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FALLING

1. The Houston Texans' confidence: They will say otherwise, but coming off of two bad losses the Texans have to be wondering about themselves. They got pushed around by Carolina, and their vaunted defense fell apart in the final minutes, allowing the Colts to drive to a game-winning touchdown. I was among those questioning this team’s mental makeup coming into the season. I thought they’d answered that question resoundingly as they ran away with the division. Is it creeping back in now?

2. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ dealings with tight ends: Marcedes Lewis will be a headliner on the AFC South All Disappointment Team, and if not for Chris Johnson, he’d be the captain. Saturday in Nashville, he pulled up on one ball across the middle for fear of a hit from notorious thumper Michael Griffin, the Titans safety (#sarcasm). On the other end, the defense let Tennessee’s Jared Cook run wild. The coverage call on Cook’s 55-yard touchdown pass that sent the safeties wide and left middle linebacker Paul Posluszny covering Cook deep down the middle was disastrous.

3. The Houston Texans’ third-down offense: On last week’s list, it was third-down defense. The Colts allowed them just one conversion in 10 chances, and that one came on a pass that bounced off Antoine Bethea twice. This team can win with games centered on defense and the run game. But if the offense can’t convert third downs and stay on the field for some extended drives, the strain on those two areas becomes too much and the margin of error shrivels.

RISING

1. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver: He talked leading up to the Colts' home finale about wanting to go out with a bang in case it turned out to be his last game as a Colt at Lucas Oil Stadium. I saw one early route where I thought his effort was questionable. But he sure cranked it up as Dan Orlovsky threw his direction 14 times. He pulled in eight receptions for 106 yards and cradled the game-winning touchdown after a 1-yard catch that provided the winning margin for Indianapolis in its second consecutive win. He’s heading toward free agency and it’s clear he can still produce. How much longer is the question.

2. The Tennessee Titans’ discipline: Mike Munchak has preached discipline from his first day as the Titans coach. Saturday, when he didn’t get a postgame question about a penalty-free performance, he didn’t leave the podium before jokingly pointing it out. It was the first time the franchise didn’t draw a flag in a game since 1972. Meanwhile the Titans benefited from six calls against the Jaguars that gave Tennessee 28 yards and three first downs.

3. Jared Cook, Tennessee Titans tight end: Following the best game for a tight end in franchise history -- 169 yards -- he’s in range of the franchise record for tight end receiving yards in a season. He’s a receiver-like threat who I believe has been under-used by offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck since Kenny Britt went down early in the season. Cook killed the Titans with a lost fumble in the loss at Indianapolis. The effort against the Jaguars was an excellent rebound. The Titans need to find ways to get him the ball Sunday at Reliant Stadium.

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FALLING

1. The Texans’ third-down defense: The Panthers converted 9 of 14 third downs against the Texans on Sunday, the sort of number that’s hard to survive. Houston has been very good on third down this season, and it’s been a key to its defensive and overall success. But the Texans have slipped in recent weeks in the category. After Week 13, they were second in the league in third-down defense. In just three weeks they’ve dropped to eighth. It’s tough to move that much that quickly in season rankings. They must end the trend if they intend to secure one of the top seeds and increase the potential for more than one game at home.

2. The Jaguars’ national credibility: They've played two of their past three games on national television in prime time but did nothing to offset the national reputation they often complain about. Nobody will remember the Dec. 11 41-14 home win over Tampa Bay because it was sandwiched by a "Monday Night Football" 38-14 loss to San Diego and the 41-14 "Thursday Night Football" debacle in Atlanta. The wheels came off in a way even the biggest Jaguars pessimist probably couldn’t have envisioned, and the offseason can’t arrive soon enough.

3. Tommie Campbell, Tennessee Titans special-teamer: He got flagged for four penalties on special teams in Indianapolis, including two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. It was the sort of undisciplined showing that Mike Munchak has called unacceptable, and to the coach’s credit, Campbell was benched -- although it might have come a bit earlier. Campbell is a blazing fast, great athlete with a future as a cornerback for the Titans if he can avoid the combination of boneheaded plays and temper issues. But he’s got to get past such things if he wants to remain in the plan.

