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With free agency slowing down and the draft quickly approaching, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson breaks down the running back situations in the AFC South.

1. Houston Texans: The Texans have the best set of running backs in the NFL in Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Of course, Houston’s scheme and blocking are phenomenal, but these two are outstanding in their own right. Foster in particular would fit any scheme. He has size, excellent vision, patience, explosive traits and can be a physical player with the ability to break off long runs. Foster is also extremely adept in the passing game. He gains separation in his routes, catches the ball cleanly and is also an above-average pass-blocker. Only 25, Foster should have a lot of great production ahead of him. The Texans are banking on it after locking him up with a long-term contract right before free agency began. You could make the argument that Foster is the best running back in football right now, especially when factoring in Adrian Peterson’s injury. Tate averaged a whopping 5.4 yards per carry in his second season. It could be argued that he is the most effective backup running back in the league right now. He is more of a straight-line runner than Foster and doesn’t fit all schemes as well as Foster, but he is perfect for what Houston does with its movement-based zone blocking scheme. Tate is quick to get downhill, decisive and runs with power, yet like Foster, can run away from defenders. Houston is loaded at running back.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew had as good of a season in 2011 as any running back in the NFL -- and every defense Jacksonville faced keyed on stopping him. Averaging 4.7 yards per carry under his circumstances was truly a remarkable performance. Everyone makes note of Jones-Drew’s lack of size when discussing him, but he’s a very powerful runner with exceptional leverage. He might not have quite the same burst and long speed as he once did, but his running skills are as sharp as ever. He has a great history of finding the end zone and is excellent as an outlet receiver. Jones-Drew can also stand up a blitzing linebacker as well as any running back in the league. At just 27, he is on a Hall of Fame career pace. Jones-Drew’s backups are Rashad Jennings and Deji Karim. Jennings missed the entire season, but is a very good running back when right. He runs hard and has light feet for a bigger back. As mentioned above, the circumstances were far from optimal last season, but Karim’s 2.1-yard average was simply abysmal. Karim has the look of a poor man’s Jones-Drew … a very poor man’s.

3. Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson clearly had an incredibly disappointing 2011 season. He ran with little conviction or competitiveness for much of the season and too often looked to hit the home run instead of grinding out the tough yards. He improved late in the season, though, and there is no question Johnson can remain among the best players at his position. His speed has become legendary. Johnson is also a very good receiver who is lethal in space. I am not suggesting that we will see the back who exceeded 2,000 yards on the ground in 2009, but I am expecting a bounce-back season from Johnson in 2012. The Titans’ run blocking should be better and to me, Johnson is simply a much better player than what he showed on film for much of the season. There are also questions concerning what kind of shape he was in to start 2011. Javon Ringer is Tennessee’s top backup, but Jamie Harper also has ability. Ringer is much more reliable and proven, though. He runs hard with ample degrees of power and acceleration for a backup. Ringer is also an asset as a receiver and continues to improve in this area. Harper has a decent all-around skill set, but his 2.6-yard average last year is inexcusable.

4. Indianapolis Colts: Although Donald Brown has never really lived up to his first-round draft status, he was one of the few bright spots for the Colts last year. His 4.8 yards-per-carry average on the worst team in the league last season does stand out. It was by far Brown’s best season as a pro. As running backs go, I see Brown as a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none in many ways. He doesn’t have a single trait that stands out above all others, but as he showed in 2011, he is quite solid in all areas. Brown also is a decent receiver and a very good pass-blocker. Delone Carter was rather disappointing in all phases of playing the position as a rookie. He is a wide-bodied, shorter back who didn’t show the power you would expect and also wasn’t real light on his feet or agile. I still have hope for Carter, though. As is the case with fellow second-year RB Jamie Harper in Tennessee, a true offseason could do Carter a lot of good. With the gaping holes that Indianapolis has on its roster, running back is not among the top needs. But it is far from a great positional group when comparing it to the rest of the league. Perhaps the Colts will add another runner in the middle rounds of the draft.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com. Follow Matt Williamson on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.

