ESPN NFL

1. Houston Texans: Wade Phillips did some great things with this defense a year ago. But he’s not the only member of the Texans’ organization who deserves credit for an incredibly improved defense from 2010 to 2011. Houston’s front office was very aggressive in addressing the defensive side of the ball last offseason. Now, Houston has big-time players at each level of its 3-4 defense.

For those who don’t yet know, J.J. Watt immediately established himself as one of the up-and-coming defensive players in this league. Not only is Watt is a fantastic hustle player, but he has ideal size and length for his 3-4 defensive end position to go with well above-average athletic ability. Watt will be a star. Like Watt, Brian Cushing did everything asked of him really well from his inside linebacker spot last season and has established himself as one of the better second-level defenders in the league.

Before last season, the Texans paid a premium to sign him, but simply put, Johnathan Joseph is one of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL today. He is the total package and probably the best player on this excellent defense -- which is really saying something. The Texans could use one more cover man to step up, though. Overall, Houston is well-equipped in coverage and of course the pass rush helped a lot in that capacity.

Maybe what the Texans’ defense did best in Phillips’ first year was rushing the quarterback -- even without Mario Williams for much of the season. The Texans did add Whitney Mercilus to further enhance their threat off the edge and Connor Barwin could be knocking on the door of stardom.

Besides the first-round selection of Mercilus, who is in an ideal position to learn the outside linebacker position slowly, the Texans mostly stuck to improving their offense in the draft. However, Houston did land an intriguing prospect to play behind Watt and the underrated Antonio Smith in late fourth-round pick Jared Crick, who is an ideal fit for this defensive scheme. Only the Steelers, 49ers and Raves allowed fewer points than Houston last year. Don’t expect much of a drop-off this year.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: The AFC South has a shot to have two top-five defenses in 2012. Mike Malarkey takes over as the Jaguars’ head coach, but his focus will be getting quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s career straightened out and improving a dismal Jacksonville passing game.

The defense will be in Mel Tucker’s hands. Tucker wants a fast-flowing, physical and aggressive defense that doesn’t blitz a lot and gets most of its pressure from the defensive linemen. The Jaguars found a gem in Jeremy Mincey, who’s excelled in all facets of playing defensive end in their 4-3 scheme. But this defense really lacked a complementary end to Mincey, especially as a pass-rusher. Jacksonville used the No. 38 pick in this year’s draft on Andre Branch, who could help immediately on passing downs but offers little against the run.

One guy who let this defense down last season is Tyson Alualu, who really had a down 2011 season in all regards. Still, only three teams bettered Jacksonville in rushing yards allowed per attempt in 2011. A vastly underrated positional group in the NFL is the Jaguars’ linebacker corps, especially Daryl Smith, who does everything well on the second level. Paul Posluszny isn’t much behind Smith and was a fine addition to Jacksonville’s defense in free agency a year ago. The Jags’ secondary lacks star power but it is pretty solid at each position. The Jaguars were 10th in the league in points allowed last year. They could improve upon that in 2012.

3. Tennessee Titans: There isn’t a lot of star power here, but the Titans are very young on defense and could be poised to improve. Youngsters Jurrell Casey, Karl Klug, Alterraun Verner, Jason McCourty and others are much better players than many casual NFL fans know. Third-round pick Mike Martin should be the perfect complement to the run-stuffing Casey and the lighter pass-rushing Klug in the Titans’ defensive tackle rotation.

The Titans’ pass rush was a huge problem last season, as only Tampa Bay recorded fewer sacks than Tennessee, but it should be much better this year, especially with the addition of Kamerion Wimbley. Former first-round pick Derrick Morgan also should finally be healthy. This is a key season for Morgan -- and the Titans need more from him.

On the second level, the Titans are now very young and active. Colin McCarthy is a tackling machine and should quickly establish himself as a leader of this defense. Tennessee lost Cortland Finnegan to the Rams in free agency, but overall, their coverage people were above average last season -- despite that suspect pass rush. Finnegan had an excellent season, though, and will be difficult to replace.

The Titans look to be improved up front in their ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, but not as strong on the back end in coverage. Only seven teams allowed fewer points than Tennessee during the 2011 season. Maintaining that standard could be difficult, but overall, this is a pretty solid group in just about all areas.

4. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts might have the worst defense in the NFL this season. Their run defense was abysmal last season. Indianapolis has nowhere to go but up in this department and additions such as Cory Redding, Brandon McKinney and Josh Chapman should help shore up the run defense at the line of scrimmage. Still, such a drastic scheme change really leaves Indianapolis in a bind on this side of the ball for 2012.

