first off love your blog man always have an interesting way of looking at things. My comment is has to deal with the recent celebration of Justin Tuck at the Super Bowl, where he does the Namaste bow after a sack. And as anyone that has a TV knows Arian Foster has done this almost every week since he has been in the league. Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with something like this but the fact that he went on the Fallon show and coined it as "Tucking" had me at a loss for words. Just wanted to see what your thoughts were and if someone should call him out for his sticky fingers. Have at it.

Paul Kuharsky: I think it would be pretty hard to claim a copyright on the move, which happens all over the place all the time. Tuck, not Foster, is the one who got to do it on the big stage, so he gets to claim it/ name it/ whatever. But who’s going to jump on board and call bowing like that "Tucking" when it’s been called bowing forever?

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Brutus from Houston: I know everyone is clamoring for the Texans to take a receiver with their first pick, but is it conceivable that they could take another cornerback or outside linebacker with that pick due to the depth at the receiver position?

Paul Kuharsky: We have to see who goes (and comes) in free agency before we know their top needs. Sure they could take another corner, though I’d hope Brandon Harris will be ready to be more of a contributor. If Mario Williams is gone, they certainly need a better third option to take some snaps off the plate of Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed and provide depth at outside linebacker.

I also don’t think the Texans think themselves as receiver-needy as many outsiders do. But they should add at least one weapon.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer polls his quarterbacks on their three favorite plays out of each week’s game plan.

Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker and Rusty Smith all voted this week for a deep crossing route.

It was a play the Titans ran with great success in a 23-17 Christmas Eve win over the Jaguars that kept Tennessee in contention for the sixth and final berth in the AFC playoff field.

The Titans need to finish in a three-way tie at 9-7 with the Bengals and Jets or with the Bengals and Raiders to earn the No. 6 seed.

The trio of signal-callers often votes the same way in separate, secret balloting which influences Palmer’s approach, Hasselbeck said.

“It’s mental telepathy or something,” he said. “We get along really well, we like the same plays. They think we’re cheating off of each other, but we’re not.”

Rarely does the favored play contribute so heavily to a favored result.

Hasselbeck leaned on it heavily and posted strong passing numbers despite two interceptions, with 24 completions in 40 pass attempts, for 350 yards and a touchdown.

Tight end Jared Cook is a big, fast, receiver-like threat. He disappears at times and has not been featured the way many of us expected he would be this season. In Week 15 he lost a deadly fumble in Indianapolis when the Titans were mounting a charge.

But he keyed this Titans win with eight catches for 169 yards and the 55-yard score on a mismatch with Jaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, who was left in an unreasonably difficult spot by the coverage.

No tight end for the Titans or Oilers ever collected so much receiving yardage in one game. The previous record was 150 by Houston’s Dave Casper in 1980.

While the Jaguars have a strong front seven, they do not have particularly threatening edge pass-rushers. That helped the Titans feel comfortable lining Cook up less often next to a tackle, and more often in a two-by-two set, as if he were a receiver in a four-wide formation.

Nate Washington, also in a slot, typically drew nickelback Drew Coleman in coverage. Hasselbeck said that also helped get Cook into open space more often than usual.

Cook said the Titans talked all week about the opportunities they’d find against an injury-depleted Jaguars defense. The Jaguars are without both their starting corners, Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox, and played Saturday minus starting safety Dwight Lowery. That meant Ashton Youboty and Morgan Trent started at corner and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah was in the lineup at safety.

Youboty suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter, and couldn't finish the game. He was replaced by David Jones, a player Jacksonville decided was not part of its future at the end of training camp.

Combine all that change with a gimpy Chris Johnson, who sprained an ankle last week, and the Titans decided to push it with the pass.

“We kind of looked at the first-15 script and saw there was a little change up from the normal,” Cook said, referring to the preordained 15 plays the Titans wanted to run out of the gate if the situations permitted for them. “We kind of got excited. So kudos to coach Palmer for kind of doing that and catching the defense off guard.”

