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Some thoughts on things that unfolded while I spent some time away from the blog last week. We may circle back to a few.

Houston Texans

The Texans intend to use James Casey as both their fullback and tight end. They tout his versatility and his ability to play both as part of what makes him attractive. But his single best quality is his soft hands. The Texans have a lot of people to throw to, but wherever they are lining Casey up, to maximize him as a player, they need to target him.

Houston isn’t interested in "Hard Knocks," and that shouldn’t be a surprise. I can’t imagine a camera tracking Gary Kubiak’s private training camp moments.

Indianapolis Colts

The team claimed Andre Smith off waivers from the Bears and cut Brody Eldridge in the same week. Eldridge didn’t seem to gain any traction with the new regime, which drafted two tight ends in the first three rounds. He was claimed by the Rams.

Meanwhile, former Colt Dallas Clark visited New England. It sure wouldn’t seem there is much opportunity for him with the Patriots, who’ve already got Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and signed veteran Daniel Fells earlier this offseason. It would be a surprise if Clark landed in New England unless he’s available later and someone gets hurt. He’s also visited Kansas City.

Jacksonville Jaguars

They are still the only known team that’s interested in "Hard Knocks." There is an idea floating around that they aren’t glamorous or compelling enough. But it’s a mistake to think the show needs a glamour team. Getting a thorough behind the scenes look at any team makes for compelling television, and interesting storylines abound in any camp by the mere nature of what is playing out.

Rashad Jennings is the team’s top back with Maurice Jones-Drew not participating in OTAs. I can’t see MJD getting the new deal he wants but I don’t think he’ll have a hard time learning the new offense once he arrives. Meanwhile, the capable Jennings will get valuable time after missing last season with an injury.

Tennessee Titans

There is a ton of talk about how different the Titans will be in 2012 after a full offseason for a coaching staff that worked with a quick turnaround in its first season. Receiver Nate Washington says the offense is going to sling it and defensive coordinator Jerry Gray is talking about installing his stuff rather than modifying the old stuff. We’ll see how much both of those ideas come to fruition.

Eugene Amano is rehabbing from knee surgery. But if the incumbent center, regarded as the line’s weak link, loses his job, it will be to an in-house competition. Kevin Matthews is currently in the best position to make a bid for the spot. There is bound to be some awkwardness to the competition, considering Matthews’ dad, Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, coaches the offensive line.

Houston Texans

Houston has signed five members of its 2012 draft class: center Ben Jones, receiver Keshawn Martin, defensive end Jared Crick, kicker Randy Bullock and tackle Nick Mondek.

Coach Gary Kubiak told James Casey that the team plans to use him as both a fullback and tight end this season, reports the Houston Chronicle's John McClain. "He’s going to play everywhere,” Kubiak said. “He’s our starting fullback. He’s a starting [tight end] if we go to two tights. It’s still about versatility with James.”

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts begin organized team activities Tuesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Complex.

The Colts suffered more than their fair share of injuries in 2011, continuing a trend going back to 2006, writes Stampede Blue's Brad Wells.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Coach Mike Mularkey likes Blaine Gabbert's ability to deal with criticism, something he had to do a lot during his rookie season. Mularkey: "I give him credit for handling the negativity -- I haven't seen it affect him."

With Josh Scobee out in a contract impasse, the Jaguars signed former Georgia kicker Brandon Coutu for a look during OTAs, which begin Tuesday.

Scobee and running back Maurice Jones-Drew are not expected to attend OTAs, reports the Florida Times-Union's Tania Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans reportedly hosted veteran safeties Yeremiah Bell and Chris Crocker on Tuesday, reports the Tennessean's Jim Wyatt.

Coach Mike Munchak said receiver Kenny Britt, who's recovering from ACL and MCL surgery, may need a second procedure on his knee before he's ready to play this season, reports Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.

Kicker Rob Bironas, coming off one of his best seasons, credits his consistency on the field to plenty of rest off of it, writes Wyatt.

