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John Clayton’s recent list of the NFL’s top 10 tight ends didn’t include anyone from the AFC South.

If he does a similar list in a year, will that change?

There are a lot of quality tight ends in the division, but they all carry questions. I don’t know if any can match the production of New England’s Rob Gronkowski or New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham, who are setting the standard for the new breed of players at the position.

Tennessee’s Jared Cook can be an extremely dangerous receiver. But through three seasons he’s been quite inconsistent. He finished with three very good games last year. That’s great and hopefully something to build on, but it’s hard not to wonder about why he wasn’t more effective in the rest of the games. Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer seemed reluctant to really plan a game with a lot in it for Cook, who could fare better if Jake Locker is at quarterback rather than Matt Hasselbeck.

Houston’s Owen Daniels is an excellent pass catcher who can be a vital piece of the team’s offense. But he carries health questions. He played in every game last year but didn’t seem like the same guy he was before he missed five games in 2010 with a hamstring issue. He broke his hand in the Texans' first playoff game, but played with the injury in the second game. With the versatile Joel Dreessen gone, and the right side of the line being rebuilt, Daniels could be called on to block more.

Indianapolis will build a lot of its offense around Andrew Luck-to-Coby Fleener. Fleener, the team’s second-round pick, should be a primary target for his college teammate and could quickly earn a high ranking among the league’s tight ends.

Jacksonville’s Marcedes Lewis suffered a terrible drop-off in 2011 after a super-productive 2010 and a new contract. He was dealing with some difficult off-the-field issues, but needed to compartmentalize better to perform on Sundays. As part of a new offense, can he bounce back as a weapon or will the team be left to talk of his blocking?

Who will be regarded as the best after 16 games this fall and winter? Please chime in on our poll.

Without Andre Johnson for a good share of the season, the Texans' receivers were exposed in 2011.

While Arian Foster and other non-receivers may have been making plays, the Texans were one of just two teams in the NFL that didn’t have any 30-yard receptions from their receivers on throws that traveled fewer than 15 yards, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

On average, Houston receivers got 3.1 yards after the catch. That ranked 31st in the NFL. But that was offset in a big way by four non-wide receiver pass-catchers.

Foster averaged a league-best 12.0 per catch among players with at least 50 catches. Owen Daniels (5.6), Joel Dreessen (5.5) and Ben Tate (6.2) also did solid work after the catch.

Largely because of those four, the Texans ranked second overall in average YAC per reception, with 6.3 yards. New England was first at 6.5.

A healthy Johnson will help boost the receiver numbers in a big way.

The team’s next two best wideouts are Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones.

Walter (3.5) is not a big YAC guy; he’s a reliable guy who will be in the right spot and do the right things. Jones (4.8) is explosive and should do quite a bit more in this department.

Whether the Texans add a receiver in the first round or wait until later, the guy who’s added to the group needs to be able to take passes from Matt Schaub and get some additional yards.

The Texans called on a lot of their depth last season, when they won the division and a playoff game despite losing a bunch of key guys for long stretches or the season.

Now, as a playoff team with salary-cap constraints and free-agent departures, they will call on that depth again.

One guy who moves up a line on the depth chart, at least as of now, is tight end Garrett Graham, who will be the second tight end behind Owen Daniels after Joel Dreessen left for Denver.

“You guys know Joel did everything around here; became one of the leaders of our team,” Daniels told Houston reporters Monday. “You can’t say enough about what he did. He gets to go home and play for another good franchise. I know he was torn up about the decision he had to make. I think he did what’s best for him. Obviously, a guy’s got to do that.

“Garrett, I think he’s really chomping at the bit to get a real opportunity and get out there and play a lot. We use multiple tight ends a whole bunch. Garrett’s going to get his chance to get out there and show what he’s about and show that he can be a contributor more than he has been. I think he’s excited about that opportunity.”

Daniels said Graham is more athletic and faster than many people think.

Said Graham about Dreessen’s departure: “I felt like it was an opportunity to step up and show what I can do [and] compete for the spot…”

“I’d say so, definitely. Joel did a lot for our team. He’s a great tight end, so I’m expecting to work my hardest and contribute and show what I can do in camp.”

We don’t know for sure the Texans will be using Graham as the second tight end.