Not to harp, but… While the Titans are over last week’s loss at previously winless Indianapolis, I can’t help wonder how things might be different for them had they taken this approach a week earlier against the Colts, who rush the passer better but also have a secondary minus three starters.

“It’s just hard to predict games,” Hasselbeck said.

It’s hard, too, to predict what happens in all the games that influence the Titans’ chances next week.

But the Texans are locked into the third seed, and have nothing to gain with a win and nothing to lose with a loss. If the Titans find their way in, their opponent isn’t in question. They’ll go right back to Houston for a wild-card game.

The Titans know they’ve blown a ton of chances that would have left them in a better spot.

“We’re alive,” guard Jake Scott said. “That’s all you can ask for right now. We’ve got to handle our business and hope for the help that we need.”

Displeased with the Saints after Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, a couple members of the Tennessee Titans aired their complaints.

Right guard Jake Scott said he thought someone at the Saints' bench was blowing a whistle late in the game that was conflicting with the whistles of the game officials. A producer of the Titans’ weekly TV show could hear it through a microphone being worn by left tackle Michael Roos.

And receiver Nate Washington had a big issue with the way safety Roman Harper took Damian Williams down by his facemask and then stepped over him, calling Harper "a dirty player."

My more detailed account of the accusations can be found here, on the ESPN.com NFL news page.

ATLANTA -- The Titans are getting mislabeled.

They are not an inconsistent team. If anything, their 23-17 loss to the Falcons at the Georgia Dome made them even more predictable.

Over their past eight games, the formula’s been simple: They have beaten bad teams and lost to good ones.

It’s easy to see they are better than Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Carolina. It’s just as clear they are not in a class with Pittsburgh, Houston, Cincinnati and Atlanta.

The Titans are too sloppy, don’t find enough big plays and don’t match up well enough with quality teams. Ten games into the season, they’re 5-5 and it’s exactly what they deserve.

Sunday they played good enough red zone defense to stay in the game, but could never get back to even from 13-0 and 23-3 deficits.

A look at three key issues for Tennessee coming out of the game:

The quarterback situation: Matt Hasselbeck banged his elbow as he threw late in the third quarter. He couldn’t generate any power on the ball after that, so doctors had him yield to rookie Jake Locker.

“He did exactly what a second-team quarterback should do when he gets an opportunity,” coach Mike Munchak said.

Locker moved right and hit Nate Washington, who stiff-armed a defender and ran to the end zone on a 40-yard touchdown play. In the fourth quarter, working in hurry-up mode out of the shotgun, he ran for 11 yards on a third-and-10, he hit tight end Jared Cook for 22 yards on a fourth-and-17 and he found Washington for another touchdown with 3:09 left in the game.

The defense, however, couldn’t get provide him a chance to engineer a game-winning drive.

Locker finished with a 107.3 passer rating, but the Titans diffused any possibility of a quarterback controversy.

Hasselbeck is sore and he had ice wrapped around the inside of his left elbow and forearm as he spoke to the press. He said he’ll have an MRI Monday. Munchak said he wasn’t about to make a change based on the small sampling of Locker. If Hasselbeck is fine, “he’s the quarterback, there is no doubt about that.”

While Hasselbeck hardly has his best game -- 13-of-25 passing for 124 yards, an interception and a 49.4 passer rating -- the Titans aren’t going to forget how large a role he’s played in many of their good moments this season.

“Jake kind of puts a defense on its heels a little bit, because you’ve got a younger guy who can run,” receiver Lavelle Hawkins said. “That’s taking nothing away from Matt, because Matt is a great mind who knows how to read a lot of stuff and sees a lot of things before they happen. I think either, or is great.”

Making mistakes: Munchak’s Titans were supposed to be a disciplined team that executed precisely. But there was a major lack of precision in key moments against the Falcons.

The Falcons went for it on fourth-and-1 twice in the second half.

They motioned and reset, then motioned and reset again, making it seem like they were merely waiting for the defense to jump. On the first instance, Matt Ryan had the ball snapped and snuck at an unexpected time in the long sequence of shuffling.

And on the second, defensive end William Hayes was flagged for jumping offsides.