Ben in Houston writes: In the chat yesterday someone asked about Coby Fleener to the Texans. I'm not busting your chops at all, but you read it as the Titans (understandably so when you've been speed-reading on a computer screen for awhile), and answered accordingly saying he wouldn't go as the 20th pick. But what do you think about Fleener to the Houston Texans at 26? I know Wright is the name everyone's putting out there, but Fleener is 6' 6", ran a sub-4.5 40, and the Texans love to run two tight sets when they have the personnel. Additionally with his height and speed, I don't see why he couldn't be considered a deep threat or even just a great complement to Andre if you wanted to put him in the slot. I know there is plenty of info I'm not privy to, but I'm interested in what your thoughts are and what additional insight you might be willing to impart. Thanks

Paul Kuharsky: It’s certainly possible. But I suspect one of those receivers -- or someone at another position -- will be judged more worthy of No. 26 than Fleener will be. The Texans have spent a lot of picks on tight ends. If they have Owen Daniels, James Casey (who may be working as a fullback at least some or could get to return to being more of a tight end) and Garrett Graham they could be OK at the spot.

The buzz on Fleener grew at Stanford’s pro day, but there wasn’t too much before that. He certainly looks like he can be a nice outlet for any quarterback and would work nicely in what the Texans do.

vallenii from Florida writes: Is it possible that the NFL would/will consider allowing QB's & WR's early camp access (like MLB does with pitchers and catchers)?

Paul Kuharsky: The players worked hard in negotiations last year to trim down the offseason. I can’t foresee them giving back a big “gain” in the name of certain players reporting early.

Greg in West Nashville writes: Titans GM Ruston Webster's main role is to make decisions to improve the team and he didn't feel Peyton Manning was worth pursuing until Bud Adams made him. Webster wants to shore up the defense. The Giants and Patriots were ranked behind the Titans in defense last year, but they both have elite QB's. Don't you think the Titans are behind the times in their way of thinking and will continue to be an 8-8 franchise?

Paul Kuharsky: Well, Manning chase aside, the Titans went and got their QB last year in Jake Locker. Now it’s a matter of when he takes over.

Defense and run games aren’t the surefire route to success they once were. But that doesn’t mean there are not multiple paths to winning.

My preference is what’s worked lately: Elite QB and weapons paired up with a big pass rush.

The AFC South is now a fullback division, unfortunately, with a philosophical mindset that may be behind the times.

Ian in College Station, Texas, writes: I just read the "Frustrated Texan Fan" article and thought your response was brilliant. You are truly one of the most unbiased writer at ESPN (in my own opinion). Keep up the good work!

Paul Kuharsky: Check’s in the mail, thanks. I need to keep your email handy, there are a lot of people I’d like to point to you.

Gary Kubiak conceded the early stages of free agency were rough on the Houston Texans.

They re-signed running back Arian Foster before he got to restricted free agency, and managed to keep center Chris Myers after he saw some interest from outside.

But gone through free-agent losses, cuts or trades are eight players of note.

Let’s take a look at each departure:

OLB Mario Williams (free agent, signed with Buffalo)

The team knew it was highly unlikely it would be able to keep him, and he got a giant contract from the Bills.

The glass-half-full side points out how well the Texans rushed the passer without Williams in the final 11 games and the playoffs last year and points out that he was always banged-up.

On the other side, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed need to be part of a three-man gang at the position, and the odds of the pass rush just picking up where it left off aren’t high. Bryan Braman is an interesting player and could be a factor in his second year. Look for another outside backer in the draft.

RT Eric Winston (cut, signed with Kansas City)

A strong and technically sound right tackle who was a big piece of a line that may have been the team’s best unit and ranked among the league’s best last season.

This move was the biggest surprise of all that’s unfolded, and Winston was courted heavily before landing in Kansas City.

The team could go with backup swing tackle Rashad Butler, who missed much of last season with an arm injury. But he didn’t fare great when subbing for left tackle Duane Brown on the left side for four games a year earlier.

ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded to Philadelphia)

A beloved member of the team, Ryans hasn’t returned all the way to form after a serious Achilles injury. Plus, in the 3-4, he was barely a two-down player until Darryl Sharpton got hurt.

The Texans may not have gotten quite enough in the deal and they may have to smooth things out in the locker room, but a healthy Sharpton is a capable second inside guy to go with Brian Cushing.

RT Mike Brisiel (free agent, signed with Oakland)

The team played better with him in the lineup than when he was out and Antoine Caldwell filled in. Brisiel did tend to miss a couple games a year. The spot should be Caldwell’s to lose now and he should still be getting better.

TE Joel Dreessen (free agent, signed with Denver)

He seriously considered Houston’s offer before leaving to play with Peyton Manning. He was a valuable player for the Texans, the kind of smaller piece that glues together a team while being overlooked by many.

