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First off, here is my unsolicited idea on the NFL’s desire to provide reliable Wi-Fi for fans at all NFL stadiums: Turn goal posts and pylons into antennas.

Moving along and reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Punter Brett Hartmann now has league permission to take Ritalin, says Mark Berman of Fox Houston. His suspension was reduced from four games to three. I’m curious about why this case warranted a reduction, when suspensions related to violations of the league’s policies on such matters are usually cut and dried.

Rookie offensive lineman Brandon Brooks is the heaviest Texans player ever, says Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. They’re asking him to drop 15 of his 346 pounds, and heat he’s not used to may help.

Linebackers coach Reggie Herring says the Texans gained back what they lost with the trade of DeMeco Ryans by adding Bradie James, according to Gregg Rosenthal.

Arian Foster says he can get better at everything and knows things are different for the Texans now that they’ve had success, says Robertson.

Indianapolis Colts

Tight end Dallas Clark signed with Tampa Bay after the Bucs got rid of Kellen Winslow.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Aaron Kampman and Rashean Mathis are enduring solitary roads to recovery from knee injuries, says Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

Montell Owens isn’t against the idea of leg pads, says Ganguli.

Martellus Bennett thinks Laurent Robinson proved himself as a No. 1 receiver last year in Dallas, says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have signed all of their draft picks except for first-rounder Kendall Wright, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

A quick zip around the division to catch up on some things that have happened while I had a few days off.

The trio of coaches charged with shaping Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville is in place: coach Mike Mularkey, offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and quarterback coach Greg Olsen. Olsen comes to the Jaguars from the Buccaneers where he worked with Josh Freeman, who regressed badly last season. Everyone’s got a clean slate now, and these coaches will be judged largely on what they are able to make of Gabbert in his second season.

The Colts' list of candidates to be the new head coach is not going to excite the general population. There seems to be a lot of buzz about Jim Tressel, and it appears he’s met with the team twice, but we don’t know who else has and it may be a mistake to label him the front-runner. It’s funny: When the team brought him aboard as a meager replay consultant, we tried to find a connection and label him as a Bill Polian guy, a Chris Polian guy or a Jim Caldwell guy. Whether he’s the next coach or not, it turns out he was a Jim Irsay guy.

Dave McGinnis has been a valuable member of the Titans' coaching staff for years. He’s left to re-join Jeff Fisher in St. Louis. While Mike Munchak will miss McGinnis as a sounding board, the addition of Keith Millard as a pass-rushing coach looks like a smart one. The Titans have not traditionally rushed the passer well from beyond the defensive line. The league is specializing, and having a coach who goes beyond positions to teach a set of skills is a fresh approach in Tennessee.

Texans center Chris Myers, Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith and Jaguars special-teamer Montell Owens were added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Wade Phillips was named assistant coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America and Pro Football Weekly. Congrats to all.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Matt Turk, Jacksonville Jaguars punter: The Jaguars pride themselves on having a good special-teams unit. They were without one of their premier special-teamers, Kassim Osgood, in Carolina; another standout, Montell Owens, probably will be on the injury report this week. The thinking was they’d help Turk look good. But through three games he has a 33.4-yard net punt average and has given up touchbacks on four of his 10 punts. Coach Jack Del Rio said it hasn't been good enough, and if it doesn’t get better, the Jaguars could ponder an alternative.

2. Red zone offense, Houston Texans: That killer instinct I’ve written about repeatedly always comes into question when the Texans settle for field goals. They moved the ball great in New Orleans but stalled when they got close, and then called on Neil Rackers too often. The good news is, no team has been inside the 20 more than Houston (16 trips). But five touchdowns for a .313 percentage in the red zone puts them 30th in the NFL. With their offense, that’s just not sufficient. (It could be worse, though. The Jaguars are dead last in red zone efficiency. They’ve been in the red zone a grand total of one time, when they kicked a field goal.)

3. Quarterback accuracy, Indianapolis Colts: Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter combined to hit on just 18 of 40 passes in the Colts’ loss to Pittsburgh. Each missed open guys at crucial moments. The stat sheet says Reggie Wayne was targeted 13 times, which is as it should be. But he caught only three passes for 24 yards, which is something we can really second-guess. Painter missed a wide open Pierre Garcon on a play that could have changed the game. We’re not going to get anything close to Peyton Manning out of these guys. But whoever is under center needs to get the ball in the hands of Wayne, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark and Garcon.

