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Houston Texans

Andre Johnson’s ready to move from rehab back to playing, while Matt Leinart’s working on a different sort of rehab with a second act of his career, says Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle.

Danieal Manning returned to practice and could play in Jacksonville, says John McClain of the Chronicle.

The Texans worked out five quarterbacks on Monday -- Kellen Clemens, Trent Edwards, Brodie Croyle, Jeff Garcia and Chase Clement. They’ll likely sign one after they get a second opinion/verdict on Matt Schaub Wednesday, says McClain.

Football Outsiders is impressed with the Texans' balance, says Stephanie Stradley.

Indianapolis Colts

Whether it's Curtis Painter or Dan Orlovsky under center, the Colts’ offense must show life, show much better ball security and alleviate the pressure on a shaken team, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

The 2-minute drill lacks some serious punch, says Phil Richards of the Star.

A recap of Bill Polian’s radio show from Brad Wells of Stampede Blue. You’ll find all the usual contradictions.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jack Del Rio said he didn’t have any big issues with the end-of-game sequence for the Jaguars in Cleveland. Vito Stellino of the Times-Union runs through it all.

The Jaguars didn’t offer injury updates for defensive end Matt Roth or linebacker Clint Session, says Tania Ganguli of the T-U.

Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck had a sore elbow and forearm but is expected to start Sunday against the Buccaneers, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The Titans let LeGarrette Blount go after training camp last year. Now they’ll try to stop a guy who runs angry when they face the Bucs, says Wyatt.

LeGarrette Blount is a load.

If Tampa Bay is to knock off the Texans Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs' bruiser of a running back will likely have to be a factor.

“He’s a big guy, I played against him once in college and he’s a big, physical kid,” Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing said. “He’s the biggest back we’ll face in a while, I know for sure all year. He’s downhill, he’s kind of old-school running back but he’s very athletic too, you see him leaping over people other every week.

“He’s been really impressive. We’re going to have to bring our A game against him.”

Blount missed a couple games with a knee injury, but is now looking for a bigger workload. He’s got a 4.4-yard per carry average.

During their three-game winning streak, the Texans have had the lead a lot, and opponents haven’t been able to find a run rhythm. Cleveland running backs got 18 carries, Jacksonville’s got 21 and Tennessee’s got 15.

If the Texans are able to keep Blount and the Bucs backs down in that range, it should mean good things.

Three areas of interest to look at after the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Monday Night Football," thanks to ESPN Stats & Info:

Pressure: The Buccaneers had great results when sending at least five pass rushers against Curtis Painter, as he completed only 2 of 11 passes in those situations. Painter was also sacked and a lost fumble. When Tampa Bay sent a four-man rush, Painter capitalized with 255 of his 281 yards, and two touchdowns.

Painter hit on 57.9 percent of his 19 attempts against four or fewer rushers. He hit on 18.2 percent of his 11 attempts against five or more rushers, including six underthrown or overthrown passes.

Yards after the catch: Painter benefited from Pierre Garcon's ability to gain yards after the catch. Garcon's two catches totaled 146 yards and two touchdowns. Of the 146 yards, 129 came after the catch.

That’s the best single-game total YAC in the NFL this season.

In three games before Monday night, Garcon had 12 catches with 46 yards after the catch.

Yards after contact: The Colts defense was beaten up and worn down late in the game. The Buccaneers wound up with 39 minutes of possession.

Running back LeGarrette Blount had nine carries for 62 yards in the fourth quarter, gaining 24 yards after initial contract by defenders.

On the season, he’s averaging 2.7 yards per rush after contact in the fourth quarter, third in the league behind Peyton Hillis (3.7) and Adrian Peterson (2.8).

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Houston Texans

Arian Foster says he played all of 2010 with cartilage damage in his right knee, an injury he kept secret for fear of losing his job.

Coach Gary Kubiak on what's next after the lockout ends: "The most important thing is to get our guys in here, whether it's a week or three days before we go to training camp, so we can check them out and find out where our injured players are and what kind of shape everybody's in."

Indianapolis Colts

Reggie Wayne says he'll report for training camp despite not having a contract beyond this season.

Defensive end Jerry Hughes was arrested after a skirmish early Sunday morning at a downtown Dallas club.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signing Marcedes Lewis to new deal is "at the top" of GM Gene Smith's to-do list once the lockout ends.