“There is no excuse for me doing that, it’s fourth-and-1, I’ve got to be patient,” Hayes said. “They got me.”

He actually got bailed out as Colin McCarthy forced a Michael Turner fumble on the next play and Will Witherspoon recovered it.

That’s when Locker took the Titans on the 14-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that cut the lead to six with 3:06 left.

With three timeouts and the two-minute warning, Tennessee then needed to force a punt to get Locker the ball back.

And on the very first play from scrimmage, safety Jordan Babineaux slipped off Turner, allowing him to spring free for a 27-yard gain. Two Jason Snelling carries and a 6-yard Harry Douglas catch later and Ryan was ready to take a knee three times and shake some hands.

The Titans failed to slow Atlanta’s stars. Ryan passed for 316 yards, Turner ran for 100 and receiver Roddy White pulled in seven catches for 147 yards.

On top of that, the Titans were flagged for 10 penalties. They accounted for 86 yards and five of the Falcons’ 25 first downs.

“We didn’t play smart for 60 minutes,” Munchak said.

Mixed up routes: It seems every game the receivers have at least one mixed-up moment that costs Tennessee a chance or causes a problem.

The Titans were behind only 7-0 when the biggie in this game arrived.

Hasselbeck threw up the left side and Hawkins appeared to be out of position as cornerback Dunta Robinson intercepted the pass.

The receiver stopped running, looking around puzzled instead of pouncing to touch Robinson while he was down. Robinson got up and ran for 14 yards.

Guard Jake Scott yelled at Hawkins over the failure to stop a return. Hasselbeck pointed and screamed as he left the field, clearly annoyed by the way the play unfolded.

Damian Williams, who ran a post on the same side of the field, said the underneath receiver is supposed to cut in if the Titans are running it or cut out if they are throwing it. He said he was partially to blame for not getting the check communicated.

Said Hasselbeck: “I believe what happened is when I checked, Hawk wasn’t looking at me. I think when I checked they were adjusting who was on the ball, who was off the ball. I was trying to throw it to Hawk, yes. I’m not sure if he knew it was a pass or not.”

Mistakes will happen, I understand.

If the Titans are getting 1.1 yards a carry from Chris Johnson, they need to be an exact passing offense, however. Under the previous regime, Hawkins didn’t get on the field much because he was regarded as undependable.

On that and the Titans being average or worse, things don’t appear to have changed much.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With apologies to Chris Johnson, I’ve grown tired of all the apologies for Chris Johnson.

The Tennessee Titans got to celebrate a win at LP Field on Sunday, a 27-10 handling of the winless Indianapolis Colts.

But Johnson was completely ineffective again: Against the league's second-worst run defense, he turned 14 carries into 34 yards. The effort dropped his yards-per-carry average for the season from 2.9 to 2.8.

The consensus remains that everyone involved shares in the blame, and certainly they do. But I simply didn’t see the sort of determination you expect from an NFL lead back, better yet one of the six who’s topped 2,000 yards in a season and one who entered the season with a 5.0 career average.

In the other locker room, it was no surprise that the Colts said Johnson is the same guy he’s always been. It makes them look good to say it, because they just stopped him. And they aren’t about to give him any fodder to get going for the rematch on Dec. 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But a bit of what came from Johnson’s teammates bordered on excuse making.

“Honestly, a lot of times it’s not his fault why runs don’t happen for him,” said the team’s second running back, Javon Ringer." ... Of course fans are going to see just Chris Johnson, the name. They’re not seeing how things develop for him to be able to have those big runs. The most important part of our offense is our offensive line.”

“I guess everybody would feel different if they came in and watched film with us and literally saw why things happen.”

Great, I accept on behalf of the AFC South blog readers. What time should I be at the facility? Will we actually name names on each play? When I see Johnson get hit early and stop trying, will I suddenly see how that’s not on him?

Ringer tiptoed like Johnson on a stretch play when asked how he fared better turning his 14 carries into 60 yards, 26 more than Johnson managed with the same workload. Ringer too doesn’t want to offend.

A defense lets down when Ringer is in the game because he’s not earned the respect Johnson has, he explained.