RISING

1. Pat Angerer, Indianapolis Colts linebacker: In a game in which the Colts' defense really woke up and made things work, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis led the line and harassed Ben Roethlisberger. Angerer keyed the second level. Game statisticians credited him with 21 tackles, twice as many as anyone else in the game. And he added one on special teams for good measure. He was constantly around the ball, and he wasn’t collecting “cheap” tackles by jumping in late or from behind.

2. James Casey, Houston Texans fullback: It’s still early to rate the tight end-turned-fullback as a run-blocker. But getting him on the field gives the Texans another high-quality pass-catcher. The Saints struggled to cover him, leaving him alone on a 62-yard reception. And his diving 26-yard touchdown catch was just beautiful. Casey finished with five catches for 126 yards, just two fewer than the best receiver in the NFL, Andre Johnson. Casey is a matchup issue for everyone the Texans will face. Treat him like a fullback and opponents may suffer for it when he motions out and runs routes like a receiver.

3. Jurrell Casey, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle: He can rush the passer better, but the rookie is a big piece of a defense that currently holds the No. 1 ranking in the NFL. He was one of the guys who stopped Willis McGahee in a fourth-quarter goal-line stand against Denver. As a run-stopper, he’s an influential guy who has potential to get even better as he gets more comfortable and confident.

Running back Rashad Jennings tweeted that his knee injury prompted the Jaguars to place him on injured reserve.

So Jacksonville officially has depth concerns at running back.

Maurice Jones-Drew is coming off knee surgery and did little in the preseason, appearing only in the finale. The team has talked about lightening his load, and the primary guy to do that was going to be Jennings.

Deji Karim is a nice change-up back, but the team could now look for a bigger guy as insurance for Jones-Drew, and to take some of his work on first and second down.

Jacksonville media pressed Jack Del Rio recently about the running back plan if Jennings wasn’t ready for the Sept. 11 opener against the Titans.

Here’s that exchange:

If Rashad Jennings is not ready for the opener, how confident are you in Deji Karim to be the backup? Talk about him and his readiness if he has to be the number two guy.

Del Rio: "I feel great about our backfield. I think we have depth. I think we have productive guys that will step up and play big for us. Deji is one of them. I think you’ll see an increased role with Montell (Owens), an increased role with Brock (Bolen). But Deji in particular has been very explosive this preseason. He’s got some real quicks, he’s got great vision and he’s been improved in all facets of his game. And the thing that stands out is the explosive element that he brings."

So Brock Bolen and Montell Owens will carry the ball more?

“Yes, they’ll be involved.”

What’s your thinking there?

“Just using our talent, just using the players we have.”

So does that mean Maurice Jones-Drew won’t have quite as many carries as he has in the past?

“No, that means that Maurice is still going to get his load but the question was asked if Rashad is not able to go, how will we fill that and I spoke about that.”

So Deji Karim, Brock Bolen and Montell Owens will be the backups?

“Yeah, we like the whole group top to bottom.”

It’s hard to get excited about carries for Owens, a fullback who works as a special-teams ace or Bolen, also a fullback. Surely it was an oversight that Del Rio didn’t mention a longtime favorite, starting fullback Greg Jones. Frankly, no team should ever carry three fullbacks.

The Jaguars need a second or third option who's spent time carrying the ball.

Quick observations and thoughts on the Jacksonville Jaguars' 15-13 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons Friday night.

David Garrard's deep interception to Brent Grimes was well over Mike Thomas up the middle. It was an overly hopeful throw that killed a possession and wasn’t necessary. He also missed Marcedes Lewis on a much shorter touchdown pass opportunity, though his ankle was clipped by a rusher as he let it go. Those are the sort of plays that make some people say, “Why not just play the rookie?”

Cecil Shorts should have simply fallen on the ball after he failed to cleanly take a handoff from Garrard on a reverse. His failure to do so meant another turnover.

Defensive end Jeremy Mincey caused problems for Atlanta, bearing down on Matt Ryan at least three times with high-effort rushes. One forced an intentional grounding.

Montell Owens, a fullback who operates almost exclusively on special teams, got a couple early carries as the Jaguars looked to spread the workload on a night they were without both Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings because of injuries.

Drew Coleman didn’t seem determined enough to stick close to Harry Douglas early in his route on what turned into a 76-yard touchdown catch out of the slot against the Jaguars new nickelback.