Coby Fleener of Stanford could be a consideration at No. 26 in the first round, though I think it’s more likely they go with a receiver barring an early run that depletes the first group.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nickel defenses are played more than ever in the NFL.

But the AFC South may be moving the other direction in games against each other.

The Texans are comfortable lining up with three wide receivers or splitting tight end Owen Daniels out into spread formations. The Jaguars and Titans figured to remain running back-centric. If the Titans get a bounce-back from Chris Johnson, they will likely run more. Of course those two teams can spread things out with the intent to run, of course.

But two games when AFC South teams loaded up with nickel packages are likely to change.

The departure of Peyton Manning from the Colts means one team that dictated constant nickel defenses is being altered. New coach Chuck Pagano has talked about running and stopping the run and GM Ryan Grigson said Monday he expects the Colts to be a fullback team.

A linebacker is typically going to stay on the field against a two-back set. The lack of a precision passing offense and weapons like Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon will make it tougher for the Colts to dictate a team's defensive personnel, or to take advantage of it.

"The third linebacker or the nickel corner?” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said at the owners meetings, repeating a question about what’s more important. “You look at your schedule and say, 'OK, what are we going to play this year? Are we going to be in nickel all year, or are we going to be trying to stop the run?' I think that's what things will come down to.

“One year you might be out there in nickel defense 60 or 70 percent of the time. The next year it could be 50. It all starts with your division. When Peyton was at Indy, if we didn't have three good corners we were in trouble every time we played them. So I think you've kind of got to build your roster to compete in your division, No. 1, and make that decision."

This means the Jaguars will have two more games where they can play more with their great linebacking trio of Paul Posluszny, Daryl Smith and Clint Session on the field together.

This means the Titans' new nickelback -- whether he's an outsider or Ryan Mouton, Chris Hawkins or Tommie Campbell -- isn't going to be as important against Indy as recent ones have been.

This means DeMeco Ryans' replacement in the Texans base defense, Darryl Sharpton, will get additional snaps.

Is that better or worse? As good as Andrew Luck will be coming out of Stanford, defenses are going to want to play the rebuilding Colts in 2012.

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

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

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

Let’s take a look at each departure:

OLB Mario Williams (free agent, signed with Buffalo)

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

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

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

RT Eric Winston (cut, signed with Kansas City)

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

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

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

ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded to Philadelphia)

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

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

RT Mike Brisiel (free agent, signed with Oakland)

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

TE Joel Dreessen (free agent, signed with Denver)

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

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

FB Lawrence Vickers (cut, signed with Dallas)

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

CB Jason Allen (free agent, signed with Cincinnati)

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

QB Matt Leinart (cut)

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

Who played the most on offense in the AFC South in 2011?

Here’s a rundown, with percentage of offensive snaps played:

QB – Matt Hasselbeck, Titans, 90.4

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, 74.93

FB – Greg Jones, Jaguars, 38.71

WR – Reggie Wayne, Colts, 98.8

WR – Pierre Garcon, Colts, 95.5

TE – Owen Daniels, Texans, 79.13

C – Brad Meester, Jaguars, 100

G – Wade Smith, Texans, 100

G – Uche Nwaneri, Jaguars, 100

G – Jake Scott, Titans, 100

T – Jeff Linkenbach, Colts, 100

T – Michael Roos, Titans, 100

A few notes:

Chris Johnson was the only back other than MJD to play as much as 60 percent of his team’s snaps (70.23).

Jones was the only fullback to play at least a third of his team’s snaps. Houston’s James Casey was next in fullback playing time, working 32.39 percent of the Texans’ snaps.

Wayne missed just 12 snaps and Garcon only 44 for the Colts. They are both heading for unrestricted free agency, and if both are lost that’s a lot of playing time to fill in. The next biggest number for a receiver in the division? The Titans' Nate Washington at 82.9.

Daniels didn’t beat out Jacksonville’s Marcedes Lewis (76.75) by much. I’d bet guessing the No. 3 tight end would be tough. Prove me wrong in the comments section below.

Two other offensive linemen narrowly missed 100 percent: Titans guard Eugene Amano missed only one play and Colts center Jeff Saturday was off the field for just six.

At long last, we start to unveil ESPN.com’s All-AFC South Team.

We’ll start with the offense.

It’s a tough assignment.

The second guy at some spots -- like Houston running back Arian Foster -- is superb, while the top guy at other spots was hardly as good and was not so clearly better than his competition.