James Casey is the lone fullback now, but he’s technically more of an H-back and can do tight end things. Depending on how he’s deployed along with Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham, Houston could be OK.

FB Lawrence Vickers (cut, signed with Dallas)

He only played 31.06 percent of the Texans’ plays. Are they dead set on being a fullback team? Call Casey a fullback if you want, but you can run out of anything with Foster and shouldn’t feel desperate to restock.

CB Jason Allen (free agent, signed with Cincinnati)

An unsung player who the team counted as a co-starter with Kareem Jackson, a first-round draft pick who has not lived up to his draft status. They lost a security blanket with Allen, and need to ensure they have a fallback for Jackson on the team, whether it’s a veteran later, second-year man Brandon Harris or a draft pick.

QB Matt Leinart (cut)

T.J. Yates flew by him on the depth chart with his performance down the stretch, and the Texans couldn’t afford Leinart as a third.

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.

HOUSTON -- The stadium rocked. A struggling team rebounded. Another rematch was set in motion.

A tie to the old era of Houston’s NFL football beamed.

“It’s just a great feeling to know that Houston’s back,” said Bum Phillips, coach of the Luv Ya Blue Oilers and father of Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

The Texans' best players played best Saturday at Reliant Stadium in a 31-10 thrashing of the Bengals that propelled Houston forward in the NFL playoffs to a Jan. 15 game in Baltimore. Houston lost 29-14 to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Oct. 16.

After clinching the AFC South with a Dec. 11 victory at Cincinnati, the Texans sputtered, dropping their final three regular-season games, although the finale meant nothing to their playoff standing.

“We kind of got back to what we were doing during that seven-week stretch [Oct. 23 through Dec. 11, when we were 7-0],” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We played great defense, we found a way to run the ball, we never really hurt ourselves as a team. That was the key.”

The game had plenty of heroes, including efficient rookie quarterback T.J. Yates and cornerback Johnathan Joseph. Three of the team’s other top players, though, produced first-rate efforts worth a deeper look.

Running back Arian Foster: After Foster popped an 8-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to tie the score at 7-all, he changed sports as he celebrated.

A Lakers fan who apologizes to Houstonians for his NBA affection, he was talking with fans via Twitter during a recent Lakers-Rockets game. If the Rockets won, he pledged, he’d do a touchdown celebration paying homage to them.

The Lakers won and got him off the hook. But Foster decided to follow through with the idea anyway. He celebrated with Hakeem Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake” -- a hard stop with a ball fake, followed by a reversal and fadeaway jumper he tossed over the crossbar.

Foster finished with 24 carries for 153 yards and two scores. He was only the third undrafted running back in league history to eclipse 100 yards in his first playoff game, joining Ryan Grant (2007) and Paul Lowe (1960).

The Texans’ blocking was tremendous. According to ESPN Stats & Information, 102 of Foster’s rushing yards came prior to initial contact. That’s two-thirds of his total.

The second touchdown, a 42-yard ramble, was his most impressive run of the day. He got to the right sideline and looked to have no chance to stay in bounds. But he followed one good block, and surprised strong safety Chris Crocker with his balance and ability to navigate the sideline as he slowed down, then hit the jets.

“I guess he thought I was going out of bounds,” Foster said.

Defensive end J.J. Watt: Shortly after Jake Delhomme signed with the Texans on Nov. 30, the veteran quarterback was running the offense at a walk-through. Watt batted down several of his passes at the slow-paced practice and felt guilty for doing so.

“He was kind of mad at me,” Watt said. “And I was like, ‘That’s kind of what I do, that’s my thing.’”

He did his thing to Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton with 52 seconds left in the first half, but rather than knocking down the ball thrown from point-blank range, he caught it. And before many people on the field realized where it was, he was carrying it to a 29-yard touchdown that put Houston ahead 17-10.

Coaches and teammates said that while reporters and fans don’t see it, Watt snares balls like that all the time at practice.

And while several pass-catchers wouldn’t go so far as to say they’d struggle to make the same play, the guy with the best hands on the team wasn’t too proud to say otherwise.

“It’s almost impossible,” fullback James Casey said. “You’re so close to the ball, and obviously the guy is throwing it hard to have it on that trajectory. To be able to catch it like that is remarkable; that’s why you never see it happen.

“Guys bat balls down but they don’t actually catch it. I’d catch zero out of 10. Maybe out of 100, I’d catch one every now and then just getting lucky.”