Fox commentator Daryl Johnston felt like Blaine Gabbert left the pocket prematurely a couple times when he probably could have stayed put and given a play more of a chance. I thought it was good analysis. Gabbert didn’t play as well as he did in last week’s start at New England, with a 59.3 passer rating. It was still nine points better than Garrard’s.

Loved, loved, loved Jack Del Rio going for 2 after the go-ahead touchdown. Not because it gave the team an opportunity to work on the play, but because it eliminated the possibility of a field goal making for a tie game and possible overtime. Preseason games should not, by rule, include the possibility of overtime. Who cares if the meaningless result is a regulation tie?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars aren’t looking for parades or pinwheels as congratulations. But in the two years since Gene Smith took over as general manager, they’ve basically gutted the roster. And while setting about a major rebuilding project, they remained competitive with a 7-9 season and an 8-8 campaign.

After another draft and an active free-agency period, they now feel the rebuild is complete.

“There is an expectation level in this league to win, and I think having some horses makes us all smile in this building,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “I think we went out and acquired some guys for the second and third level of our defense where we talked about needing some help. ... It’s going to help us be a whole lot better.

“The pressure, the demands, that’s part of what we do, and I love that part of it. It becomes a little more enjoyable when you know you’re getting closer to being on equal footing."

Del Rio’s not buying that the Colts are slipping, and he’s not waiting for them to. The in-house expectation is that this team is capable of competing for the AFC South crown no matter what any other team in the division has going for it.

Bolstered by four upgrades among the top 12 players on defense, Jacksonville is a team that should be much improved. The Jaguars won’t be a popular pick, but they could be a surprise, emergent team.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Will there be a quarterback controversy? The team stands firmly with David Garrard and intends to bring first-round pick Blaine Gabbert along slowly. But Gabbert has looked great early, while Garrard tends to be inconsistent. There are bound to be times during the season when there is some pressure to make a change from inside team headquarters, not just from media and fans.

“If we ever get to the point where we think Blaine is better than Dave, that’s good for the Jaguars,” offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. “Because I think Dave is good enough to win with; I think we can win our division with Dave Garrard at quarterback. If Blaine is better than Dave, shoot, that’s good for us.”

Del Rio and Koetter could have a complicated job managing how and when to play Gabbert if they feel he’s forcing his way into the lineup.

“I’ve got a healthy appreciation for the desire out there to make it a story,” Del Rio said. “For us, we’re about maximizing our opportunities as a football team, playing the guys who give us the best chance to win games and working on the preparation. ...

“Through the course of competition and exposure and based on health, those factors kind of take care of themselves. I don’t think we have to get ahead of the story. I think we can just let it play out, and at least we are doing so from a position of strength. There is no reason to make it dysfunctional, make it unhealthy. What purpose does that serve? It’s not going to help us win more games.”

It sounds good, but it can get complicated. Garrard’s the guy right now, and the team and the quarterback need to do a better job of making sure he gets hit far less so he can make consistently good decisions with the ball.

Factor tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Zach Miller and running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings into the mix with the receivers, and the Jaguars have sufficient weapons to complement a run-based offense. Mike Thomas, Jason Hill and Cecil Shorts could be a better three-pack of receivers than many people think.

2. How much better can the revamped defense be? If this defense doesn’t improve from 32nd against the pass, 28th overall and 27th in points allowed, Del Rio will lose his job.

The team shelled out $37 million guaranteed to three prime free agents: linebackers Paul Posluszny and Clint Session and safety Dawan Landry. The Jags also added nickelback Drew Coleman.

That group, plus rookie defensive backs Chris Prosinski and Rod Issac, should vastly improve the defensive production and depth.

Smith wanted to build foundations early and spent his first two drafts working on the lines. Defensive tackles Tyson Alualu and Terrance Knighton should take up all kinds of blockers and create space for the two new linebackers and the underrated Daryl Smith to make a lot of impact plays.

“Jacksonville’s interior D-line really stood out,” Posluszny said about his research as a free agent. “They’ve got two studs in the middle that are very active, get to the ball a lot and certainly are going to take up a lot of blockers.”

Safety play last season was horrific, and Landry will be a significant upgrade even though he didn’t bring Ed Reed with him from Baltimore.

“I’m not looking for any grace period to assemble this defense,” Del Rio said. "Guys we’re assembling and counting on for the most part are veterans. ... We’re going to expect to play coming out of the gate as a winning football team, and defensively we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

3. Can they play well late in the season? December is a debacle for this team.

In the past three seasons in games played in December and beyond, the Jaguars are 4-11. They need to learn to finish games and seasons better. What can change it?