Tennessee Titans

Music City Miracles looks at what the Titans' No. 1 priority should be after the lockout ends. Finding a veteran quarterback tops the list.

Music City Miracles' Daniel Reese looks at the team's decision to cut LeGarrette Blount, and he isn't losing any sleep over it.

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

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 20
Preseason Power Ranking: 16

Biggest surprise: A rift between coach Jeff Fisher and Vince Young wasn’t impossible to forecast, but the size of the rift was. Fisher and his staff became completely disillusioned when Young’s work ethic and commitment didn’t appear to them to meet their standards in his fifth year. Thought the quarterback showed improvement, he caused distractions by missing meetings, not showing great toughness and ultimately swearing out Fisher in front of the entire team. Fisher’s struggles, meanwhile, extended beyond his quarterback and he’s currently in limbo as owner Bud Adams decides if it’s time for a change. He should be measured beyond the head-to-head battle with Young, and those measurements are not good.

Biggest disappointment: The Titans completely overrated their roster coming into the season. They failed to see that their smallish defensive line would wear down. They thought moving Eugene Amano to center and installing Leroy Harris at left guard would strengthen an offensive line that was excellent in 2009. The line's performance declined in 2010. They believed strong safety Chris Hope had more left than he did. They thought a revamped group of linebackers would be playmakers, and it did little. Most significantly, with four successful, aging veterans gone as free agents, the Titans presumed sufficient leadership would emerge. It did not.

Biggest need: Quarterback. I’m not sold on Young as a 16-games-a-year, lead-the-team NFL quarterback. Until the Titans have one, the position tops the list for a team with plenty of other needs. Kerry Collins or Rusty Smith is not the answer. Tennessee needs some size at defensive tackle, some playmakers at linebacker and an upgrade at safety. The Titans need to sort out their interior offensive line. And a changeup running back to help make things less difficult for Chris Johnson could help as well. For all their affection for Javon Ringer, letting LeGarrette Blount go may prove to be a monster mistake.

Team MVP: Kenny Britt. The wide receiver missed four games in the third quarter of the season and the Titans lost all four. He was dynamic and difficult to cover with an 18.6 yard average per catch and eight touchdowns.

Under-adjusting: There were rumblings in the locker room about the Titans' inability to adjust in-game, particularly regarding defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil. From my vantage point, Fisher and his staff crafted game plans on Tuesdays that they fully expected to work. But when games dictated that they steer away from that plan, they too often stubbornly stuck with what was installed. Players were looking for Plan B and alterations they didn’t get often enough. If Fisher’s back, I think this is something he’s got to admit on some level and do better to address.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

A take on Fan Appreciation Day from Jerome Solomon.

Indianapolis Colts

Jim Caldwell’s biggest issue with drawing coach of the year consideration is Jim Caldwell, says Bob Kravitz.

Jacksonville Jaguars

“If something happens to Dave [Garrard] here, there are 10 teams that will line up to take him,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. Tania Ganguli provides Koetter’s comments.

Tennessee Titans

Cutting LeGarrette Blount and adding Randy Moss backfired on the Titans, says David Climer.

Rick Gosselin’s as good a draftnik as there is, so I read his 2010 redraft with considerable interest.

Beyond the three AFC South teams he has changing first-round selections (he’s got the Jaguars sticking with Tyson Alualu, who leads the connected story), Gosselin pulls four former or current AFC South players who were not originally first-round selections into his new first round.

So congratulations LeGarrette Blount (undrafted by the Titans, now in Tampa Bay), Pat Angerer (Colts’ second-rounder), Alterraun Verner (Titans’ fourth-rounder) and Marc Mariani (Titans’ seven-rounder).

You all fared much better in December than you did in April.

Gosselin gave the Titans Angerer at 16, the Texans Colt McCoy at 20 and the Colts Jared Veldheer at 31. The players those three teams picked -- Derrick Morgan, Kareem Jackson and Jerry Hughes -- are gone from the first round.

The piece also includes a bunch on the Jaguars and Titans as Gosselin covered their game Sunday, two seats over from yours truly.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

How bad are the Texans? John McClain and N.D. Kalu discuss it in this video.

There is something admirable about the way Gary Kubiak sticks to his core beliefs, says Richard Justice.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are wary of New England return man Brandon Tate, says Phil Richards.

Jerraud Powers wants to keep pace with Kelvin Hayden when it comes to interceptions, says Mike Chappell.