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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?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts on the Titans’ 22-17 loss to the Saints at LP Field:

What it means: A largely unfavorable day. The Titans lost while one of the teams they are fighting with for position for a wild-card berth, the Jets, won. The Texans’ last-second win in Cincinnati means that Houston clinched the AFC South, but it hurt another wild-card competitor, the Bengals.

What I didn’t like: Penalties were out of control. Mike Munchak’s team is supposed to be a disciplined bunch, but special teams and the offensive line were primary culprits. Eight penalties for 54 yards consistently slowed the Titans or helped the Saints. A couple of mistakes will happen, but on this scale it’s both unacceptable and unsurvivable. The Saints were sloppy, too, but Drew Brees found his moments. And at times, like when he had all day to throw to an open Marques Colston at the goal line, a high pass wasn’t a problem as the receiver had time and space to go up and get it, then get it in the end zone for a 35-yard score. His follow up touchdown throw to Colston, from 28 yards, fell neatly between Alterraun Verner and Cortland Finnegan.

What I liked: Jake Locker put a good ball on him and banged-up receiver Nate Washington made a great play looking it in while Jabari Greer flew by a second late for a 40-yard touchdown with 5:58 left in the game that closed it to 22-17. He hit him again right near the end for another 40.

What I didn't like: The Titans' last two plays from the 5-yard line. The first was well-defended by Tracy Porter, but I question throwing to Marc Mariani no matter if Washington was out hurt. Locker ran and bought time on the last play, but has to at least try a throw instead of getting sacked.

What I want to know: What’s the trade-off between an aggressive third-and-1 call with a throw into the end zone when you then fail to convert the quarterback sneak on fourth down? We're talking the Titans' second-to-last drive there.

Injury concerns: Matt Hasselbeck suffered a left calf injury that knocked him out of the game, though he limped on and hopped off for one play when Locker took a tough shot to the ribs. Linebacker Akeem Ayers suffered a shoulder injury and No. 2 running back Javon Ringer injured his hand. Neither returned to action after getting hurt. Washington had to be tugged off the field by Chris Johnson after his late catch.

What’s next: The Titans head for Indianapolis for their second game against the winless, division-rival Colts.

ATLANTA -- The Tennessee Titans are fortunate to still be in their game with the Atlanta Falcons at the half.

Atlanta drove to an easy touchdown on its first possssion. Then Tennessee’s defense twice buckled down in the red zone after solid Falcons' marches, forcing the Falcons to settle for Matt Bryant field goals.

The Titans did well to move the ball in a two minute drive, getting a 46-yard field goal out of Rob Bironas just before the half.

It’s 13-3 though it feels a lot worse.

If the Titans can come out of intermission, play some defense and piece a scoring drive together, they’ll be right in the thick of it.

And the longer they can stay in the thick of it, on the road against a team that appears to have superior talent, the better, of course.

The Titans seemed to have a feeling for getting Nate Washington open and Javon Ringer’s done nice work as a pass-catcher. I’d like to see more of both.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Cut-blocking, which is legal, is viewed as "cowardly," per Cleveland defensive end Jayme Mitchell via the Akron Beacon-Journal, writes Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle. The Texans continue to hear opponents grumble about their style. But when opponents say "dirty," the Texans hear "hard," as in the opposite of "soft," which is a tag that has saddled the team for years. That their style gets in people’s heads ahead of time gives them an advantage, I believe. They are a tougher football team than they used to be.

Cut blocking is legal. But Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle asks if it’s ethical. I ask if a football team needs to be concerned with such a question as it tries to plot a course to success. The Texans are very good at what they do, and have built a roster to do it.

Indianapolis Colts

What has Chris Polian done to assure his long-term security, asks Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. Kravitz spoke to several former Colts people who said Polian has been “a toxic force who has brought this franchise to its knees for reasons other than Peyton Manning's injury.” “Tell me, what has Chris Polian actually done besides win the genetic lottery?” Wow. Those are some very strong words.