“I think in Week 13 or something, we had a better record than the Packers did last year,” Daryl Smith said. “They got hot, and who would have thought they would go on to win? That could be us. Why not? We have to try to stay off of that roller coaster, try to be consistent, just get better each week. Steady, steady, steady, then come late November or December, get hot.”

“I’ve been in the playoffs twice since I’ve been here and that’s been the formula. … We can’t feel like we arrived when we have a good game or played well and won a couple games.”

Del Rio says that with a more talented roster, he has to guide it to better work in the last quarter of the season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Beat writers and fans call Austen Lane “The Bringer of Pain.” It’s funny. But he looks like a guy who will make it hard for the team to look anywhere else for its second starting defensive end. He can be a ball of fury, and that will fit right in with the tone and tempo of the rest of the defensive front.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Right tackle Eben Britton came in with a reputation as a nasty player, and the team missed him last season when he was lost with a shoulder injury. I’ve picked him as a breakout-caliber guy this season. But word is he has not been great so far. Perhaps he’s still being cautious and easing his way back, but he needs to take things up a big notch soon.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Two years ago, people were writing off center Brad Meester. But defenses were taking advantage of weak guard play to get to him. He rebounded well last season and is a guy whom coaches love as a reliable offensive line leader.
• Knighton’s weight always will be an issue. The defensive tackle is a great player and superlikable guy. The team cannot hold his fork for him. The more he can control it, the more impact and money he will make.
• Prosinski could well be in the opening day lineup as the free safety. He worked with the first team early in camp and might be up to a pairing with Landry in the middle of the secondary. Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox need to play better at corner, but the Jaguars will improve from the safety upgrades and from the presence of veteran nickelback Drew Coleman.
• Looking for an underdog to root for? How about undrafted free agent Marc Schiechl? He set a Football Championship Subdivision record for sacks at the Colorado School of Mines.
• Scotty McGee isn’t working with defensive backs regularly anymore. Can he stick as strictly a punt-return specialist? He caught 185 punts on one day of camp. And the team should move away from using Thomas in the role, although McGee is hardly the only alternative.
• I like Miller, and the team raves about his potential. But he’s been inconsistent early in camp with too many drops. He’s got great hands, so it seems to be a focus issue.
• Larry Hart may be in the doghouse for coming back from the lockout overweight. At defensive end, he currently ranks behind Aaron Kampman, Lane, Jeremy Mincey and Aaron Morgan.
• Fourth-round receiver Cecil Shorts was great in camp early, and I bet the undrafted crop of wideouts has at least one NFL-caliber guy. Keep your eyes on Armon Binns, Jamar Newsome and Dontrelle Inman.
• Third-year receiver Jarett Dillard is running well after a couple of injuries cost him the bulk of his first two seasons.
• Watch how much better punter Matt Turk gets now that he will be a beneficiary of the Jaguars’ topflight cover guys, Montell Owens and Kassim Osgood.
• The Jaguars may be content to use Jones-Drew, coming off a knee operation, very minimally in camp and preseason games.
• Veteran Jason Spitz has not been on the field yet, but I think the team would like for third-round pick Will Rackley to win the open left guard spot.

The Pro Bowl is a watered-down disaster and has no more outspoken critic than I.

But it’s still used as a measuring stick, and since it’s a watered-down disaster for everyone, it’s not unreasonable to look at for comparison purposes. (And it didn't used to be quite as diluted.)

The Texans released this team-by-team list of draft picks and college free agents who’ve gone to the Pro Bowl since 2002. If a team drafted a player or signed one as an undrafted free agent and he went to the Pro Bowl with another team, he still counts.

There are some quirks in the list. It gives the Texans credit, for example, for having drafted Jason Babin. But Houston traded up to draft Babin and then completely miscast him as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He was a bust for the Texans. But he went to the 2010 Pro Bowl after becoming a productive pass rush end with the Titans.

The Texans have found Pro Bowlers in top picks, as you’d expect -- Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Babin. Owen Daniels was the 98th pick and Jerome Mathis was 114th. Those are the more impressive Pro Bowlers to me.

The Jaguars have only found a couple of Pro Bowl-caliber players with lesser picks or in college free agency. David Garrard was drafted 108th and Montell Owens was undrafted. (Yes, Garrard did have one Pro Bowl-worthy season.)

The Colts and Titans have fared better in this category.