Philip B. Wilson was surprised that Bill Polian emphasized that this is only one game.

The Colts and the Patriots both make the argument that they are the team of the decade, says Michael Marot.

It’s the 13th time for Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady.

Reggie Wayne missed practice and Austin Collie was limited, says John Oehser.

What Manning does and how to beat it, from Scott Bolander. I’m late to this excellent read. Give yourself some time with it.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Zach Miller is finding his place in the offense, says Tania Ganguli.

Mike Thomas will have a Hall of Fame presence, says Vito Stellino.

Joe Haden of the Browns thought about the Jaguars on a key play, says Ganguli.

Rashean Mathis needs to play better, says Vic Ketchman.

The Browns won’t beat up the Jaguars like they did last year, says Terrance Knighton. From Matt Loede.

A Q&A with Derek Cox from Alex Heacock.

Tennessee Titans

Vince Young defended his toughness, says Jim Wyatt.

Albert Haynesworth said he will always be a Titan at heart, says Wyatt.

Rusty Smith hopes to earn the Titans’ trust, says Wyatt.

Jeff Fisher regrets letting LeGarrette Blount make it to Tampa Bay, says John Glennon.

The Titans know they’ll lose to Haynesworth if they try to go one-on-one with him, says David Boclair.

Roster and practice-squad news so far Sunday:

Houston Texans

Were awarded linebakcer David Nixon from the Oakland Raiders and cornerback Jamar Wall from the Dallas Cowboys of waivers. Released linebacker Danny Clark.

Indianapolis Colts

Signed quarterback Tom Brandstater, defensive end John Chick, receiver Brandon James, defensive back Mike Newton and receiver Blair White to the practice squad.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Were awarded defensive tackle Landon Cohen off waivers from the Detroit Lions. Released offensive lineman Paul McQuistan.

Signed offensive tackle Daniel Baldridge, tight end Mike Caussin, receiver John Matthews, and defensive tackle Kommonyan Quaye to the practice squad.

Tennessee Titans

Were awarded linebacker Tim Shaw from the Chicago Bears and linebacker Patrick Bailey from the Pittsburgh Steelers off waivers. Released linebackers Stanford Keglar and running back LeGarrette Blount.

Signed defensive lineman Hall Davis, receiver Dominique Edison, cornerback Pete Ittersagen, center Kevin Matthews, safety Myron Rolle and linebacker Patrick Trahan to the practice squad.

Check here for a full list of Tennessee's roster moves.

Biggest surprises: Running back Samkon Gado ran ahead of LeGarrette Blount since he was added, but Gado lost out to the unproven rookie. Tight end Sean Ryan seemed like he’d stick as insurance for Craig Stevens, whose role is now quite important and who’s had concussion issues in the past. But the Titans parted ways with Ryan. Veteran cornerback Tye Hill was surprised he was let go, according to The Tennessean. Jeff Fisher says teams need at least four corners. If you count nickelback Vincent Fuller, a safety, in the equation the numbers are OK. But otherwise unproven Ryan Mouton is fourth.

No-brainers: Chris Simms often looked confused and flustered in preseason action, and it became clear that the Titans would stick with Kerry Collins as the veteran backup to Vince Young while looking to develop rookie Rusty Smith for down the road. Collins can run the scout team at practice and step in with no practice work if and when he’s needed, and Smith’s got a lot of good qualities, including a nice arm and swagger.

What’s next: The Titans will probably look for help at linebacker, where Gerald McRath’s four-game suspension is underway, and the primary alternative, Collin Allred, has not been durable lately. Could they pursue Oakland’s Thomas Howard in a trade? The depth right now beyond Stephen Tulloch, Will Witherspoon and Allred is Jamie Winborn, Stanford Keglar and long snapper Ken Amato. With receiver Paul Williams finally gone, Keglar can be the guy fans wonder about still being around.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Some bullet-point thoughts on the Titans’ 27-24 preseason win over New Orleans on Thursday night.