Although the Colts surely will not be playing with the lead as much as they did when Peyton Manning was behind center, the edge pass-rush presence of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis should still rank among the best in the NFL. Mathis was probably the Colts’ best defensive player last season. He can still get it done. I believe the same is true with Freeney. As good as Freeney and Mathis still are, just the Titans and Buccaneers sacked opposing quarterbacks less than Indianapolis.

Besides Freeney and Mathis, Pat Angerer and especially Antoine Bethea are above-average starters for their respective positions. But outside of these four, the remaining prevalent members of the Colts’ defense are littered with flaws. One player I am very high on is Drake Nevis, but Nevis was drafted to be an upfield disruptive three-technique. The problem here is that if Indianapolis goes with a predominantly 3-4 alignment, Nevis’ great penetrating abilities could be wasted. That is the problem with switching schemes -- players from the former philosophy aren’t well-suited for what the new coaching staff has in mind. This applies to many members of the Colts’ defense, which up until now was a fast-flowing undersized unit built on speed. Now this unit will be building to be much like what Chuck Pagano coached in Baltimore -- and Nevis is one of many examples of the problems with making such a change.

The Colts were not strong at all in coverage last year -- and it doesn’t look as though they will be much improved in 2012. They are particularly weak at cornerback. Indianapolis also had the fewest interceptions in the league last year. Pagano and his defensive staff will be more creative with their looks and pressures, which he hopes will leads to more turnovers created. Getting more Ravens-type of defensive players will be a massive priority for Indianapolis next offseason.

Obviously no one on the Jaguars is under more pressure in 2012 than Blaine Gabbert.

But the quarterback is such an obvious choice, we will set him aside and go a different direction, to one of the people Gabbert or Chad Henne will need to be productive if the Jacksonville offense is going to make a significant jump.

Wide receiver Mike Thomas will have better coaching with Jerry Sullivan and a better supporting cast with Laurent Robinson, Taylor Price and, presumably, a high draft pick in the mix.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. has said Thomas can combine attributes of Wes Welker and Steve Smith.

But many Jaguars fans were left wondering about Thomas last season, when he fell off after he got a contract extension in early October. That three-year, $18 million deal included $9 million guaranteed. It eclipsed the three-year deal worth $13.35 million with $5 million guaranteed that Green Bay gave Jordy Nelson.

Thomas finished with 44 catches for 415 yards and a TD, and after the contract he didn’t have a game better than four catches for 36 yards. Nelson was obviously playing for a far better team with an MVP quarterback, but he had 68 catches for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Word in Jacksonville was that Thomas gave up late in the season, frustrated by a bad receivers coach in Johnny Cox and a struggling rookie quarterback in Gabbert. Cox was fired by interim head coach Mel Tucker and replaced by quarterbacks coach Mike Sheppard.

The Jaguars need Thomas to be the player they thought he was when they drafted him and then when they gave him the extension. He needs to be part of the solution for Gabbert, not an addition problem.

Thomas said recently he will benefit from being pushed by Sullivan, and if that helps, great.

But once the Jaguars signed him to a new deal, he graduated to an NFL veteran who shouldn’t necessarily need pushing. He’s a guy who should be motivated by simply living up to his contract and the faith his bosses have showed in him.

Will the additions amount to enough help? It’s too early to say and we don’t know who they will draft. But Thomas shouldn’t be the top option in the receiver group, and with Robinson in the fold Thomas should rank second at best.

Thomas is under pressure to produce.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

When Arian Foster met with Roger Goodell, this picture was part of the result, says Nick Mathews of the Houston Chronicle.

Nick Scurfield of the Texans' web site reviews Houston’s defensive line.

Indianapolis Colts

Comparing teams just before the rebuild: The 2011 Colts have a lot more chips carrying over than the 1997 Colts did, says Nate Dunlevy of Colts Authority.

The Colts will take Andrew Luck in part because they know he can take a hit and they can’t be scared of letting him do so, says Dunlevy, this time at Bleacher Report.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have taken care of their own on defense, and that has coordinator Mel Tucker feeling optimistic, says Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

David Garrard has landed in a good situation, says Stellino.

John Oehser of the team’s website defends the team’s transparency.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Munchak likes what the Titans have done so far in free agency and says the team isn’t finished yet, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The way Matt Hasselbeck reacted to the Peyton Manning chase showed class, says David Climer of The Tennessean.