But we forge ahead.

WRs: Wide receivers were not great this season, with Andre Johnson missing too much time to be eligible and not one Jacksonville player at the position worth a look. Indianapolis’ Reggie Wayne remained productive on a team that played three bad quarterbacks and was unable to have many offensive days of note. Tennessee’s Nate Washington topped 1,000 yards and was a prime third-down target. He blossomed in a season when the Titans were desperate after Kenny Britt was lost early on.

LT: Houston’s Duane Brown gets the nod after a fine season. He was probably the second-best guy (to center Chris Myers) on one of the very best lines in the NFL. But Tennessee’s Michael Roos was very steady again and Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe emerged as a player closer to the kind the Jaguars expected and need him to be. Both deserve mention.

LG: I struggled to find a left guard that was worthy of a spot here, so I reluctantly leave the spot open. The second-best guard in the division was Houston’s Mike Brisiel and, like Jacksonville’s Uche Nwaneri, he plays on the right. One film-watcher I spoke with said I should just go with the entire Texans group, but others thought left guard Wade Smith dropped off from his 2010 performance. Tennessee’s Leroy Harris pass-blocked well like all the Titans, but was part of the team’s run struggles.

C: Myers led Houston’s line, perhaps the best in the NFL. He’s super smart, efficient and effective. He’s also very much the group’s tone-setter and leader. Considering how much the team's scheme relies on the unit working together with lateral movements and cutting, Myers' leadership is incredibly valuable.

RG: A lot of Jaguars linemen were in and out of the lineup as the team had to shuffle and leaned on one rookie, Will Rackley. Nwaneri may have even outranked Monroe as the steadiest guy on a line that help spring Maurice Jones-Drew for a league-high 1,606 yards on a team that could hardly throw the ball.

RT: Tennessee’s David Stewart was very good, but Eric Winston had a very strong season. Winston wins out over Stewart because he was more balanced and the Texans were far more balanced.

TE: Not a great year for guys at a position that could be stacked if everyone was healthy for the full season and producing as they are capable of doing. I was leaning toward Tennessee’s Jared Cook based on a solid finish. But Cook didn't do enough early and scouting associates steered me to Owen Daniels, who was not at his best but was still a threat who helped offset the stretches without Johnson.

QB: Matt Schaub didn’t play enough for the Texans to offset Matt Hasselbeck's season. While Hasselbeck didn’t maintain the high level of play he showed early on, he was the most consistent and productive guy in the division and the only quarterback not named Warren Moon to pass for 3,500 yards for the Titans/Oilers.

FB: Greg Jones of the Jaguars blocked for the best running game in the division and the most productive running back in the division. Case closed.

RB: If we weren’t in a quarterback-dominated era and if running well translated to winning more, then Jones-Drew of the Jaguars would be in the running for offensive player of the year. Such things are not happening in today’s NFL. That does not detract from his remarkable season, which is what took to win this spot over Foster.

In re-drafting the 2006 draft, Mel Kiper’s looking at the promise of guys going forward and their worth and he’s not really factoring in team needs.

Here’s what he did for the AFC South.

1) Houston Texans -- Haloti Ngata, DT Oregon

Kiper: “He's played in 94 of 96 possible regular season games, plays a premium position, is a Pro Bowl shoo-in and would dominate in any system. Safe to say the guy Ray Lewis pushed for to free up the Baltimore linebackers has worked out just fine, and the future holds plenty more.” Previous draft spot: No. 12

Kuharsky: If we are living in a fantasy land where we simply add the new pick, subtract the old pick and head into 2012, then wow. Defensive tackle is the only “weak” spot in the Texans' front seven. Add Ngata and this group would be off the charts.

3) Tennessee Titans, Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, UCLA

Kiper: “Coming off a year in which he was close to unstoppable even within an offense that was far too easy to stop, Jones Drew has over 1,700 yards more than any other running back in this draft class after six years. Given his body type, he could be good for another five years, which puts him in elite territory historically.” Previous draft spot: No. 60

Kuharsky: The Titans were quarterback desperate but Kiper's not looking at that as much as Jones-Drew would be a perfect power-running game for Jeff Fisher or Mike Munchak. If we’re ignoring need and heavily weighing what’s to come, wouldn’t Jay Cutler be better? (He lasts until the Raiders at No. 7.)