Special teams coverage and returns have stubbornly defied sustained improvement for years, writes Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star. Through three head coaches and special teams coordinators -- Jim Mora and Kevin Spencer, 1998-2001; Tony Dungy and Russ Purnell, 2002-08; Jim Caldwell and Ray Rychleski, 2009-present -- they have remained largely substandard. I believe the team is simply too willing to not be good on special teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Frenette of the Times-Union offers his midseason report card for the Jaguars. He’s got an F for passing offense and a D for coaching, grades that offset some Bs.

“It would completely fly in the face of (Wayne) Weaver’s image as a patient owner to jettison (Gene) Smith after three years,” writes Frenette. “My goodness, he’s given (Jack) Del Rio nine years, longer than any coach in history without winning a division title. He gave Smith’s predecessor, James Harris, six years despite totally setting this franchise back with repeated first-round draft busts.” I agree. A housecleaning should not include Smith, and he should be hiring the next head coach.

Tennessee Titans

Javon Ringer finds himself a larger part of the Titans’ offense than he or anyone else would have envisioned at the start of the year, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. Ringer is averaging more yards per run and reception than Chris Johnson, carried the ball a career-best 14 times last week against the Colts, and was on the field for the last three drives of the game. If he’s running better, he needs to play more, I believe. I’d make him, minimally, the third-down back.

Marshall Faulk knows what hitting a wall looks like and feels like, and tells Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean that Chris Johnson has not hit a wall. But Falk has serious questions about CJ: “Right now, he looks like a guy who doesn’t have a good grasp of what they are trying to accomplish in the running game. He is running like a guy who is not certain about how teams are attacking him.”

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

With secondary coach Vance Joseph, transparency is vital, writes Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle. “Players openly discuss each other's weaknesses, but not in the hopes of tearing down a teammate. Rather, the openness allows the players to feel comfortable, to ask questions that might not have been asked before and to even volunteer suggestions.” He’s definitely qualified as a difference-maker on a team that has several.

Indianapolis Colts

Jim Irsay took to Twitter to chime in on the possibility of Peyton Manning returning to practice this season, says Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star.

The Colts have difficult choices ahead as they decide what to do at wide receiver, says Brett Mock of Coltzilla. I think it would be awfully difficult to let Reggie Wayne walk, but predicting the timing and speed of his drop-off is something the Colts have to do correctly.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Defensive end Aaron Kampman is trying to keep the Jaguars’ situation in perspective, says Vito Stellino of the Times-Union. Jack Del Rio chimed in, too: “Until you drive a stake through me, I’m going to fight for every inch and so we’re not conceding anything,” Del Rio said. “But we’re in a situation now, we’ve got such a big hole we’ve just got to put the next game in front us and go out and win that game. Worrying about anything else would be counterproductive.”

Tennessee Titans

David Climer of The Tennessean gives props to Mike Munchak for using Javon Ringer over Chris Johnson late in the win over the Colts. “Instead of sticking with standard NFL protocol and repeatedly giving the ball to Johnson so he could work on that 2.8 yards-per-carry average, Munchak chose to go with Ringer on the last three offensive series when the Titans were protecting a lead.” I’m more curious about what happens going forward, as the Munchak and the Titans have to stick to the thinking that prompted the change.

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FALLING

1. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback: It’s baby steps for the rookie quarterback, who isn’t the root cause of the team's losing but isn’t doing nearly enough for the team to win with any regularity. I don’t like to read too much into body language, but it’s hard for a guy who’s not productive to give a team much moxie. And more than moxie, the team needs a couple touchdown passes from its quarterback. In the same game. No, he doesn’t have great weapons or protection, but we need to see him elevate his game, at least at times. It may not be fair to measure him against Andy Dalton, Cam Newton and Christian Ponder, but he's not off to the same caliber of start to his career.

2. Confidence in the Titans’ ability to solve problems: Never mind a debate about Chris Johnson versus Javon Ringer. Johnson’s going to start, but Ringer will continue to get work if he’s the hotter hand when he gets his chances. We’re seven games into the season, and two Hall of Fame offensive linemen -- Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews -- clearly don’t have the horses to get effective run-blocking consistently. That’s a big problem for a team that’s supposed to have a run-based offense. The head coach and his offensive line coach wanted these guys, now they are on the hook for fixing things with what they have.

3. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts coach: A second consecutive appearance! Congrats. Bill Polian keeps talking about the great job Caldwell’s doing, and he has done well to keep things from fracturing. But there is only so much value in that when there are no wins. Caldwell and his staff don’t have enough talent to work with, but they also haven't adjusted their plan and approach enough to reflect what they are working with. It shouldn’t be a surprise that they can’t block up a great return. Points are tough to get so they have to be more aggressive at chances to get them. Caldwell looks like things are wearing on him.

RISING

1. Joel Dreessen, Houston Texans tight end: He’s got a touchdown catch in two consecutive games and three in the last four. Even without Andre Johnson playing, defenses don’t put a priority on covering the Texans’ second tight end. Owen Daniels, Arian Foster, Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter and even a healthy James Casey all probably qualify as more threatening. But Dreessen’s got the confidence of Matt Schaub and has a knack for taking advantage of what a defense allows him to do. Gary Kubiak said Monday you can be sure Dreessen’s not undervalued in Texans headquarters.

2. Karl Klug, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle: The high-motor rookie’s been an impact guy for the Titans so far and put together a very nice game against the Colts. He had a sack of Curtis Painter, a tackle for a loss and a deflected pass. He’s a key guy in Tennessee’s defensive line rotation and looks to be a real find as a fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa. The team made a push to get bigger on the defensive front. Klug is the tallest tackle at 6-foot-3, but the lightest at 275 pounds. Light is just fine if he produces like this.

3. Optimism in Houston: It’s always a bit dangerous to get excited about the Texans because they’ve been so consistent at suffering letdowns right when it appears they are ready to make a big step. But they’ve found their balance in a lot of ways over the past two weeks. The division is bad. The schedule is favorable. It’s there for the taking and it’s understandable if, no matter how careful history suggests we need to be, big expectations are building.

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.

The first mistake may have been Javon Ringer's. After getting the ball three times in four plays, he may have tapped his helmet to ask for a rest.

I don’t want my second-string running back asking to be taken out so quickly. He should be able to handle more.

Whether it was him asking out or a coach pulling him out, it was the wrong move and it got the anemic Chris Johnson back in the game just before the Titans got their long touchdown of the day.

If you want a snapshot of Johnson and his questionable effort, it comes shortly after that at 7:07 of the third quarter.

Johnson lined up to the left of Matt Hasselbeck, who was in a shotgun formation. The Titans had a tight end and two receivers to the right and one receiver to the left.

Texans outside linebacker Connor Barwin timed up the snap nicely and got the corner on Titans left tackle Michael Roos. Johnson was in the area, hesitated and didn’t appear certain about whether he was supposed to help on Barwin or slip into the flat to be a quick option for his quarterback.

The snap from center Eugene Amano surprised Hasselbeck and seemed too early, and maybe that threw Johnson off as well. But his effort after the snap was insufficient. He stuck his hand right hand out and touched Barwin to no effect, stepping back a yard and then backpedalling a bit toward the flat. It amounted to standing around.

Even if he was completely surprised by a premature snap, instincts should tell him to either invest in blocking Barwin or quickly get into space.

He did neither, as Hasselbeck threw quickly to Lavelle Hawkins on the other side for no gain.

Maybe that amounts to a tough review of Johnson on one snap. But based on how unproductive he’s been, he’s got to know we’re watching every move at this point. And he didn’t make an effective move there at all.

What they should be thinking in the headquarters of the three AFC South teams who played on Sunday ...

Houston Texans

The rollercoaster has climbed the steep section of track again. There cannot be another free fall coming. Of our eight remaining opponents, three have winning records, and we should be able to hang with Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Cincinnati. The other five teams have a combined 8-23 record. The table is set for us, but we’ve heard it before. People will be high on us again now, and we need not to hear it. Danieal Manning has been very solid for us at safety, and now we’re going to miss him for a long stretch, or maybe the season. Has Troy Nolan developed enough for us to be able to survive that loss? If he’s ready to play at a solid level, we should be in good shape going forward. With Jacksonville and Cleveland coming to town, we can’t let down, but we should be 6-3 in a couple weeks.