Maybe the Titans will be trendsetters. Maybe soon we’ll see offensive strategy shift across the league: Dynamic playmakers will head for the bench so defenses will relax in order for second-stringers with less talent, shorter résumés and smaller contracts to take advantage.

Also in the Titans’ locker room I heard that Johnson split carries in his 2,006-yard season with LenDale White (when Johnson actually had 294 more). I heard that it’s still relatively early (yes, we’re only 43.8 percent into the Titans’ season). I heard about the strain of expectations and even about the benefits of a reduced workload.

“I know for me you can try to do too much when people get on you,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “When things aren’t going well, you can try to do a little too much … I know that’s gotten me, but I didn’t see that.”

When guard Jake Scott was told coach Mike Munchak intends to split the carries 50-50 going forward -- which was not actually what Munchak said -- Scott suggested that could help Johnson.

So a guy who just got a $53 million contract with $30 million guaranteed by selling himself as a playmaker would do well to be reduced to a part-time player, I asked?

“If he can be better doing that, that’s fine,” Scott said. “If that works out better, it might be better for him ... We have two good backs, we actually have three good backs. There is no reason to put the whole load on one person.”

How the standards have fallen. I don’t propose Johnson take every handoff, but he’s supposed to be a singular back. He should be expected to be a singular back. He got the contract of a singular back. And a singular back gets the lion’s share of the work.

Hasselbeck and Munchak ultimately had better reasons to explain Johnson's recent decline.

Hasselbeck played with Shaun Alexander in Seattle, a running back whose career dropped precipitously after he got a big contract.

“When you’re so successful and you produce in such a major way with fantasy football and all of that stuff, people are just expecting it just to happen,” Hasselbeck said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s hard to be that elite all the time, so people got on him real quick, real easy. He probably got a little too much credit when things were good and definitely got too much blame when things were bad.”

Scott said Sunday’s win featured the Titans’ best run effort of the season.

It was the best day in terms of carries (31) and apologies made on Johnson’s behalf. It was the second-best in terms of yards (96). But only twice have the Titans fared worse per carry than the 3.1 average.

As for the effort question, Munchak offered the best explanation of the day and said he’s got no complaints in that department.

“To me, he’s running like he’s done here, like the type of runner he is,” Munchak said. “He’s never been known to be a guy who’s going to break two or three tackles at the line of scrimmage. That’s not his type of thing.

"... I don’t think people are apologizing for him.”

The coach said everyone is taking accountability for it: the back, the line, the fullback, the playcallers, the coaches.

“No one’s protecting him,” Munchak said. “… It’s just hard for our team. I coached the offensive line for 14 years, we’ve never been last in rushing. When you are all of a sudden, in something that you’ve prided yourself on, obviously it gets a lot of attention.”

We’re here to serve.

It’s ugly in Indianapolis.

At 0-7, the Colts are talking about sticking together, improving and giving themselves a chance to win.

But as they prepare for a trip to Nashville for a Sunday meeting with the Titans at LP Field, they are a severely broken team. Where they would be with Peyton Manning is an interesting hypothetical question, but we’re dealing with realities. And those realities are the sort that will test the franchise’s stitching -- seamwork that might not hold together when this is all over.

Who’s at fault? Everyone’s got a hand in it, but let’s look at the Colts from a couple of angles.

A big cover-up: It’s not a secret that Manning has helped cover up a lot of flaws and allowed the franchise to under-address certain areas.

The Colts during the Manning era have never been much concerned with size, always valuing speed and instincts more. They’ve never worried about stocking special teams with any veteran backups, in part because they spend their money on stars or adding a high-quality return man. They’ve settled for being below average running the ball. And they’ve won despite a general inability to stop the run.

Without their four-time MVP running the offense, all those things are magnified in ways they’ve never been before.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. They’re built to have Manning at the controls, and he’s been there all the time from the very beginning in 1998 until opening day this season.

There are maybe two teams and markets in the league that would not trade for what the Colts have done since 1999. Twelve consecutive playoff seasons followed by one complete dud? Where do I sign up for that?