Indianapolis found Robert Mathis 138th, Cato June 198th and Antoine Bethea 207th. Mathis and Bethea remain key players.

And Tennessee unearthed Marc Mariani 222nd and Cortland Finnegan 215th. The two have combined to help fill the crater left by the No. 6 pick in the 2005 draft, Pacman Jones.

The Indianapolis Colts could do cartwheels if the competition committee’s suggestions on revised kickoffs are actually implemented by the league.

Move the kickoff up five yards to the 35? Great. Bring a touchback out to the 25? Fantastic.

Kickoff man Pat McAfee could put a good share of kickoffs in the end zone, and the kick cover unit would happily take a 25-yard start for the opposition instead of risking a big play against it.

If the other kicker can get it to the goal line, the Colts can find guys to take knees and not get tackled inside the 20, providing better field position for Peyton Manning.

After a kickoff, the Colts starting field position of the 22.7-yard line was the NFL’s worst last season. Defending kickoffs they put the opposition at the 26.5, 15th in the league.

But we all remember how the Jets crushed them with a 47-yard kickoff return by Antonio Cromartiethat helped set up a winning field goal at the end of a first-round playoff game in January. (A failed kick return play doomed them in the Super Bowl the season before, though these changes won’t help them do better recovering a surprise onsides kick.)

Philosophically, the Colts just don’t put a lot into special teams. They don’t carry a lot of veteran backups, the core of most franchise’s special teams, because their roster is constructed to be top-heavy with star salaries and kid-reliant at the bottom of the 53. Those kids play a lot of special teams, so there isn't a lot of experience and there is a lot of turnover.

Last year, with a ton of injuries, the Colts’ special teams’ roster wound up filled by a lot of guys who won’t be in the league on opening day this fall, presuming we have one.

Anything that minimizes the influence on special teams will be good for Indianapolis. It will also help the Colts against Tennessee, which has a Pro Bowl return man in Marc Mariani, and Jacksonville, which has two guys who've been to the Pro Bowl as special teamers in Kassim Osgood and Montell Owens. (Corrected from how I identified them earlier. Apologies.)

The three teams in pursuit of the Colts could see an avenue where they saw advantages narrow to an alley.

The purpose of the alterations would be to minimize some of the most dangerous collisions in the sports. The side-effects are something Indianapolis has to welcome.

Aspirations were high. Piecing together our second-annual All-AFC South team sounded easy on the front end. Now that it’s time to share, I feel I’m going to insult the division’s best.

Seriously.

How will Colts safety Antoine Bethea, a steady and settling presence in the Colts' secondary at free safety, feel about being part of a secondary with such shaky candidates?

How can I sell that Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew isn’t here when I think he had the second-best running back season in the division and one of the four best in the league, while wedging on a right guard when I didn’t see any I really found worthy?

How do I explain to the Titans' Jason Babin that as the No. 3 defensive end I had to leave him off, while my initial search for linebackers produced only one name?

How do I sort through the Colts' Adam Vinatieri (92.9 percent on field goals), Titans' Rob Bironas (92.3) and Texans' Neil Rackers (90.0) while rewarding a punter from a group whose top net average was 15th in the league and eighth in the AFC?

Here is how I will start: I won’t force. We’re leaving blanks where a guy doesn’t match the caliber required. And top guys -- clear-cut guys, the cream of the division -- get not just a spot on the All-AFC South team, but a spot with honors.

I wanted to create a minimum number of games played to qualify, but that would have taken away too many good players.

The fact is, teams like this generally include the best guy at his position. The context of how good the best guy at another position is doesn’t factor in. But we’re dealing with a small group here, and the skill guys and the pass-rushers were sterling compared to a lot of others.

When Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. sent me back his All-AFC South team to help with perspective, he added four guys he categorized as “by default” and concluded with this:

“Must say, this is a pretty bad all-star team.”

I don’t see it competing very well with an all-division team from anywhere else, but it does have some very fine skill players, so who knows?

Receivers: Houston's Andre Johnson played through a serious ankle injury and was still an incredible threat. Indy's Reggie Wayne made more mistakes than usual but was still exceptionally productive. Three up-and-comers are worthy of mention for strong seasons: The Titans' Kenny Britt and Colts' Austin Collie missed too many games and the Jaguars' Mike Thomas was the best slot guy outside of Indy.