The requirement for Terrance Knighton to be a top echelon defensive tackle for years to come for the Jacksonville Jaguars is simple: don’t let the weight balloon.

Sirius XM NFL Radio spoke with Mel Tucker during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala. and the Jaguars defensive coordinator was blunt.

“I’m not going to tell you anything I haven’t told Terrance. He knows this is put-up-or-shut-up time right now. He knows he can be a dominant player if he keeps his weight under control. Now is the perfect time to get that right.

“He knows that, ‘If I’m going to be the player I need to be and can be and have the respect of my teammates and coaches, there are certain things I have to do on and off the field.’ Weight management is one of those things. That’s a major part of it.”

They don’t call Knighton “Pot Roast” as a joke — it’s not a bald guy being called ”Curly” or a weakling being labeled “Muscles.”

His weight has been a story wince the team spent a third-round pick on him out of Temple in 2009. Working with Tyson Alualu in the middle of the Jaguars line, he can be part of a dominant tandem, helping a strong linebacking corps behind him make a bunch of plays.

An offseason with the team should help the cause. That 2012 is a contract year for Knighton should also be a motivating factor for the 25 year old.

“He’s fully committed,” Tucker said. “We’re fully committed to getting it done. Together, we feel he’s going to have a great season. I’ll be shocked if there’s going to be anything different than that.”

If Alualu’s knee is right and Knighton’s weight is right, the Jaguars are a consistent pass rusher away from ranking with the league’s best defenses.

We’ll wait until next week to start building the All-AFC South Team, and you’ll have a big chance to offer input there.

This week we’ll pass out hardware for individual awards.

Drum roll please:

Player of the year: Johnathan Joseph, Texans cornerback. Runner up: Brian Cushing, Texans inside linebacker.

Joseph, Cushing and Antonio Smith were the players I sorted through here, and you can make a case for any of them. While the Texans were a better defense at every level, it was the secondary that had the biggest room for improvement. Joseph’s ability to match up with a team’s best receiver eased the pressure on everyone else in the secondary and helped transform a miserable pass defense into an excellent one. In the Texans’ playoff loss in Baltimore he blanketed Ravens receiver Torrey Smith, rendering him a non-factor.

Offensive player of the year: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars running back. Runner up: Arian Foster, Texans running back.

It’s hard to fathom that Jones-Drew was the NFL rushing champ considering that defenses could regularly key on him without fear of any real threat from the passing offense, which ranked dead last in the NFL. He showed no signs of wearing down and averaged 100 yards a game. It felt like a waste on a five-win team. Foster missed some action early with hamstring issues or he would have likely challenged Jones-Drew in rushing yards. He’s a tremendous combination of power and speed and does excellent work as a pass catcher.

Rookie of the year: J.J. Watt, Texans defensive end. Runner up: Brooks Reed, Texans outside linebacker.

Watt was installed as a starter the moment the Texans drafted him and was an impactful player from his first snap. A relentless player, he was a force against the run and the pass and played beautifully in concert with the rest of the defensive front. His ability to get his hands on balls at the line of scrimmage turned into a monumental interception return for a touchdown in the playoff win over Cincinnati. Reed filled in very well after Mario Williams was lost for the season and may actually help the team decide Williams is expendable.

Best assistant coach: Wade Phillips, Texans defensive coordinator. Runner up, Mel Tucker, Jaguars defensive coordinator.

Phillips was a factor in the personnel decisions that brought Joseph, Danieal Manning, Watt and Reed into the fold for Houston. In his first year as defensive coordinator, he injected a huge dose of confidence into the Texans defenders and wisely drew up schemes that featured guys’ strengths and marked their weaknesses. The sort of turnaround the defense made in one year is practically unheard of. In Jacksonville, Tucker was given a huge boost with new personnel, but as he took over play-calling from Jack Del Rio, he excelled.

Best position coach: Dave Ragone, Titans receivers coach. Runner up, Vance Joseph, Texans secondary coach.

Ragone had no experience working with receivers coming into this job, but did fantastic work. He deserves a great deal of credit for the vast improvement and maturation of Nate Washington and the emergence of Damian Williams as a threat and Lavelle Hawkins as a guy who did some good things with the ball in his hands. In his first season with the Texans, Joseph helped some guys regain confidence while overseeing a successful move of Glover Quin from corner to strong safety.