Construct questions: That said, regardless of a serious neck surgery to the star quarterback, what exactly was the plan in the secondary? Is an evaluation that leaves Jacob Lacey, Terrence Johnson, Kevin Thomas and Chris Rucker as cornerbacks Nos. 2 through 5 good enough? Absolutely not.

The Colts get credit for adding a couple of outside veterans this season -- linebacker Ernie Sims, and defensive ends Jamaal Anderson and Tyler Brayton. But the drafting has dropped off.

Set aside the most recent class, as it’s too early to judge.

The Colts drafted 41 players from 2005 through 2010. I count one star, safety Antoine Bethea, and two guys who can become stars, linebacker Pat Angerer and receiver Austin Collie (if he’s working with Manning). Running back Joseph Addai is a good fit who does more than people think. And receiver Pierre Garcon and cornerback Jerraud Powers have been pretty solid starters.

Sure, the Colts drafted higher in the five years before. Still, those classes produced five guys who rank among the best players of their generation at their positions: tight end Dallas Clark, defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, safety Bob Sanders, and receiver Reggie Wayne. The next tier provided steady starters on the offensive line (Jake Scott, Ryan Diem) and at linebacker (David Thornton).

That list is more than a third of a starting team, a big-time core. As those guys age or disappear, I'm not seeing a core in waiting.

Colts president-turned-vice chairman Bill Polian said recently on his radio show that they needed to have done better recently, particularly at defensive tackle and cornerback.

And there is a domino effect to the problem. Find Tarik Glenn’s ultimate replacement at left tackle in 2007, and you don’t need to use your top pick in 2011 on Anthony Castonzo. Hit on Donald Brown in the first round in 2009, and Delone Carter might not be necessary in the fourth round in 2011.

The Polians: Bill Polian has been pulling back and yielding responsibility to his son, GM Chris Polian. (Chris politely declined to be interviewed for this story.)

We don’t yet have much tape on Chris Polian, so to speak. Bill Polian is a good talent evaluator who has had success in three NFL stops and has done well to build a team with which Manning has won. But Bill Polian also has overseen those recent draft drop-offs.

His strong-willed personality is part of what has made him good at his job, and his big-picture assessment of important league issues is as intelligent as anyone’s. He’s got clout and influence that extend beyond Indianapolis.

Stylistically, he’s a stubborn and demanding boss. There are indications from within that, without the steady stream of personnel hits he provided earlier in his tenure, some inside the building are tiring of the way things are run.

Bill Polian recently talked about how Curtis Painter's play vindicates the team for having faith in him, but failed to mention that faith was so strong that the team signed Kerry Collins to a $4 million contract shortly before the season started and handed him the starting job.

I suspect Bill Polian has the backing of owner Jim Irsay for as long as he wants it. That would ensure safety for Chris Polian, too.

Bill Polian made the Manning-over-Ryan Leaf call in 1998. Because of the way Leaf busted, people forget that was a coin flip at the time, that Leaf was regarded as a big-time prospect just as much as Manning was. Polian called it correctly, built a team that’s been to two Super Bowls and won one, got a new stadium built, and greatly enhanced the value of Irsay’s franchise.

Cryptic messages: Further complicating things is Irsay, who clearly gets a kick out of being the center of NFL attention in the Twitter-verse but has undermined some of his people with it.

He announced the team added Collins while coach Jim Caldwell was conducting his daily news conference. It did Caldwell no favors, as he appeared completely out of the loop.

Most recently, following the 62-7 loss in New Orleans on Sunday night, Irsay provided this gem:

“Titanic collapse, apologies 2 all ColtsNation...problems identifiable;solutions in progress but complex in nature/ better days will rise again”

A day later, he added:

"Just because you perceive problems on the horizon,and you possess solutions..doesn't mean they are avoidable and implementation is instant"

Solutions in progress, but complex in nature. That sounds to me like what would be written in big silver letters on the lobby wall of a consulting company on a TV show. Or a clever, but far-too-long name for a band.

It also sounds like change is going to come.