Impressive:

• With Chris Johnson not dressing, Javon Ringer showed an ability to keep his feet moving and his eyes open on an early 47-yard run. He felt space open to the left side and took it, slipped a tackle attempt by Leigh Torrence, and moved back to the right. Samkon Gado got a lot of work relatively early with the first team, and broke off a 31-yard run.
• Defensive tackle Jason Jones was very good again, with some nice pass rushes. He did well chasing stuff downfield when needed. If he stays healthy, he’s looking like a guy who will be heard from outside of Nashville this season.
• Gerald McRath showed his ability to cover pretty deep, breaking up a pass down field with Robert Johnson and Nick Schommer also arriving at the throw from Patrick Ramsey intended for Jimmy Graham.
• Jared Cook and LeGarrette Blount had some nice yards after the catch by hurdling defenders. Eventually, though, one of the hurdlers will get crushed when he encounters a defender who anticipates it, stays upright and buries a helmet in his chest.

Unimpressive:

• Kenny Britt dropped two early passes -- the first on a right-to-left short crossing route, the second on about a 22-yarder on which he was cutting left to right. Both throws were on target from Vince Young. A bit later, Britt caught a 7-yard pass with Jonathan Casillas draped on him and Malcolm Jenkins fast arriving. But then he had a false start penalty when Collins was in at quarterback. Craig Stevens and Lavelle Hawkins also dropped balls they should have caught.
• Schommer, in a battle for one of the last safety slots, hurt himself on special teams. Lined up on the right of the line, he allowed Junior Galette to get past him and casually block a Brett Kern punt with one hand. Harry Coleman juggled a bit but kept it in play for himself and pulled it in for a 1-yard touchdown. Kern should have felt the pressure from two rushers on a second block in the fourth quarter.
• Too many penalties. Marc Mariani had two nice returns, one undone by penalty against Stevens, one with 15-yards chopped off thanks to a personal foul call against Donnie Nickey. In all, Tennessee was flagged nine times for 133 yards. Schommer needlessly shoved a receiver out of bounds for a late pass interference call. Thankfully, the Saints didn’t kick on the fourth-and-2 from the Titans’ 16 that came after that with 11 seconds left.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It’s the big twist for guys who were good college players and might be good NFL players.

In order to get the chance to be a good NFL player on offense or defense, they have to be a good NFL special-teamer. And it’s tough to be a good NFL special-teamer when you didn’t play special teams in college because you were a good player on offense or defense.

Are you with me?

The Titans have several guys on the fringe who could make or miss the roster based on special teams, and Jeff Fisher pointed to two as facing this very dilemma -- fifth-round safety Robert Johnson and undrafted running back LeGarrette Blount.

“It’s difficult, and that’s oftentimes the case at other positions as well,” Fisher said. “You’ll have a linebacker who may be covered kicks his redshirt freshman year and have not since. Robert Johnson didn’t play any special teams. It’s hard. You have to learn.”

Johnson, who the Titans think can be a good safety down the road, and Blount, who they like as a big back, won’t get the chance to be those things later if they cannot be effective special-teamers now.

“You’ve got to understand that you’ve got to play your role,” Johnson said. “Most rookies, unless you are a first-round pick, are not going to come in and start. ... Being uneducated about the special teams aspect is a confusing thing, but I’m just going to go out there and play whatever they ask me to play.”

Currently, Johnson is on the first kickoff unit, the second kickoff return team, the second punt return group and the second punt unit. He said he feels like he’s gotten a whole lot better, with the help of the Titans long-term special-teams ace Donnie Nickey.

It’s Johnson’s first special-teams work since he played on the kickoff team as a sophomore at Utah and then was often a just-in-case backup.

“I was always open to it and coming here, I have to be open to it,” he said. “This is my job, there is no ‘I don’t really want to do it.’ I’m going to play whatever they need me to play as long as they keep paying me and keeping me in the organization.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Midway through the exhibition schedule (the NFL just loves that word), the Titans got the AFC South’s first win, beating the Arizona Cardinals 24-10 on Monday.

Which means nothing, of course.

But some of this might.

Vince Young was efficient, but can still stand some polish: His big completion to a wide open Craig Stevens came off his back foot. He also had a pump-fake fumble (though he recovered it and ran for a first down) and a bad, low throw for Nate Washington into double coverage at the goal line that fell incomplete. Those all amount to the sort of things he needs to clean up. When things go well for him, he not only survives such circumstances but turns them into positive plays as he did on the first two of those three plays against the Cardinals.

Back to form?: I thought veteran safety Chris Hope played fast. He made a quick stick on tight end Stephen Spach after a short reception on a third-and-long, and on a blitz from the left side he got in on a tackle of Tim Hightower, who was running to the other side.