28) Jacksonville Jaguars, Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn

Kiper: “Really hope that McNeill can come back in 2012 fully healthy. At his best, he's a big-time talent at left tackle, and his play early in his career made that clear. He drops some here because it's hard to project if he'll be at that level again.” Previous draft spot: No. 50

Kuharsky: With McNeill and Eugene Monroe as tackles, the Jaguars could kick Eben Britton inside or concentrate on building up an interior that could protect Blaine Gabbert in addition to blocking for Jones-Drew.

30) Indianapolis Colts, Danieal Manning, S, Abilene Christian

Kiper: “This is a player who cracks the first round because I still think his best is yet to come. Manning has been a solid return man, but his play in the secondary has been underrated, and he had a solid year for the Texans.” Previous draft spot: No. 42

Kuharsky: It’s funny, their own find at safety, Antoine Bethea, is gone three picks earlier in this scenario. Manning would be a nice fit going forward paired with Bethea, as rebuilding/replenishing the secondary is a big key for the revamping Colts.

Beyond Jones-Drew and Danieal Manning, eight other players currently in the AFC South made Kiper’s redrafted first round:

5) Mario Williams (DE, NC State) to the Green Bay Packers

16) DeMeco Ryans (LB, Arizona) to the Miami Dolphins

18) Johnathan Joseph (CB, South Carolina) to the Dallas Cowboys

24) Eric Winston (OT, Miami) to the Cincinnati Bengals

25) Marcedes Lewis (TE, UCLA) Pittsburgh Steelers

26) Owen Daniels (TE, Wisconsin) to the Buffalo Bills

27) Antoine Bethea (CB, Howard) to the Carolina Panthers

32) Cortland Finnegan (CB, Sanford) to the New York Giants

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Wade Phillips’ interview with the Buccaneers will take place in Houston on Friday at a time when he’d typically be home relaxing. So Gary Kubiak says people shouldn’t panic about it being some sort of distraction, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Phillips has to talk to Tampa Bay this week to have a chance based on the Bucs’ timetable, says McClain.

The Texans understand going into Baltimore as underdogs, Owen Daniels will play with an injured hand and John Harbaugh is about to coach his first home playoff game. McClain’s notebook.

Indianapolis Colts

Archie Manning says Peyton Manning remains committed to playing next season, says the AP.

Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star ranks the remaining teams in terms of how good the fans would be as visitors in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.

The Colts’ season in review video isn't loaded with positive highlights. Here it is from the Indianapolis Star’s Phillip B. Wilson.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars’ firing of general counsel Paul Vance was not related to a dispute over language in the contract of assistant coaches, writes Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

Jacksonville’s assistant coaches are disputing the end date of their contracts, says Ganguli.

Mike Mularkey is set to interview for the Jaguars’ vacant head-coaching post today, says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck is finally tending to “Titan,” the chocolate lab puppy he got before the season. Third-stringer Rusty Smith took care of him during the season, and he’s from the same litter as a dog Jake Locker added to his family. All this and more in this interview (audio) from “The Midday 180” in Nashville, with which I am connected.

Holding on to tight end Craig Stevens will be a priority for the Titans, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Texans players were thrilled to give Gary Kubiak a win in his first playoff game as an NFL head coach especially considering he’s a native Houstonian.

Tight end Owen Daniels joined Sports Radio 610 in Houston and talked about how happy he and the rest of the roster are for their coach and how Kubiak may have held back in his postgame locker-room comments.

“Oh man we were so happy for him. We’ve always had his back. We’ve always had his back. So much talk about getting him out of here. We knew he was the right guy for the job. Obviously Mr. McNair felt the same way. This feels so great to be able to give him this one in his hometown. He deserves it more than anybody. He’s done an excellent job keeping us together and keeping the ship righted and you can’t say enough about him...”

“He didn’t say as much as I think he wanted to say. I think he had so much on his mind. He was just so happy and proud of everybody – all the coaches, all the players. He told us to enjoy it. We knocked off this goal, but there is more. We knocked off the goal to get to the playoffs. Knocked off the goal of a winning a home playoff game and now there’s a goal of going on the road and winning one. He just couldn’t be happier for anyone especially Andre [Johnson]. We’re all with him on that one.”

Check out Daniels’ full interview and another with receiver Kevin Walter here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOUSTON -- T.J. Yates and Gary Kubiak brought clarity to the quarterback’s health situation after the Titans’ 23-22 win over the Texans at Reliant Stadium Sunday.