Coaching questions: While Bill Polian recently said that adding Jim Tressel to the staff as a replay consultant was Caldwell’s idea, it’s a weird-looking move that’s made some of us wonder whether a bigger role awaits the former Ohio State coach.

Caldwell does a nice job managing personalities, looking at things philosophically and staying on message. I believe he’s a good teacher, and his patient, quiet style is generally healthy for a team with a good share of veteran stars.

But he has blind spots, too, and is hardly a strategy master. There are bound to be significant changes at the conclusion of what’s sure to be a dreadful season, and he’ll be at the front of the line.

If he does the best job we can remember at holding a terrible, ineffective team together, is that enough? I’d guess not.

Injuries: This team gets hurt too much. There is a huge element of bad luck to it, of course. But is there something bigger at work as well?

Last season as quality players went down, Manning helped some role players such as tight end Jacob Tamme and receiver Blair White emerge. This season, guys such as linebacker Gary Brackett and safety Melvin Bullitt were lost for the season early, and there's been a revolving door on the offensive line because of injuries.

The Colts are constantly testing their depth and shuffling the back end of their roster. There is only so much shuffling a depth chart can handle.

I believe they need to attempt some change that might have a positive effect on their overall health -- whether it be adopting new training philosophies, altering how they evaluate prospects or changing personnel philosophies.

It's easy to ask them to figure out why they tend to suffer so many injuries, and it's hard to find an answer. But some sort of shift is due, even as we know it comes with no guarantee of better health.

When the current approach is failing, it's OK to try something else. It's not admitting some sort of failure; it's merely part of a necessary process of evaluating and revising operations.

Suck for Luck: Given a chance to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, I think the Colts would. Bill Polian can give Chris Polian the guy expected to be the NFL's next great quarterback, and Chris Polian's legacy would be built on a fantastic cornerstone.

But there is no losing on purpose to get in position for Luck. You think Wayne or Mathis is interested in such a master plan?

Said veteran center and team tone-setter Jeff Saturday: “I'll steal a Robert Mathis quote: 'I ain't sucking for anybody.'”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After the final play before the two-minute warning, their eighth run play in a row, Texans offensive linemen had hands on their hips, gasping for air.

As Houston bled the clock, the Texans enjoyed the best kind of tired there is in football, the kind that comes after you run the ball almost 50 times and dictate things with nearly 38 minutes of possession.

“It feels great, we’re fresh,” Houston linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. “To finish a game and not be beat up and tired is a good feeling. The offensive line is going to be dragging getting on the plane going home, but that’s the work of an offensive lineman. They won the line of scrimmage. Arian Foster and Ben Tate did a great, great job running the ball.”

By the time the Texans were done with their 41-7 dismantling Sunday of the Titans at LP Field, Foster had 115 yards rushing, 119 yards receiving and three touchdowns; Tate added 104 yards rushing. The offensive line’s good work also included great pass protection as QB Matt Schaub was not sacked.

As I canvassed the visitors locker room, two lines of questioning produced consistent answers:

• One big win didn’t reshape the Texans' expectations or standards.
• Despite the miserable day they created for him, they still rate Titans running back Chris Johnson as a dangerous home-run threat.

As much as the Texans banged on both ideas, neither is true.

For the Texans to be this much better than the Titans in Nashville makes them the clear-cut favorite to win the AFC South, even if safety Danieal Manning's left leg injury is serious.

The Texans have a favorable schedule ahead. They will get Andre Johnson, one of the game’s top wide receivers, back from a hamstring injury that’s been holding him out. They have as good a one-two punch at running back as anyone in the NFL. They have a consistently disruptive defensive front working hand-in-hand with an improving secondary.

“Today we showed how good we can be,” rookie defensive end J.J. Watt said. “When we put all three phases together, we can be a very, very dominant football team. We just need to be sure we come with that every single week.”

“Right now, we just keep our head down and our blinders on and we just look to Jacksonville,” Schaub said. “We look to the next game. You can’t look at the big picture. Good or bad, positive or negative, you can’t listen to the outside hype.”

In a division loaded with quality runners, the Texans showed off Foster and Tate and deepened the major dent in Chris Johnson, holding him to 18 yards on 10 carries.