Indianapolis Colts

What a disaster. What do we do from here? The Saints are way better than us, but our coaches have to give us a better chance than they did with that plan. Typically a team in our position would still have guys feeling like they need to bust it the rest of the way to enhance their status going forward. But our stars are safe, with reputations that can’t be ruined. And our fringe guys will get tossed aside in large quantity as we revamp after the season. So as we hear about Jim Caldwell’s uncertain future, it’s hard to know what exactly we are sticking together for beyond personal pride. And even personal pride gets worn down during a season like this. Tennessee is going to be looking for a big bounce back after its debacle against Houston. It’s probably not an ideal scenario for us to break through. But at this point what would be such a scenario?

Tennessee Titans

The time for patience is over. Under Mike Munchak, the theme’s been to know what you’re supposed to do and do it. Chris Johnson looked timid and uninterested against the Texans, and I’m sure that’s not in his job description. The interior line is a mess when it comes to run blocking. This is supposed to be a new era of accountability, and the ultimate way to make people accountable is to take away playing time. Whether it’s center Eugene Amano or left guard Leroy Harris, it’s time to pull an offensive lineman and see if things don’t get better with Fernando Velasco starting. And Johnson doesn’t need to sit entirely. How about working him as a third-down back? Against a tougher defense, I’d make that move. But Johnson should be able to get it going against the Colts, who can’t tackle at all. If CJ doesn’t make anything happen early, we need to be ready to turn to Javon Ringer.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

The Texans played a perfect game against one of the NFL’s surprise teams. They walked onto that field, took control almost from the start and never gave the Titans a moment to think they had a chance to win, writes Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle.

Danieal Manning looks to be out at least eight to 10 weeks after breaking his leg, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Not only was The Texans’ 41-7 win in Nashville the most lopsided victory in franchise history, it was the worst defeat the Titans have suffered on their home field. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reviews the game.

Ben Tate topped 100 yards rushing in a complimentary role, says Jeffrey Martin of the Chronicle.

The Texans are alone in first place in the AFC South, a first for this late in the season according to McClain and Martin.

The Texans had a confidence about them that Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle is not sure he’s seen from them before.

The Texans will miss Manning more than Mario Williams, says Lance Zierlein of The Z Report.

Indianapolis Colts

The team with the worst record in the NFL played like the worst team in the NFL, writes Phil Richards of The Indianapolis Star. "Man, they scored so much, their fans got tired of cheering," Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said.

On a day when the winless Dolphins seemed to establish themselves as the worst team in the NFL, blowing a 15-point home lead to the Broncos in the final three minutes, the winless Colts outdid them, says Bob Kravitz of the Star.

The defense offered no resistance, says Phillip B. Wilson of the Star.

A fumble and a brutal loss meant a breakout day for running back Delone Carter didn’t mean much, says Mike Chappell.

Jacksonville Jaguars

GM Gene Smith has an unwavering confidence in his approach and his team, despite the 1-5 record, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union. Says Smith: "If you believe in what you're doing, you work with the process you employ, that's how I deal with it. It is a part of life in the NFL. There's highs, there's lows. This sport will test your manhood." With an uncertain future, he said he’s playing out his contract the way he often asks players to do.

If the players are so fixated on taking heat off Jack Del Rio, then tonight’s prime-time clash with the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Field represents maybe the last real chance to alter the perception that their head coach is a goner, says Gene Frenette of the T-U.

Tennessee Titans

A blowout loss to the Texans appeared to rock the psyche of the Titans, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

“Considering the utter futility we saw on display, this is the first major crossroads of Mike Munchak’s head coaching career. His personality is to stay the course and diligently keep plugging away, but more radical action should be considered,” writes David Climer of The Tennessean.

The Titans had their worst passing day of the season, which will only raise the volume on the outside talk about Terrell Owens, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

The defense is trending in the wrong direction, says Glennon.

The Titans aren’t thinking Javon Ringer can solve the run-game issues, says Wyatt.

At this point, Chris Johnson is nothing special, and the easiest way to try to solve things is to sit him, says David Boclair.