Executive of the year: Rick Smith, Texans general manager.

He had lots of help, but completely nailed free agency, signing Joseph and Manning rather than Nnamdi Asomugha. And the top of the draft was fantastic, with Watt and Reed. As Houston suffered injuries at running back, receiver, linebacker and even punter, the Texans showed good depth and an ability to fill in holes with quality outsiders.

Best unit: Texans offensive line. Runner up: Texans linebackers.

Led by center Chris Myers, who may be the division’s most unsung player, Houston’s offensive line blocked consistently well for the run game and protected three different quarterbacks well. Left tackle Duane Brown and right tackle Eric Winston both earned mentions on various All-Pro teams. Antoine Caldwell filled in nicely when Mike Brisiel missed time at right guard. The Texans linebackers, even without Mario Williams, did spectacular, work stuffing the run and swarming quarterbacks all season long.

Worst unit: Jaguars receivers. Runner up: Colts cornerbacks.

Mike Thomas might be a No. 2 receiver and can certainly be a good No. 3, though his play in 2011 dropped off after he got a contract extension. But Jason Hill, who started as the No. 2 guy, wound up getting cut and guys like Jarett Dillard, rookie Cecil Shorts, Chastin West and Kassim Osgood did little to show they were NFL-caliber guys. Blaine Gabbert suffered the consequences. The Colts were insufficiently stocked at corner, though Jacob Lacey bounced back well late in the season after he was benched.

Most improved: Nate Washington, Titans receiver. Runner up: Connor Barwin, Texans outside linebacker.

Washington’s maturation was remarkable. An excitable guy really calmed down and settled in working under offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and Ragone and with Matt Hasselbeck. Washington figured to be better with those guys while working as the No. 2 behind Kenny Britt, but Britt was lost for the season early on and Washington wound up with a 1,000-yard season and seven touchdowns. I give him the nod because I didn’t believe he had untapped upside. That was not the case with Barwin, who the Texans have expected to be a pass-rushing force since they drafted him in 2009.

Most disappointing: Chris Johnson, Titans running back. Runner up: Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars tight end.

I don’t care what sort of defenses are offered up for Johnson. He simply did not run as hard after coming out of a holdout with a giant new contract. There were other issues, but too often he appeared to lack fire and desire. In the rare instances he wound up in a one-on-one situation he was hardly the threat he’s been in the past. If he doesn’t bounce back in 2012, the contract will turn out to be disastrous. Lewis was supposed to be transformed by his MMA training during the lockout. If it impacted him, it made him worse. Expecting another 10 touchdowns was unreasonable. Producing none was unacceptable.

Best position revamp: TIE, Jaguars safeties and Texans safeties.

Both teams were terrible at the position a year ago and despite a draft class that was incredibly thin, reshaped the spot with great results. The Texans shifted Quin from cornerback and he was very solid alongside free-agent addition Manning. The Jaguars signed Dawan Landry from Baltimore and traded for Dwight Lowery, shifting a guy who’d played mostly corner to play with Landry. Applause to both teams for fine work addressing a trouble position.

Surprise of the year: T.J. Yates, Texans quarterback.

The finish in the playoff loss to Baltimore was a big disappointment. But Yates took over a good team when Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down in quick succession and played beyond what could reasonably be expected from a fifth-round rookie quarterback.

Colt of the year: Pat Angerer, middle linebacker.

As Indianapolis was not mentioned here at all, we create this category for the Colts. Angerer showed himself to be a quality starter who has to be in the lineup going forward. That may mean the end of Gary Brackett, the veteran middle linebacker who was hurt in Week 1 and missed the season. Angerer is a rangy, instinctive player who’s sure to impress new general manager Ryan Grigson.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

J.J. Watt works tirelessly, but he starts out with a lot of natural talent, says Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle.

Says Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle: “Wade Phillips has been fired from three head coaching jobs -- in the East (Buffalo), the West (Denver) and the South (Dallas) -- but you can’t tell him that he isn’t a good head coach. Yet so many believe that is the case. They are wrong.”

The best the Texans have done against the Ravens in the past won’t be good enough Sunday, says John McClain of the Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Rich Nye of WTHR caught up to Chris Polian who said “a lot of things were not reported truthfully” over the Colts bad season that led to he and Bill Polian being fired. He wished the franchise the best moving forward. (Hat tip to Colts Authority.)