Chris Johnson was regularly booed by the home crowd, which was fueled by some good touches by backup back Javon Ringer, who started out one third-quarter series in the backfield and had four quality touches.

Ryans said Johnson is the same guy, just that the Texans built a wall to contain him. Linebacker Brian Cushing said Johnson’s still a home-run hitter who just hasn’t gotten in his groove yet. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Johnson’s still a major threat.

“When you are as talented as he is, you have a target on your chest,” Foster said of Johnson. “Teams game plan for you and it makes it tough. … It’s going to be tough treading out there, that’s just the game that we play. But he’s one of the better backs in our league.”

Titans right guard Jake Scott was the only starting lineman to be found in the Titans' locker room when it opened to media. He said when as much goes wrong as went wrong for the Titans, it’s hard to point at one guy.

But Johnson sounded like he was on the verge of pointing at his blockers, saying if you know football “you just see what is going on.”

“I won’t say that I’m the issue,” he said. “I’m very confident that I’ve been doing the things that I’ve been having to do. It’s a situation where I continue to say that I can’t do anything but keep running hard and working hard and doing what I can do for this team.”

“…It’s just a point where everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror and say they are not going to let the next man beat them. They have to overcome things and play at their top level.”

It’s past time for the Titans to make a change on the offensive line and to do something dramatic to spark Johnson back to life. It’s a necessity if they are going to stay in range of the Texans and ensure the rematch in Week 17 is meaningful. Saying that Johnson needs more carries is not enough, not when Ringer can break off a 25-yard chunk on his second carry.

In Tennessee it’ll be another week of questions about the anemic run game.

In Houston there will be another round of conversation about how good the Texans can be.

As I asked him about how the team would handle a new round of hype as a favorite to earn a playoff berth, veteran center Chris Myers rolled his eyes and nodded.

“You can’t take this game and think you’re the best thing going,” Myers said. “You’ve got to start from scratch again.”

“You don’t ever want to cling on to one game or one week,” Foster said. “The NFL is kind of like a soap opera. Every week had its big story lines. Everybody tries to hang onto something that happened the last week. But you have to go out and prove it every single day.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It’s everybody’s fault.

Five games into the Tennessee Titans’ season, Chris Johnson is not running the ball well. The team is fortunate to be 3-2 and heading into a game where it can establish itself as the division favorite without much of a contribution from the guy who's supposed to be their top playmaker.

And everyone involved says they have a role in it.

If the Titans’ biggest weapon continues to struggle, the fortunes are going to turn.

So what’s wrong?

The consensus is that he has been too hesitant and that the line is not blocking well enough.

“The Titans' interior offensive line and fullback haven’t played as well, the guards in particular,” one high-ranking NFL personnel man said. “Johnson isn’t pressing the hole with as much confidence and hasn’t been as decisive on his cuts, but a lot of that is controlled by what movement you’re able to get up front to create some creases.”

Those are pretty simple conclusions and there are two answers to them:

• Play better, which this group has shown before it can do. “We’ve proven we can get it done,” left guard Leroy Harris said.
• Change some of the personnel involved.

Let’s examine some of the key issues here.

CJ’s mentality: He’s saying all the right things and all the same things -- he just needs to continue to play and do all the same things and it will all work out. He has used the word slump.

"We don't want to get into I'm blaming the offensive line or the offensive line is blaming me," he said. "We've just basically got to work with what we've got."

Running backs coach Jim Skipper said he has worked to keep Johnson upbeat, so that he's not carrying concern around and letting it affect his game. Skipper’s emphasis is on staying positive, which sounds simple but can be one ingredient that helps a turnaround.

“You’ve got to keep practicing hard and be optimistic and be positive,” Skipper said. “And that’s what we’re doing. Just go back and just be Chris. His timing is coming back, things are a bit quicker for him, and hopefully it starts paying some dividends. ... You don’t add anything or do anything different. You just play football and do what the play is designed to do.”

Former NFL offensive line coach Larry Zierlein watched the Titans’ loss to the Steelers.