Tackles: It was a down year for the Titans’ line, but Michael Roos was the best of the bunch. His only challenger here was Houston's Duane Brown. The Texans' Eric Winston did not have his best year either, but he’s the top guy in the spot and his team had the league’s leading rusher.

Guards: Wade Smith was an excellent fit in Houston and the sort of veteran addition the Texans need to continue to find. He gets the nod over the stronger Vince Manuwai. He was overweight in camp and didn’t take over the starting job until the Jaguars’ sixth game. Fellow Jaguar Uche Nwaneri was good, not great. But there was space between him and the rest of the middling pool.

Center: Jacksonville's Brad Meester got some good reviews during the year and Colts star Jeff Saturday is an obvious default choice. But my sense is that Houston's Chris Myers is regarded as one of the division’s most underrated players. He’s a smart guy who’s still improving and did a lot to get the blocking for Arian Foster organized.

Tight end: Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis made an excellent jump. He continued great work as a blocker, and his 58 catches and 10 touchdowns were career highs by 17 and eight, respectively. He was tough to get around and tough to cover.

Quarterback: Peyton Manning wasn’t the league MVP, but there is no argument at all about the Colts' star being division MVP. Prefer Foster? The Texans could have won six games and not made the playoffs without him.

Running back: Foster’s the easy choice as he was the league’s most productive runner and also very good as a pass-catcher. Jones-Drew’s chance to challenge faded with the late games missed to a knee injury. What a pool when the Titans' Chris Johnson ranks third.

Fullback: I debated this out when I did my Pro Bowl suggestion post and settled on Houston's Vonta Leach as more than one person I trust said he was better than Jacksonville's Greg Jones.

Defensive ends: Tough group when I’ve got Houston's Mario Williams fourth. He played hurt and saw his season end early. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis didn’t get to tee off as much because the Colts weren’t playing with big leads as much. And still they were very good. Babin was a revelation and right on Mathis’ heels.

Defensive tackles: The enormous Terrance Knighton ate up people and space for the Jaguars and has become a stalwart. His teammate Tyson Alualu is quicker and rates third here because the Titans’ Jason Jones was outstanding. Consistently disruptive, I rank him as his team’s best defender.

Outside linebackers: Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith was quite good, with a lot of uncertainty at the third linebacker spot and in the secondary. Houston's Brian Cushing was not nearly as good as he was as a rookie, but was still better than other outside guys in the division by a solid notch. I didn't love him, but scouts I talked to said he's worthy.

Middle linebacker: A tough spot I thought about not filling. Gary Brackett was not as good as usual, but the Colts were better when he was in the lineup than when he wasn’t. The guy who would typically challenge him, Houston's DeMeco Ryans, was lost for the season after six weeks.

Free safety: Bethea was the glue for a secondary that endured unimaginable turnover. Bethea often played with other defensive backs he had very little practice time with. He’s just a sound and reliable football player, and if he didn’t match previous years, his supporting cast had quite a bit to do with it.

Strong safety: The Colts were battered at the spot and the rest of the division’s strong safeties were awful. The best of a bad group isn’t worthy of mention here. It’s going to be a popular draft need.

Cornerbacks: Indy's Jerraud Powers was very good before he got hurt; a two-dimensional corner who covered well and did his part against the run. He’s developing into a premier guy. The second spot is vacant. A lot of corners suffered for the weak safety play, but I’m uncomfortable singling out anyone else’s season.

Kicker: Vinatieri has huge fan support and he was clutch. But when the competition also kicks off, it dents your candidacy. So Bironas, who has a division-high 17 touchbacks to go with 24 of 26 field goals, wins out. Jacksonville's Josh Scobee and Rackers were not far off.

Punter: Jacksonville's Adam Podlesh beats out the Titans' Brett Kern with slightly better numbers. But the entire division can punt better and more consistently.

Special teamer: Montell Owens of the Jaguars benefited from the addition of Kassim Osgood, but edged him in this category. Scouts really like him as a special-teams contributor.

With the season over for the AFC South, I thought I’d collect all the decisive moments we highlighted on Tuesdays.

You were giant contributors to this weekly award with your responses to my weekly post seeking input. I appreciate that.

So I'm going to ask for your feedback on this once more -- let's sort through the 17 moments recapped below and debate the merits of the one you think outranks the rest.

Make your case in the comments here or in a note to my mailbag. I will sort through what you have to say and revisit this to award the AFC South Decisive Moment of 2010.

If it's a positive play, think how much that trophy or plaque may mean to the winner? And you'll have influenced the selection. So powerful.