Brett Mock of Colts Authority looks at contracts and salary cap implications for the team heading into 2012.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mel Tucker’s disappointment over not getting the top job didn’t linger, and he will be part of Mike Mularkey’s staff, says Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union. Joe Cullen and Mark Duffner will also return.

Writes Gene Frenette of the Times-Union: (Shahid) Khan, in both an attempt at humor and to be complimentary of season-ticket holders, did say: "For me, a fan is somebody who's a season-ticket holder for the Jaguars." Many took it as a slap against fans who don't own season tickets, which is a ridiculous notion since Khan obviously wants to market his product to folks that are on the fence or ambivalent about spending money on tickets.”

Tennessee Titans

Kevin Carter played for the Rams that beat the Titans in the Super Bowl, then changed sides. He thinks Jeff Fisher’s a great hire for St. Louis, say Jim Wyatt and John Glennon of The Tennessean.

The Titans have offered their open secondary coach job to Brett Moxie, but the Cowboys would like to keep him, says Wyatt.

Tennessee re-signed tight end Craig Stevens, says Wyatt. He’s a valuable piece who was heading for free agency.

I’m hearing the grumbling: Uninspired retread. No pizzazz. A yawner.

Complain about Mike Mularkey as the Jaguars head coach if you like, but owner Shahid Khan said the hire wasn’t about splash, it was about smart and people will come to see the franchise smartly hired a smart coach.

Pitting “splash: against “smart” was smart of Khan.

He went further after the press conference with Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

“To me, it was after the splash are they going to be successful? When you start sobering up, how does it feel? That’s the key issue. After the binge, how do you feel? ...

"When Wayne (Weaver) announced he was selling, probably more than half [the fans on social media] said, ‘Oh my God, this is disaster. The team’s going to move. Who’s this guy coming in? Are we going to have beer in the stadium? Oh gee, it’s a Muslim.’ The social media was abuzz with that. That’s great if half thought it was good for the team being sold. We only have to work on the other half. This is just like that."

Seeing no clear, great candidate the Jaguars could get, I don’t think this is a bad hire. A lot of NFL people think Mularkey has a chance to be a good head coach in his second crack at the job he once held in Buffalo. The more I hear from Khan, the more I think the franchise is in good hands. That he lines up with general manager Gene Smith behind Mularkey speaks well of Mularkey, who will have sufficient time to show well for himself.

Mularkey’s time may have been running out in Atlanta after another postseason failure, but the Falcons are an established playoff contender.

If Mularkey’s able to do for Blaine Gabbert what he did for Matt Ryan, then it’ll be a good hire. The new coach said Gabbert’s a competitor and that though the lockout put the rookie in a tough spot, he saw some field command from him.

Command is too strong a word, but it’s well short of Mel Tucker calling the quarterback courageous late in the season in a clear case of overreaching to defend a player.

Mularkey is not going to be calling the plays, he said at his introduction. He’ll have an offensive coordinator doing that. But the Jaguars hired an offensive guy with the clear hope that he will oversee the design and installation of a scheme to maximize Gabbert’s game, while taking advantage of the quality run-game that’s in place.

In the Jaguars, Mularkey sees great potential.

“This is a team that's very close to making some things happen,” he said. “I'm here to make sure it does happen. …It's really important that you guys understand I'm here to put a winner on the field. A consistent winner."

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

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 27
Preseason Power Ranking: 19

Biggest surprise: The Jaguars added six new veterans to their lineup of top-12 defensive players and once the group jelled it played very productively. Jacksonville finished sixth in overall defense, making giant strides from 2010 and maintaining the gain even as it lost a load of quality contributors to injury. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, who finished the season as interim coach after Jack Del Rio was fired, did good work in his first season as the defense's playcaller. Middle linebacker Paul Posluszny was the sort of centerpiece tackling machine the team envisioned when signing him away from Buffalo as a free agent.

Biggest disappointment: The Jaguars didn’t intend for rookie QB Blaine Gabbert to start 14 games before they felt he was ready to take over. But by cutting David Garrard (who later wound up having back surgery) just a week before the season started and bailing quickly on veteran Luke McCown, they went against their own plan and paid a huge price for it. Jacksonville’s pass offense was worse than anyone could have anticipated, averaging just 136.2 yards per game. The NFL’s best passing offense in New Orleans averaged 334.2. Gabbert may not have been much better operating behind better protection and with more dangerous weapons at receiver, but it sure would have been good for him to have had a chance to find out. Tight end Marcedes Lewis killed the team with his disappearing act after he got his payday.