“The thing that struck me in that game was that Chris Johnson was very indecisive, particularly when running the outside zone/stretch play, which I believe is their signature play,” he said. “That play can go inside or outside but the runner must decide by his fourth step, based on his key of the defensive end, whether he is going inside or outside. It appeared to me that he was pre-determining to go outside and running laterally well beyond his fourth step. And when that wasn’t there, by the time he took it back inside the backside pursuit had closed that off, too.”

Team mentality: Coach Mike Munchak thinks the running game made big strides in the win in Cleveland and that a stall against the Steelers is hardly unusual.

“I still think he’s in a better position than people think he’s in,” Munchak said of Johnson. “Yes, he’s not had a great start. We are not happy with where we are in the run game. There’s no doubt about that and we know if we’re going to win the game this weekend or win any games or win our division, we’re going to have to run the ball a lot better.

“It’s hopefully staying in the game. The two games we lost, he had 12 carries and 13 carries. We can’t afford to let that happen in this game against the Texans. We have to run the football if we’re going to win, just like they have to.”

Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer’s play calling in Cleveland returned to some of unconventional counter-action that has helped Johnson before. Anything that gets the defense leaning the wrong way can be a big help to Johnson.

Space: Right guard Jake Scott said there are not regular busted assignments up front, that Johnson is the same and what’s going on “is not him.” Get him into space and he’s as dangerous as ever.

The thing is, Johnson’s rarely been in space. To get into space he first has to get through traffic, and so right now how good he can be running in traffic is the biggest question.

I’d like him to spin, dive and squirm to turn a no-gain into a yard and to turn a 1-yard run into a 2-yard run. That may be the start of a turnaround as much as a home run.

And he’s got to do some of that to make up for what’s been insufficient blocking.

“Oh, the run blocking has been hideous,” said Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders. “The total opposite of the pass blocking. Dead last in our Adjusted Line Yards stat. But Johnson doesn't seem to have the same burst, either. He doesn't have the long highlight runs he normally gets, even when he is able to get a hole.”

Potential for change: Munchak and offensive line coach Bruce Matthews, both Hall of Fame offensive linemen, have steadfastly supported Harris and center Eugene Amano, the young guys who have been the weakest line links. The organization deferred to that stance when making moves to adjust the roster before the season and most analysts, myself included, tend to still give those coaches the benefit of the doubt.

But Munchak was asked recently if the team was considering any changes to the line and he said “not yet.” That’s the first acknowledgement that it’s possible they’d pull someone. Fernando Velasco is the primary alternative on the interior, and he has played well in limited chances.

Both Amano and Harris said they are appreciative of the support from their coaches, but know they need to play better to continue to earn it.

“You never can get too comfortable,” Harris said. “You always want to play like your job is on the line.”

“You’ve got to be consistent at what you do each and every week in order to be relevant,” Amano said.

The contract: It has been a bad five games. But it’s far, far too early to decide conclusively that the Titans blew it by giving Johnson a big extension -- ending Johnson's preseason holdout by adding four years and $53 million with $30 million guaranteed to the two years he had remaining. It’s far, far too early to say conclusively that Johnson’s not the same player now that he got paid.

I understand the temptation to rush to judgment. I am here to try to temper it. Things can turn around in a week. But the longer he struggles, the bigger the worry.

When Reggie Wayne lines up wide to Kerry Collins' left for the Colts' first offensive snap Sunday in Houston, he will take over as the AFC South’s active leader in consecutive games started.

It will be No. 130 in a row in the regular season, and it will come on the day when Peyton Manning's streak ends at 208.

Wayne will be just eighth among active streaks, with Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber in line to move to 184. (Alan Faneca, also on Mike Sando's list here, has retired.)

Tennessee right guard Jake Scott will increase his streak, built with the Colts and Titans, to 105.

I know the streak meant a lot to Manning because it’s a testament to his toughness, a quality he doesn't typically get enough credit for. As we've written earlier this week, his neck injury is not a toughness issue.

As the Colts go forward Sunday without him, the streak’s not the thing he’ll be thinking of or lamenting. It's OK for us to spend a second lamenting it, though.