Running back pecking order: Javon Ringer was the first backup in on offense, playing with the first team. He’s earning increased faith from his coaches and it seems as if he’s the guy who will take a few snaps off Chris Johnson’s plate. He can run inside, gain a tough yard and function as a pass outlet. Don’t rush to imagine those carries going to LeGarrette Blount, especially since Samkon Gado was ahead of Blount as the third back and ran for two TDs.

Disruptive forces: Jason Babin continues to impress me with his fast get off and his ability to get into the backfield. Against the Cardinals he was the first to get into the backfield on a couple run plays. Jason Jones, meanwhile, beat starting right guard Reggie Wells for back-to-back knockdowns of Derek Anderson.

Still not sold: Michael Griffin, who tackled poorly a year ago, whiffed on LaRod Stephens-Howling on a first-half kick return leaving Myron Rolle to clean things up after a bigger gain. Griffin has got to do better in such circumstances.

Compounding a mistake: Kenny Britt got a hand on the pass to the right sideline from Kerry Collins and could have caught it. Ticked at himself that he didn’t, he kicked the ball after it fell incomplete, drawing a delay of game penalty. I think that sort of thing is helping slow his path into the starting lineup.

Head of the line: Offensive line depth is a big question. Mike Otto and Fernando Velasco were the first two subs, replacing left tackle Michael Roos and right guard Jake Scott, respectively. Zero regular season starts between the two primary backups isn’t a huge confidence boon for an offense.

Nondescript: Damian Williams didn’t distinguish himself with first-half chances in the kicking game. But the rookie return man didn’t mess up either, and considering how the Titans are starting from zero at the spots after last year, that’s not nothing. Marc Mariani’s 60-yard kickoff return midway through the fourth quarter was great, but came against far lesser players.

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Houston Texans

The running backs showed toughness against the Saints, says John McClain.

Darryl Sharpton continues to make his case to be in the lineup during Brian Cushing’s suspension, says McClain.

Owen Daniels hopes to be cleared next week, says Jordan Godwin.

Gary Kubiak told me yesterday that Wade Smith will start at left guard Saturday night in New Orleans and that Chris Myers is set as the starting center for the season. (You’d have that tiny nugget from a tweet Thursday if you followed @ESPN_AFCSouth.)

Indianapolis Colts

I linked to Colts stuff in my post reviewing their preseason game in Toronto.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Joe Cullen sweats his way through meetings in air conditioning, says Tania Ganguli.

Tyson Alualu is back at practice, says Ganguli.

Ganguli and Gene Frenette update us on the Jags with this video.

Tennessee Titans

LeGarrette Blount feels like his temper can make him a target, says Jim Wyatt.

Dowell Loggains is earning the respect of the quarterbacks, says Wyatt. I wrote about Loggains as well.

Vince Young and Matt Leinart are crossing paths again Monday night, says David Boclair.

Justin Gage’s thumb is keeping him sidelined, say Wyatt and John Glennon.

An updated stock report from Wyatt and Glennon.

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The Colts, Jaguars and Texans were in the top 10 in wide receiver screens last season while the Titans only tried them three times, says Mike Tanier.

Houston Texans

A different look from the Saints is a help to the Texans, says John McClain.

Coming off his best year, Jacoby Jones is enjoying a trip home, says Jordan Godwin.

Kareem Jackson’s got no choice but to grow up fast, says McClain.

McClain asks if the Texans can be this year’s Saints.

Indianapolis Colts

“I'm not dumb, not to know that's an issue we have,” Joseph Addai tells Mike Chappell. “We want to run it better when we run it."

Five storylines from John Oehser heading into the Colts-Bills game.

Reggie Wayne is Mr. Consistent, says John Oehser.

Would the Colts be better off with Nate Davis than Curtis Painter, asks Doug Zaleski.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Five lingering Jaguars questions from Vito Stellino.

Anthony Smith has been a hit, says Tania Ganguli.

Jason Cole’s thoughts from some time with the Jaguars.

What to look for in Dolphins-Jaguars from Mark Johnson.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are a second home for Kevin Matthews, says Bryan Mullen.

Damian Williams is ready for some game action, says Jim Wyatt.

An emotional practice led to LeGarrette Blount’s punch, says John Glennon.

Alterraun Verner knows the compliments are flying but has to keep working to keep them coming, says David Boclair.

Chris Johnson’s trying out some new pads that are built into his undershorts, says Terry McCormick.

Breaking down the Titans’ corners with Tom Gower.