Biggest need: While the defense will need a pass-rushing end and at least one cornerback, the attention has to be focused on the offense. Mike Thomas was the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2011 but slumped badly after he got a contract extension and was not equipped to work as the primary guy. He should be the third option in 2012, working primarily out of the slot. The Jaguars need big, fast and physical receivers who can threaten downfield and go get the ball for Gabbert or whoever winds up playing quarterback.

Team MVP: Unquestionably, running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s just the fifth back since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to lead the league in rushing on a team with the NFL’s worst passing offense. That means with no threat to keep defenses honest, he ran consistently against stacked boxes and still produced in a giant way. There are always worries about wear and tear on him, yet he finished very strongly with no sign of tapering off. The Jaguars need to get other guys who are good with the ball in their hands so they can rely on him less, extend his window, and increase the chance he’s on a winning team.

Still searching for pressure: How long have the Jaguars needed a consistent pass-rush threat off the edge? It seems they are always looking. Jeremy Mincey is a great, high-energy player, but he’d benefit greatly from having a player opposing offenses have to game plan around. Yes, the franchise missed badly when it traded up to No. 8 for Derrick Harvey in the 2008 draft and counted on its second pick the same year, Quentin Groves, to help rush too. They are mistakes they still haven’t made up for. Knee injuries and rehabilitation have meant Aaron Kampman has played in only 11 games in two seasons and will be hard to bank on.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Gary Kubiak was encouraged by the practice of quarterback T.J. Yates on Tuesday when he took the full load, says Jeffrey Martin of the Chronicle. The issue for Yates is going to be about whether his left, non-throwing shoulder can handle being driven into the ground on a big sack.

The 50 most memorable moments of the Texans' season so far, from the Houston Chronicle.

Brian Cushing was voted team MVP, Mike Brisiel returned to practice and the Texans will focus on slowing A.J. Green, says John McClain in this Chronicle notebook.

Indianapolis Colts

Says Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star: “I see (Peyton) Manning reaching a gentleman's agreement with (Jim) Irsay and the next general manager, and I see (Andrew) Luck under center in September.”

Phil Richards of the Star looks at the process of finding a new GM and some potential candidates.

Phillip B. Wilson of the Star reflects on the departure of Bill Polian, with whom he and most of the local media had a contentious relationship. “Polian’s excellence masked, what I think, a tremendous insecurity I will never understand. Yeah, it has to be nothing short of maddening to have people question you when there’s no doubt you know more about your business than they could ever know. But it’s not like us common folks who worry about paying the bills each month can’t relate to that in some way.”

Robert Mathis has been added to the Pro Bowl team, according to the Star’s Mike Chappell.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mel Tucker didn’t use a Tuesday news conference to lobby for the full-time job, says Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. If he doesn’t get it, he’s going to have options. “I’m not going to use any of these opportunities to campaign for a job or roll out any talking points or anything else like that,” he said.

Terrance Knighton has been told if he gets his weight under control, a big contract will happen for him, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

Tennessee Titans

Jason Jones feels like he took one for the team with a switch from defensive tackle to defensive end, says John Glennon of The Tennessean. How will it impact the possibility of him returning as a free agent? If they re-sign him, they should admit the shift didn’t work well and put him back inside.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

If Cincinnati beats Baltimore, then the Bengals will be the Texans’ first-round playoff opponent at Reliant Stadium, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. If the Ravens win, Houston could draw the Bengals, the Titans, the Raiders or the Jets.

Indianapolis Colts

In the last 10 quarters, the Colts' defense has been excellent, says Phil Richards. They are plus-three in turnovers and have allowed conversions on just 30.3 percent of third downs.

Nate Dunlevy of 18to88.com doesn’t believe Bill Polian should be fired, but if he was arguing the case for it, here are the points he would use.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Both the Jaguars and Colts would be better off in the long term with a loss Sunday, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. But the Jaguars also have a lot of reasons to play to win: the rushing title for Maurice Jones-Drew, a big send-off for outgoing owner Wayne Weaver and a good finish for interim coach Mel Tucker.

Tennessee Titans

Defensive end Derrick Morgan is beginning to look like the guy the Titans expected when they took him in the first round in 2010, says John Glennon. He’s got 19 tackles in his past three games. The Titans need to be able to count on him to be a consistent producer moving forward.

It’s a super-short week for the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, who play each other Thursday night, and a short week for the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Coaches are moving faster, so are they more prone to spin?