Watt followed up that giant play by tracking Dalton as he fled the pocket and sacking him on the final play of the first half.

It was Watt’s first touchdown since high school. He didn’t score one as a tight end at Central Michigan or as a defensive end at Wisconsin.

Denver’s Von Miller or San Francisco’s Aldon Smith will win defensive rookie of the year, but Watt didn’t trail them by much in terms of overall initial impact. Miller will have a chance to match Watt’s postseason pace in a game Sunday.

Receiver Andre Johnson: He missed nine games this season with two different hamstring injuries. The Texans gave him a chance to knock some rust off last week. But he and Yates were out of sync for a good portion of this game.

The always-calm Johnson has been waiting for a playoff game since 2003, when he was the Texans' top pick in the franchise’s second season. He admitted to being antsy and overly anxious to make a play. After one failed pass attempt, he returned to the bench and slammed his helmet to the turf.

Late in the third quarter, though, he and Yates made a connection that sealed the game. Lined up on the left, Johnson put a double move on Adam Jones, who bit, slipped and moved laterally instead of back as he recovered.

Johnson was wide open, and Yates delivered a ball that hit him in stride for a 40-yard touchdown that gave the Texans a 24-10 lead.

In the end zone, he stopped and looked to be enjoying a contemplative moment to take it all in and consider all that had come in his career before the big moment.

But that wasn’t it at all.

“I’ve jumped in the stands a few times here, and I’ve been grabbed by the face mask and everything,” he said. “So I was kind of thinking about jumping, that’s what the pause was for.”

He jumped.

The play had about put Reliant Stadium into orbit, but Johnson made it safely back to earth.

HOUSTON -- The Texans sought to restore order and momentum in their season finale, while avoiding any more of the injury misfortune that’s beset them all season long.

Despite suffering a 23-22 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Reliant Stadium, the team seemed to achieve those goals and is now ready to turn to its first postseason. As the No. 3 seed, the Texans will host the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Nobody’s disappointed,” said receiver Andre Johnson, who estimated he played 15 snaps as he worked back from a hamstring injury. “Of course we wanted to win the game. We didn’t come out on top, but there is next week. Some teams don’t have next week. We have next week.”

“Those first couple drives, we kind of had that swagger back a little bit,” said quarterback T.J. Yates, who left the game with a bruise of his non-throwing shoulder in the first quarter. “Everybody was aggressive, flying around, very talkative on the sideline. It felt like we were back to normal out there.”

A postseason appearance is definitely not normal for the Texans. Houston has an NFL playoff game for the first time since 1993.

Here are some things we learned along the way on Week 17’s game between the division’s two best teams:

Texans fullback James Casey remains a weapon: He’s not your standard fullback. The converted tight end started the Texans' first five games, then missed a couple with a chest injury and never got back ahead of the more traditional Lawrence Vickers.

But Casey’s really more of a pass-catcher than a blocker by nature, and the Titans did poorly in figuring out how to stop him from getting free for seven receptions on seven targets for a team-high 91 yards.

Casey helped get the Texans in range for one of Neil Rackers’ field goals with a brilliant catch, keeping the ball in the air with a left-handed tip before diving to collect it.

“We were lining up in different formations with different personnel, and as a defense it’s kind of hard to understand exactly what we’re going to do,” Casey said. “Because we’re not just doing base things. We’re motioning all over the place. They don’t know if I’m fullback or tight end. It’s tough sometimes for them to set their blitzes or their coverage. Hopefully you can get guys out of spots, out of gaps in the run game and out of their zones in the pass game and try to take advantage of that.”

Next week, with Johnson playing full time and Owen Daniels and Arian Foster back in the lineup, odds are Casey qualifies as only the fourth- or fifth-best receiving option when he’s on the field.

“James has some crazy hands,” Johnson said. “He’s probably the guy I’ve seen make the most one-handed catches. His hands are very, very good, I think he has the best hands on this team. I don’t know who has the best in the league, but I think he’s right up there.”

The Texans are quite deep: Typically a team that scratches key starters like Foster, Daniels and cornerback Johnathan Joseph for a game that doesn’t have great meaning, is willing to yield some. Especially if it doesn’t jump out to a lead.

And the Texans have proven all season they have quality depth, as they’ve replaced defensive end Mario Williams, quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, punter Brett Hartmann and linebacker Daryl Sharpton, and played stretches without Johnson, safety Danieal Manning and guard Mike Brisiel.