Yates said he has no doubts he will be able to play next week in the franchise’s first playoff game and that he hoped to be a full-go from the start of the practice week.

“I feel good, I just dinged up the left shoulder a little bit, I fell on it on that first play,” said Yates, who’s right handed. “Everything was fine after that. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t do anything futher to it and we were just being safe.”

He said an X-ray showed everything was good.

The Texans made no official announcement on Yates during the game when it’s customary to share what body part is in question and the likelihood of a return. They did say he could have come back if he was needed. Yates said there was no plan prior to the game for him not to play all the way.

Jake Delhomme replaced him and finished the game, though if Delhomme had been knocked out Kubiak would have had to turn back to Yates. Third-string quarterback Jeff Garcia was a healthy inactive and the team’s emergency quarterback, tight end Owen Daniels, didn't dress either.

Starter Matt Schaub (Nov. 13) and Matt Leinart (Nov. 27) suffered season-ending injuries earlier this season.

In a halftime interview during the regular season finale, Kubiak said Yates was still being evaluated -- though Yates spent his time after returning from the locker room in a baseball cap, chatting with teammates and listening in to coaches. There was no continuing interaction with medical personnel.

I guess evaluation doesn’t have to be an active process.

“I have a hard time telling you exactly what happened,” Kubiak said. “He’s got a bruised shoulder at this moment. He’s being evaluated, will be evaluated this evening. We’ll get some pictures of it this evening and I’ll know more tomorrow. He could have gone back in the game. Obviously I didn’t want him to go back in the game. We’ll know better where we’re at tomorrow at this point.”

The Texans got an inaccurate read of Schaub’s injury at Tampa Bay on Nov. 13 and it’s apparently made them wary of assessing injuries to key people.

The team’s stance that a larger degree of real-time injury analysis is not possible is, of course, nonsense. It happens all around the league every Sunday. To suggest it can’t happen in Houston is insulting to the medical staff, the trainers and team sponsor, The Methodist Hospital System.

The bigger issue, obviously: Texans fans should be relieved that Yates said he's is in line to be fine.

HOUSTON -- A couple halftime thoughts from Reliant Stadium, where the Titans lead the Texans 13-10.

• The Titans smartly came out with something different, using shotgun with an empty backfield. They had great success with it early, but seemed to sag when it didn’t lead to a touchdown drive right out of the gate. An injury to receiver Damian Williams that’s knocked him from the game may force them to use it less than they’d like the rest of the way.
• Houston’s front is great. The Texans swarmed against a good pass-protecting offensive line and produced two Antonio Smith sacks of Matt Hasselbeck. The linemen and linebackers just come from a different spot on every play. I think that pass rush is going to key them in the playoffs.
• Jake Delhomme got away with a very bad throw late in the second quarter. Cornerback Jason McCourty would have probably gone for a touchdown if he didn’t flub the pass like a man who had casts on two broken hands.
• Receiver Donnie Avery benefitted from Williams’ injury and caught the Titans' touchdown on a smartly designed play. Tennessee bunched three receivers right, then had Hasselbeck throw to Avery against Jason Allen on the left from the 1-yard line. It was Avery's first catch of the year.
• The Texans should pound it with running backs Ben Tate and Derrick Ward in the second half. I think they can break the Titans' defense that way, and that the Titans could be frustrated they aren’t having an easier time considering Houston didn’t dress Arian Foster, Johnathan Joseph or Owen Daniels.
• I thought rules dictated teams announce in-game injuries. But the Texans have not said what prompted T.J. Yates’ trip to the locker room and exit from the game. And the Titans took a long, long time before finally revealing at the half that Williams has a rib injury and his return is questionable.

HOUSTON -- Quarterback T.J. Yates is back on the Texans’ sideline, but he’s wearing a baseball cap and was chatting with Matt Leinart as Jake Delhomme took the field for a second series for the Texans.

The Texans have not said what the injury is that briefly sent Yates to the locker room.

Houston's third quarterback, Jeff Garcia, is inactive. The Texans' emergency quarterback, tight end Owen Daniels, is also inactive.

Meanwhile the Titans are thinning out at receiver. Damian Williams is out and has been taken to the locker room. We don't know what that injury is yet, either.