Here’s our occasional look at Spin City in the AFC South, ranked from the hardest-to-swallow spin to the most palatable since Sunday's games.

Mel Tucker on whether he thinks Blaine Gabbert is feeling pressure in the pocket when pressure is not there: “I see Blaine as being courageous in the pocket. I see him as being super tough. I see him being very, very competitive and my feeling is that his teammates and his coaches feel the same way.”

Kuharsky’s take: Reverse psychological overstatement. You can say he’s not afraid, you need to say he’s not afraid because it probably does him no good to hear his coach saying publicly that he’s scared. But courageous? This will be Tucker’s fourth game at the helm, but that’s fourth-year level coach-speak there.

Gary Kubiak on if he sees any drop off by the Colts on the defensive side in line with their 1-13 record: “Absolutely not. They’ve been playing their hearts out and they’ve been on the field a lot. They’ve been true pros through their situation. It’s been impressive to watch.”

Kuharsky’s take: Well, the Colts played very good defense Sunday in their first win of the season, over the Titans. And they have been pros about it. But this year’s Indianapolis defense ranks 28th, eight spots worse than last year’s, three spots worse against the run (28th) and 11 spots worse against the pass (24th) than in 2010. Kubiak can’t say it, but that’s called drop off. He could stop short of “Absolutely not,” however.

Jim Caldwell on Peyton Manning's recent rehab session throwing in pads: “It’s tough to give, from my vantage point at least, a detailed sort of description of a rehab session, and that’s basically what it is. He’s got a little ways to go yet, he’s still working towards it and I think he’s making progress.”

Kuharsky’s take: Why is it tough? Elsewhere Caldwell said he wasn’t going to comment, and that’s obviously his prerogative. But let’s not pretend it’s difficult for a veteran football coach to describe the simple throwing his quarterback did. Caldwell’s boss, Bill Polian, didn’t struggle on SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier in the day to say Manning threw 30-35 passes with “good velocity” in a 25-30 yard space.

Mike Munchak on Chris Johnson's season and his potential for a big rebound next year: “… We just haven’t been as good as we need to be and some of that is him but I think more of it’s the situation and the others around him and so that’s something we’re going to have to improve in the offense, is making sure we have him here all during the offseason and having him here in camp I think will make a big difference for us.”

Kuharsky’s take: When he took the job Munchak said the Titans had a Super-Bowl caliber offensive line. He’s not said that during this season. And I’m not certain how an offseason in Nashville prevents Johnson, with a chance to score in Indianapolis Sunday, from getting caught from behind by Chris Rucker. Super-fast guys who get slower don’t typically get faster again.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15:

Blitzing Cam Newton: The Texans have thrived when sending five or more pass-rushers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Houston blitzes on 52.1 percent of dropbacks, second only to New Orleans. The Texans allow a 48.2 completion percentage, only 5.5 yards per attempt, and have recorded 20 of their 24 sacks in those situations. Newton has thrown seven touchdowns and three interceptions in such circumstances. But he’s also taken 18 sacks, as many as any quarterback in the NFL. Linebacker coach Reggie Herring will work as the defensive coordinator with Wade Phillips recovering from kidney and gallbladder surgery. But Phillips drew up the plan, and the Texans should be doing what they've been doing.

Rematch: The Titans beat the Colts in the first matchup 27-10 on Oct. 30 in Nashville. Nate Washington caught two touchdown passes and Patrick Bailey blocked a punt that Jason McCourty recovered for a score. Curtis Painter attempted 49 passes in that game. I think the Titans would be thrilled if Dan Orlovsky dropped back anywhere near that often, as he’s mistake-prone, and the more Indianapolis has to rely on him the better the chance at interceptions, sacks and fumbles. Defensive end Dave Ball and tackle Karl Klug could be primed to force a turnover or two. Tennessee has not swept the Colts since 2002, the first year of realignment.

Serious scoring defense: During their seven-game winning streak the Texans have allowed fewer than 20 points a game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last team with such a streak was the 2005 Bears, who held eight consecutive opponents under 20 points during an eight-game win streak. Carolina has topped 20 points in 10 of its 13 games, and has averaged nearly 31 points a game over its past four.

Rest and recovery: There is not a lot that can happen for the Jaguars to change things in their last two games. But they’ve got a weekend off now after Thursday night’s beatdown in Atlanta. They finish with division games at Tennessee and against Indianapolis. So we’ll see how Mel Tucker can get a battered team ready for familiar opponents and if the Jaguars are able to get Maurice Jones-Drew the yards he needs to secure a rushing title.