Sunday as they rested some guys and pulled others early, they called on even more depth.

Beyond Casey, the Texans got solid contributions from a lot of role players like receiver Bryant Johnson, running back Derrick Ward and linebackers Tim Dobbins and Bryan Braman, along with quarterback Jake Delhomme.

“It says we have quality players all across this locker room,” Foster said. “We have guys that can play.”

Said Titans receiver Nate Washington: “This is a new Texans team that they take pride in. Even their backups come in there and they are playing hard. They’re going to make plays. We have to find a better way to close out those games.”

One piece of depth they were missing: a center behind Chris Myers who could make a quality shotgun snap in the clutch. The Texans could have won it with a 2-point conversion at the end, but guard Thomas Austin put the shotgun snap over Delhomme’s head at the end of the game. Kubiak said Austin had snapped enough that it shouldn’t have been an issue.

Kubiak understands a “meaningless” game: He’s never been a playoff head coach before, but he’s been part of a lot of good teams. That’s why he didn’t hesitate after Bryant Johnson’s 5-yard touchdown reception with 14 second left to keep his offense on the field for a 2-point try.

Even after Joel Dreessen’s false start, Kubiak stuck with it.

He wanted a win, sure, but he wanted overtime even less.

It was a smart call and the right call, even if Tennessee defensive end Derrick Morgan didn’t agree.

“I understand they want to get the game over with, but after they false started and they still went for 2, I was like, ‘Wow,’” he said. “That’s a slap in the face. But they botched the snap, so whatever.”

Fan results are in for the NFL’s popularity contest -- I mean Pro Bowl fan voting.

Without any ado, here are AFC South players who finished in the top 5:

Running backs: 1) Arian Foster; 2) Maurice Jones-Drew.

Fullbacks: 4) James Casey.

Tight ends: 3) Owen Daniels.

Centers: 5) Jeff Saturday.

Defensive ends: 2) Dwight Freeney; 4) Robert Mathis; 5) Antonio Smith.

Inside linebacker: 2) Pat Angerer; 5) Brian Cushing.

Free safety: 4) Antoine Bethea.

Kicker: 5) Neil Rackers.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Angerer did very well on a team with the worst record in the NFL. He's the surprise here, and worthy of his standing.

Fan voting counts a third toward the creation of the Pro Bowl teams, as does the vote of coaches and players.

Results come out Tuesday and we will cover it thoroughly.

My anti-Pro Bowl stance has been spelled out in this space multiple times, and I’ve avoided updates on fan voting until now.

But since fan voting ends soon, I figured I’d offer a look of where AFC South players stand. Titans fans will be unhappy as they have no one in the top five anywhere. But who's deserving, really?

Here's everyone from the division who ranks in the top five at his position:

• Running back: 1. Arian Foster; 2. Maurice Jones-Drew.
• Fullback: 5. James Casey.
• Tight end: 3. Owen Daniels.
• Center: 5. Jeff Saturday.
• Defensive end: 2. Dwight Freeney; 3. Robert Mathis; 4. Antonio Smith.
• Inside linebacker: 2. Pat Angerer; 4. Brian Cushing.
• Free safety: 4. Antoine Bethea.
• Kicker: 4. Neil Rackers; 5. Josh Scobee.

Fan voting counts for one third of the results and runs through Dec. 19. Player voting and coach voting comes later and holds similar weight.

Ultimately remember this: With the Super Bowl participants uninvolved in the game and injured guys and superstars dropping out, a whole bunch of guys who are hardly all-stars will be part of it.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

With Blaine Gabbert coming to town, it’s time to note Gary Kubiak’s Texans have lost five of seven games they’ve played against rookie quarterbacks. Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle takes a look.

Andre Johnson isn’t pleased with his slow progress as he recovers from a hamstring injury, says Jeffrey Martin of the Chronicle. They’re calling it a game-time decision, but I do not expect him to play. Fullback James Casey looks like he will be back.

Indianapolis Colts

Bob Kravitz’s proposals for the Colts: Draft Andrew Luck if you can and tank the last two weeks if you need to since you tanked them when you could have gone 16-0; dive into free agency to supplement the draft; prioritize retaining defensive end Robert Mathis; give receiver Anthony Gonzalez a shot; find out if Peyton Manning believes he can win a Super Bowl with Jim Caldwell as coach.

The Colts have a big presence on Don Banks’ team of underachievers.