Don Banks of SI.com is already ready for Jake Locker. I’m not putting much of the blame for the past two losses on Matt Hasselbeck, and his leadership is a key to turning things around, if it can be done. The Titans won’t give a thought to benching him.

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.”

Thoughts on the Titans' 17-14 win over the Broncos at LP Field:

What it means: The Titans share the lead in the AFC South with Houston at 2-1, though Tennessee's divisional loss gives the Texans an edge. Matt Hasselbeck had his second 300-yard passing game in a row and has shown he’s in control of an offense that can find ways to win even when its primary pieces are not working the way they might hope for.

What I liked: Hasselbeck found 11 different pass receivers as he completed 27 of 36 throws for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Daniel Graham’s hardly been a prominent guy to this point, but his 4-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter provided the winning margin against his former team.

What I didn’t like: A wrenching of Kenny Britt’s right knee which could be a season-ending injury. The team’s most dynamic pass catcher fumbled his catch after twisting awkwardly. If he’s gone for an extended period of time, the offense will be without a guy who’s been as explosive a receiver as just about anyone in the league so far.

What I can’t figure out: Another zero game for Chris Johnson on the ground, with a 1.6-yards per carry average. Javon Ringer, the primary alternative, took six carries for negative-6 yards. The Titans are struggling to move it on the ground. But at least they’ve won consecutive games while enduring the struggle. Johnson did contribute as a pass-catcher.

Defensive forces: Will Witherspoon had the Titans’ lone sack and picked off a ball batted by Jason Jones to seal up the game. Jason McCourty also had an interception. And the defense made a strong goal-line stand.

What’s next: The Titans hit the road and head for Cleveland to see if they can stop the Browns on the ground and to try again to get Johnson going.

Houston Texans

Ben Tate is the likely starter at running back in New Orleans, says John McClain.

Kevin Walter could return against the Saints, says John McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are not considering any big changes, writes Mike Chappell.

Special-teams coverage units have been a giant problem so far, says Phil Richards.

Peyton Manning walked laps at practice, says Richards.

Lower your expectations, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Nate Dunlevy considers how the Colts would approach an opportunity at Andrew Luck.

According to Bill Polian, people must be must be “cold-hearted realistic” and that the “stark reality” is no one can operate the Colts' offense like Manning. Major props to Stampede Blue for listening to Polian’s show and writing up details.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Luke McCown and Blaine Gabbert are waiting for word on who will start in Carolina, says Vito Stellino.

Special teams were an issue for the Jaguars against the Jets, says Tania Ganguli.

John Oehser on Jack Del Rio’s timing with the quarterback decision.

A lot of angry readers wrote Oehser.

Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck has thrown for more yards in the first two weeks since any Oilers/Titans quarterback since Warren Moon in 1992, says Jim Wyatt.

Mike Munchak foresees a bigger role for Javon Ringer, says Wyatt.

The Titans will check out Clinton Portis today, says Wyatt.

Cortland Finnegan’s been restoring his reputation, says David Boclair.

Football Outsiders ranks Chris Johnson's work against Baltimore as one of its three bad performances of the week:

Against Baltimore on Sunday, he had two -- two -- successful runs, a 2-yard gain on second-and-two and a 7-yard gain on second-and-10. His other 22 carries gained just 44 yards, and he was stuffed for no gain or a loss five times. He was also thrown five passes, and all were unsuccessful -- two incompletions, two third-down catches that failed to pick up a new set of downs and a 2-yard gain on second-and-10.

Dating back to last year, Johnson’s now gone four regular-season games with 58 yards or fewer. It’s the longest streak of yardage totals that low in his career.

The positive thing about it is the Titans gave him his carries and made Baltimore stop him Sunday while also finding another way to win. Mike Munchak and Chris Palmer didn’t hesitate to use Javon Ringer, who had some success, and the Titans really won the game through the air.

I’m not certain how they get him going, but while they try to do so they clearly are conscious that there are other avenues they can use. Prevailing wisdom after his training camp lockout is that he just needs time.

The question is how much?