Tidbits: Since Washington became a regular in 2006, his 14.9 yards per catch is the seventh-highest average in the NFL. … Arian Foster is 43 yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing, and Ben Tate is 180 yards shy of 1,000. When they both get there, they’ll become just the seventh set of teammates to hit the mark in the same season. … Texans receivers have dropped 11 passes, tied with Minnesota for fewest in the NFL this season. … Newton’s 39.2 red zone completion percentage is the third-worst in the league.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Playoff positioning and a potential bye offer the Texans continued incentive to keep winning, says John McClain of the Chronicle.

Gary Kubiak credits general manager Rick Smith for building the roster, says McClain.

Houston fans are basking in the team’s division title, say David Barron and Ronnie Crocker of the Chronicle.

What this division title means to Texans fans, from Lance Zierlein of the Chronicle blog.

Indianapolis Colts

No opponent wants to be the one who loses to the Colts, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Joe Lefeged made a couple plays in the loss at Baltimore, says Phil Richards of the Star.

Phillip B. Wilson of the Star swings at Bill Polian for negative comments about punter Pat McAfee.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' injured-reserve count is up to 27, says Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union.

Mel Tucker has little time to mull his future while he tries to oversee a solid finish, says Vito Stellino of the T-U.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans will start Matt Hasselbeck if he’s healthy, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Cornerback Jason McCourty is cleared to return from the concussion that kept him out of the New Orleans game, says Wyatt.

Whatever advantage the Jaguars may have gotten with their next head coach by firing Jack Del Rio on Nov. 29 is over.

The Chiefs have fired Todd Haley and the Dolphins have fired Tony Sparano today. Romeo Crennel and Todd Bowles now join Mel Tucker as interim coaches.

We’ve not learned anything about any sort of backchannel work the Jaguars may have done in gauging the interest of potential new head coaches. But it’s safe to presume general manager Gene Smith and or owner Wayne Weaver, who said he’d be involved in making the hire before the team changes hands to Shahid Khan, have made some inquiries.

Executives from Kansas City and Miami may contact some of the same people now.

How does Jacksonville stack up as a job compared to Miami and Kansas City?

I think it will be far easier for a coach to work with the easygoing Smith than it will to be paired up with KC’s Scott Pioli and the man expected to be hired to run things in Miami, Carl Peterson.

But those two executives and franchises have had far more success than Smith and the Jaguars.

How about from a personnel standpoint?

I asked Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. if he would rank the three from a player talent standpoint.

Here’s his thinking:

"Wow. Tough one. I guess if you are on board with Blaine Gabbert -- and I don’t know why you would be at this point -- then it has to be Jax. They have a defense and running game in place, but the passing game might need totally rebuilt, which is the most difficult thing.

"I really like Miami’s D and Matt Moore might end up being a middle-of-the-road starting QB if everything falls into place. If they stick with Moore, they might be able to really build things around him and give him a year audition.

"KC’s D is mostly in place and they have a lot of excellent very young talent coming back from injury. Matt Cassel, like Moore, might be adequate, although never a franchise guy. KC has a lot of weapons though.

"Again, it is tight, but I probably rank them: 1. KC, 2. MIA, 3. JAX."

How about you? Chime in on the poll above.

The NFL is filled with players who believe they have unused skills.

Guys played skill positions back in high school and think they’ve still got it. They tell teammates and coaches all the time they’re available to play quarterback or line up at receiver or punt or kick if the team is ever in a jam. They mess around with much of it before and after practices.

Often when a kicker gets hurt, the punter takes over.

Sunday, Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee tweaked a groin in warmups and the team decided to get him out of the game late in their blowout of Tampa Bay. The Jaguars did not turn to punter Nick Harris. The Jaguars attempted a 2-point conversion after their final touchdown, then turned to linebacker Russell Allen for the kickoff.

He hit a line drive to his right to Mossis Madu at the Buccaneers’ 45-yard line.

Fox’s telecast showed that much laughter ensued, including from Scobee on the sideline.

Tweets from reporters at Mel Tucker’s news conference today indicate Scobee is day-to-day and that the team could be signing a kicker. Allen will get a hard time forever over his kick, but the Jaguars chose him over a bunch of volunteers.

The next time the Jaguars need a field player to kick, odds are they will pass over Allen and his small resume and see if the next guy can reach the opponent’s 40-yard line.

The Jaguars next play Thursday night at Atlanta.