Among the things to watch from Sunday: The running back who’s avoiding contact (Chris Johnson) against Colts defenders who’ve also been avoiding contact. Nate Dunlevy’s weekly piece at 18to88.com.

I spent some time with Dan Dakich on the radio Thursday.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars-Texans will feature a battle of determined running backs with Maurice Jones-Drew and Arian Foster, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

After some steady progress, Blaine Gabbert regressed in the win over Baltimore according to offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The Jaguars are looking for him for him to be more fundamentally sound, says Ganguli.

It’s too easy, and not accurate, to conclude the Jaguars played more man coverage against the Ravens. Ganguli investigated and says it was more about how they played than what they played.

Tennessee Titans

Analyst Brian Baldinger thinks the Titans' run-game problems are mostly on Johnson, who’s not doing what made him great and is showing a lack of confidence, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Lavelle Hawkins knows he needs to do more, say Glennon and Jim Wyatt. The Titans have been incredibly patient with Hawkins and he’s due to stop looking confused on the field.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray is seeking consistency, says Wyatt.

The Next Level statistical packet produced each week by ESPN Stats & Information is a veritable treasure trove.

The packet and I spent some quality time together this morning.

Our big theme out of it shall be yards after the catch. AFC South teams are excellent in the category on both sides of the ball.

Among players with nine catches of more, the division boasts some guys who’ve done very well after the catch:

• Texans RB Arian Foster is first with a 15.3-yard average after the catch.
• Texans FB James Casey is second with 13.4.
• Jaguars RB Deji Karim is tied for fifth at 12.3.
• Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew is 14th at 10.3

In overall YAC, the Jaguars are getting 50.1 percent of their yards in the passing game after the catch, the fifth-most in the league. The Colts are seventh (48.5), the Texans are eighth (48.3) and the Titans are ninth (48.0).

I’m a bit surprised here. YAC is usually a product of well-thrown balls that lead targets into open spaces and explosive players who are able to take advantage. But the Jaguars and Colts have inexperienced quarterbacks and the Jaguars and Titans lack explosive playmakers.

"Good YAC really tells me is that there is most likely very good quarterback play in terms of accuracy and hitting guys in stride....but I'm not sure how much that describes the quarterbacks in your division," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "Hasselbeck and Schaub qualify. Playing calling also has a ton to do with it. Bubble screens/slants/etc. are going to yield more YAC than out routes."

Three of the teams are also good at limiting yards after the catch, which also surprises me as I don’t think the Jaguars (tied for fourth with a 6.4 yard YAC average), the Texans (tied for sixth at 6.6) and the Titans (tied for 10th) rank as great tackling teams though they can be good at rallying to the ball.

The Colts and Patriots are the league’s worst teams at defending yards after the catch, allowing an average of 8.5.

Other Next Level nuggets of note:

• Matt Hasselbeck is second in the league in the red zone, with a 122.5 passer rating and a ridiculous 96.3 QBR while Matt Schaub is 23rd, at 74.9 and 15.5.
• Blaine Gabbert is averaging 8.9 yards per pass in the air. He’s throwing on third-and-long a lot. But Jones-Drew and Marcedes Lewis should make for quality targets on short throws and help drive that number down. Curtis Painter is at 8.4, Hasselbeck and are at Schaub 8.1.
• Reggie Wayne (53), Mike Thomas (52) and Pierre Garcon (51) rank eighth, ninth, and tied for 10th in targets.
• Jones-Drew has five carries inside the 3-yard line for negative-9 yards and no touchdowns. Delone Carter has three carries for 4 yards and two touchdowns. Painter has two carries for no yards.
• Six of Jacksonville’s seven interceptions have come when it’s rushed four or fewer.
• Eleven of Houston’s 19 sacks have come when it’s rushed four or fewer.
• When the Colts rush five or more defenders, they are allowing quarterbacks to complete 62.8 percent of their passes, have no interceptions and one sack. When they rush four or fewer, they are allowing a league-worst 75.5 completion percentage with three interceptions and 10 sacks. They’ve rushed a defensive back once all season. (Jacksonville is tied for the second fewest rushes by a defensive back with 11.)
• The Texans have used two tight ends on 323 plays, 65 more than the New England, which ranks second. The Titans have used two tight ends on 68 plays, the second fewest in the NFL.

Reading the coverage ...

What is roughing the passer anymore, asks Doug Farrar of Shutdown Corner.