Here's a quick refresher course. Feel free to click through them all to assist in your recollection.

Week 1-- Houston running back Arian Foster's fourth-and-1 conversion in the Texans’ win over the Colts.

Week 2 -- Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson's 34-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-10 late in regulation during the Texans' overtime win at Washington.

Week 3-- Titans safety Michael Griffin's downing of a New York Giants’ punt at the goal line that set up the Titans for a quick nine points.

Week 4 -- The pass interference penalty against Titans safety Chris Hope that gave Denver 49 yards and set the Broncos up for a winning touchdown.

Week 5 -- Titans return man Marc Mariani's 74-yard kickoff return that set up Tennessee’s go-ahead touchdown last in Dallas.

Week 6 -- Johnson’s 11-yard touchdown catch with 28 seconds left that gave the Texans a win over Kansas City.

Week 7-- Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones and cornerback Alterraun Verner combining on a forced fumble and recovery deep in Titans territory to help keep the Titans in range of the Eagles.

Week 8 -- Jacksonville linebacker Justin Durant's big goal-line stop that capped a goal line stand against the Cowboys and preserved the Jaguars’ lead.

Week 9 -- Michael Vick of the Eagles keyed two plays that converted a second-and-26 for Philadelphia in its win over Indianapolis.

Week 10 -- Jaguars safety Sean Considine's hit and forced fumble on Houston tight end Joel Dreessen that was recovered by Durant and allowed for the Hail Mary pass that won the game for Jacksonville.

Week 11-- The Jaguars defense made a big stand and forced a three-and-out by Cleveland late in Jacksonville’s win over the Browns.

Week 12-- Kassim Osgood's offensive pass interference penalty on a short throw to Mike Thomas that did a lot to stall the Jaguars against the Giants.

Week 13 -- Reggie Wayne's drop in overtime that forced a Colts’ punt and gave the ball to the Cowboys, blowing a chance to move to the winning points.

Week 14 -- Osgood’s forced fumble and Montell Owens' recovery that set up the Jaguars for a go-ahead touchdown against Oakland.

Week 15 -- The Titans two fourth-down conversions and a fourth-down stop of the Texans in a Tennessee win over Houston.

Week 16-- Jacksonville return man Deji Karim's mishandling of the overtime kickoff against Washington left the Jaguars pinned deep and helped lead to a David Garrard interception that lost the game.

Week 17 -- Indianapolis receiver Blair White's 20-yard catch of a Peyton Manning pass that helped the Colts take advantage of a late Titans’ turnover and kick a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Reading the coverage …

Mario Williams and Greg Jones should have made the Pro Bowl, says Pete Prisco.

A look at the leaders in quarterback hurries, from Aaron Schatz.

Houston Texans

Bob McNair is mum on Gary Kubiak’s future, says John McClain.

How Kubiak’s job can be saved, from Richard Justice.

Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and Vonta Leach react to their Pro Bowl election, from McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' Pro Bowlers hope they won’t be in Hawaii, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Jacob Tamme is a weapon now, says Phil Richards.

Wilson’s game breakdown.

Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne are at a stage where they are slowing down, says Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars haven’t had three Pro Bowlers since 1999. Now Maurice Jones-Drew, Marcedes Lewis and Montell Owens are going, says Tania Ganguli.

Terrance Knighton was snubbed, says Doug Farrar.

Tennessee Titans

Jason Babin and Marc Mariani are Pro Bowlers, says Jim Wyatt.

Leadership is a huge issue, says Music City Miracles.

» NFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South » AFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South

Perfect sense: Houston's Arian Foster is the NFL’s leading rusher and Maurice Jones-Drew was rolling during the Jacksonville Jaguars' stretch run. The Texans campaigned for fullback Vonta Leach, who’s been a big part of Foster’s breakout. Houston's Andre Johnson and Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne can easily stake a claim as the top receivers in the conference. Johnson played much of the season on a bad ankle, and Wayne leads the conference with 102 receptions despite more attention from defenses because the Colts’ other threats have been hurt.

The Colts' Dwight Freeney (9 sacks) and Robert Mathis (11) appear fresh and effective heading into the regular-season finale while the resurgent Jason Babin (12.5 sacks) has been productive in his first season with Tennessee. Marc Mariani single-handedly solved a major issue for the Titans. Montell Owens is a diligent worker on Jacksonville’s special teams. Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis has evolved into a well-rounded tight end who deserve his spot.

Made it on rep: You can make a case for Peyton Manning on the roster with Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, but you can make a case against him too. He has done wonders with a revolving lineup of targets because of injuries. But he had a three-game stretch during which he threw 11 interceptions -- more than twice as many as Kansas City’s Matt Cassel has thrown all season. No, Cassel has not thrown nearly as much as Manning and Manning doesn’t have the Chiefs’ run game. Manning doesn’t have 10 wins and a clinched division crown yet either.

Got robbed: Jacksonville's Terrance Knighton has been great, but it’s hard to displace Haloti Ngata, Vince Wilfork or Richard Seymour at defensive tackle. Nick Mangold and Maurkice Pouncey are the centers with Jeff Saturday left off. The resurgence of the Colts' run game over the last few weeks came too late to change the minds of voters.

Jamaal Charles ahead of the Titans' Chris Johnson is hardly unreasonable, as Charles is averaging nearly two yards a carry more for Kansas City. Johnson might have had a bigger case against Jones-Drew, but Jones-Drew played big during a push for the playoffs while the Titans lost seven of their past eight.

Click here for the complete Pro Bowl list.

Contrary to the saying, special teams are not one-third of the game.

In the first Jaguars-Colts game, Indy ran 66 offensive plays, Jacksonville ran 57. There were six punts, eight PATs and zero field goal attempts. By my math, special teams were 10.2 percent of that game.

Special teams are important, for sure. They just aren’t as important as offense or defense unless you’re terrible at them (see San Diego earlier this season) or fantastic at them (see Devin Hester at the peak of his powers.)

Still, special teams make for an interesting topic on these two teams.

The Colts don’t have the resources or philosophy to pay them much heed, though Pat McAfee is a fine punter/kickoff man and Adam Vinatieri has been a super reliable field goal kicker though he’s not a threat on real long attempts. On coverage and returns, the Colts do only enough to get by and lost a great special-teamer when Melvin Bullitt got hurt. New Orleans’ successful onside kick to open the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV absolutely changed the game but didn't prompt major changes.

Indy’s average drive starts at its 21.9-yard line, the worst field position in the NFL. The Colts’ opponents start at the 25.4-yard line.

The Jaguars have dedicated a lot to special teams. They have a stud cover guy in Montell Owens and gave him a counterpart by adding Kassim Osgood as a free agent. Deji Karim is a quality kickoff return man (who missed the first meeting) and Mike Thomas is a nice punt returner. Josh Scobee’s got a history of clutch kicks against the Colts, topped by the 59-yard field goal that beat Indy as time expired at EverBank Field on Oct. 3.

Jacksonville’s average drive starts at its 27.4-yard line, which rates 13th in the NFL. The Jaguars’ opponents start at the 24.1.

If there is a special-teams play in this game that is a big factor in determining who wins, it’s more likely to come from Jacksonville. Unless I just jinxed the Jags.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Jacksonville was down three in the third quarter Sunday, when special teams made a play that helped turn things in the Jaguars’ favor against the Raiders.

Oakland's Jacoby Ford fielded Josh Scobee's kickoff and made it 8 yards before Kassim Osgood popped the ball free and Montell Owens recovered it at the Oakland 22-yard line. It gave the Jaguars a 2-1 advantage in turnovers.

After that takeaway, the offense needed only five plays to punch it into the end zone with a 10-yard pass from David Garrard to Mike Sims-Walker.

Jacksonville never trailed again, though the Raiders did manage to pull even at 31-31. But another giant special-teams play -- Deji Karim's 65-yard kickoff return -- set up Maurice Jones-Drew’s 30-yard, game-winning touchdown run.

The Jaguars pride themselves on special-teams play, so much so that Osgood was one of two significant free-agent additions during the offseason. They got him for plays like the forced fumble, and in a key win that kept the team atop the division, he produced in concert with the incumbent special-teams ace, Owens.

Jaguars’ season-ticket holders will have a chance to chat with players Marcedes Lewis, Terrance Knighton and Montell Owens tonight.

The three players will host an interactive fan conference call tonight from 6-7 p.m. ET from the Jaguars’ radio studio. Season-ticket holders will receive a phone call shortly before 6 and they will be able to listen to the call and ask questions.

This is the same type of fan forum the club did previously with owner Wayne Weaver, GM Gene Smith and coach Jack Del Rio.

I think it’s a cool feature and I can’t think of another team that would offer it. I may have a chance to listen in and will let you know if anything good comes up if I do.