Houston Texans

Danieal Manning has a chance to return this season after surgery on a broken fibula Monday, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans are hoping to get Andre Johnson and James Casey back for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville, says McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star asks what change the Colts should make first.

If Colts opponents were a single quarterback, he would be on pace for the third-highest rating in NFL history behind Peyton Manning (121.1 in 2004) and New England's Tom Brady (117.2 in 2007), says Phil Richards of the Star.

Phillip B. Wilson of the Star thinks the Colts need a new defensive philosophy and a coach with some fire.

The Colts' problems are all about not having Peyton Manning and nothing should be blown up, says Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com.

Stampede Blue live tweeted Bill Polian’s radio show Monday night. Best tidbits: He’s baffled by defense and has no answers, the Colts must “master obvious fundamentals,” Tony Dungy wanted to draft Tyler Brayton over Dallas Clark and the Colts could have done a better job stocking corner and defensive tackle.

Where did it all go wrong, wonders Dan Wolken of Athlon.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Monday night’s performance against one of the best teams in the AFC showed why the Jaguars believed that they were better than the 1-5 record with which they entered the game, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

The Jaguars’ defense led a rise from the dead, says Gene Frenette of the Times-Union.

Ganguli and Frenette break down the game. (Video.)

How Josh Scobee’s big field goal night came together, from Vito Stellino of the T-U.

Penalties and reviews bogged down the first half, says Garry Smits of the T-U.

Smits’ report card.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson’s not heading for the bench and Mike Munchak’s not ready to break up a good pass-protecting offensive line yet, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The Titans didn’t play well, but Munchak doesn’t believe anyone was quitting, says Wyatt.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Texans and Titans have no big surprises on their inactive lists for Sunday’s big showdown at LP Field.

As expected, Houston receiver Andre Johnson (hamstring) and fullback James Casey (pectoral) won’t play. Trindon Holliday is active and could work as the primary return man.

Titans defensive end William Hayes, who started having back issues late in the week, is a scratch, which creates opportunity for Malcolm Sheppard.

The full lists:

Titans

• QB Rusty Smith
• S Chris Hope
• LB Colin McCarthy
• C Kevin Matthews
• T Byron Stingily
• DT Zach Clayton
• DE William Hayes

Texans

• QB T.J. Yates
• CB Brandon Harris
• G Thomas Austin
• T Andrew Gardner
• WR Andre Johnson
• FB James Casey
• DE Tim Bulman

BALTIMORE -- The Texans will stick with their veteran returners and look to fullback Lawrence Vickers this afternoon against the Ravens.

They signed returner Trindon Holliday this week and Gary Kubiak indicated Holliday would take punt returns off Jacoby Jones’ plate and reduce Danieal Manning’s workload by taking over kickoff returns. But Holliday is inactive, so the Texans are unwilling or not ready to go forward with that idea.

James Casey suffered a pectoral injury in last week’s loss to Oakland and was not expected to play. Casey is a tight end-turned-fullback with great pass-catching skills. Vickers is more of a traditional fullback. He dropped a sure touchdown pass last week.

TEXANS

• QB T.J. Yates
• WR Trindon Holliday
• CB Brandon Harris
• G Thomas Austin
• T Andrew Gardner
• WR Andre Johnson
• FB James Casey

RAVENS

• CB Jimmy Smith
• CB Chris Carr
• S Tom Zbikowski
• G Ben Grubbs
• OL Mark LeVoir
• WR Lee Evans
• OLB Sergio Kindle

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Not only is Mario Williams out for the year, but fullback James Casey is out for an undetermined amount of time, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

"The Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback, a guy who is plenty good. Of all their problems, quarterback isn't one of them. If they fail to make the playoffs, it almost certainly won't be because Matt Schaub failed them," says Richard Justice of the Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Owner Jim Irsay explained to Clark Judge of CBSSports.com why the Colts would consider playing Peyton Manning if he’s healthy late in the season.

Irsay says the Colts would consider taking Andrew Luck, writes Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.

The Colts can’t close in the fourth quarter, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

The offensive line and fill-in right tackle Quinn Ojinnaka pass-blocked well against Kansas City, says Phil Richards of the Star.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are bringing in punters today as they consider replacing the struggling Matt Turk, says Vito Stellino of the Times-Union.

Field goals from close range have not been sufficient for the Jaguars, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans' bye-week priority is fixing the run game, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The bye week under the new CBA limits how much teams can do with players, says Wyatt.