RISING

1. Pat Angerer, Indianapolis Colts linebacker: He’s had a great season flying around and making plays. Against the Titans, he keyed an excellent defensive effort, forcing a Jared Cook fumble that killed Tennessee's momentum and picking off a bad ball from Matt Hasselbeck. In a season with so many lousy storylines for the Colts, Angerer has emerged as a reliable tackling machine who can play the run and the pass. He is definitely a piece of what the team will build around. He moved to the middle from the strong side when Gary Brackett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the opener. It will be difficult to take Angerer out of the spot now.

2. The image of the AFC South as a terrible division: We had to turn something negative into a riser here after bad losses by three of our four teams. Even with their win, the Colts remain the worst team in the league with a 1-13 record, and the Jaguars rank in or near the bottom five. Tennessee is a completely average 7-7, and the Texans, after the loss to Carolina, rank as just the third-best division leader/winner in the AFC. The division has four fewer wins than any other.

3. Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts running back: He’s largely regarded as a bust, but it’s not completely fair. He’s remembered for a blown pass protection that drew the ire of Peyton Manning, and he doesn’t have a fully rounded game. He’s spent a lot of time in the doghouse and has not been used as much as may be warranted. He can run, and he showed it in the win over the Titans, even before a great, freelanced 80-yard touchdown run that secured the win and made Tennessee’s defense look foolish. His 161-yard day should earn him more opportunities.

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FALLING

1. The health of the Jacksonville Jaguars: They’ve placed 27 guys on injured reserve this season, more than half a roster of names. Not all of them would have made a difference. But five starters on defense are gone, including three of the four starters in the secondary. It’s a crazy run of bad luck. The offense was going to hold the franchise back this season. But the rebuild of the defense was quite good, and if they had something close to their full stable they’d be awfully good on that side of the ball. A little context: The Colts were battered last season and we thought their injury count was extraordinary. They put 17 players on IR.

2. The playoff hopes of the Tennessee Titans: The loss to New Orleans stung because the Titans could have won the game at the end. Although Jake Locker played well, he couldn’t punch it in given multiple chances from close range. Considering how good Matt Hasselbeck has been in the red zone, people are missing the boat on how much the team missed him. Now, Tennessee needs three wins in a row and some help to get the last wild-card berth. It’s not impossible, but winning three division games in a row is a giant challenge.

3. Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis left tackle: The Colts did their part to help Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs’ bid for defensive player of the year, allowing him three sacks, two tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles in the Ravens' 24-10 win in Baltimore. The outside linebacker is a handful for even the best blockers, and he was a giant mismatch for Castonzo, a rookie. How about giving him more help? Quarterback Dan Orlovsky deserves mention here, too. He’s got to have some sense of when trouble is coming and protect the ball. He fumbled on all three of Suggs’ sacks, and was super-lucky that his team recovered all three loose balls.

RISING

1. The good vibe in Houston: The city’s been absolutely starving for this, and the assurance of the first NFL playoff appearance for Houston’s NFL entry since 1993 was greeted with much fanfare. I watched highlights of the impromptu rally that greeted the team upon its return from Cincinnati, and it was easy to get caught up in the emotions. Players who addressed the crowd hit just the right tone between enjoying the moment and marking it as the start of something, not the conclusion of anything. A bye and home-field advantage are still in play and give the Texans plenty of reasons to keep things going.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars running back: He’s a singular weapon for the Jaguars, who rode him in a big way in their blowout win over Tampa Bay. He scored twice on the ground and twice on pass receptions while gaining 136 yards on 33 touches. The team went into the season talking about not relying on him too much, but he’s taken a league-high 277 handoffs to get to the NFL lead with 1,222 rushing yards. He’s scored seven rushing touchdowns, and no other Jaguar has found the end zone on the ground. He’s got 35 catches for 338 yards and three more scores. For those who’ve feared he’d wear down late in the season, he’s showing no signs of drop-off.

3. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans quarterback: He didn’t get the Titans in the end zone in several chances at the end and he missed on too many passes. Still, against a tough defense, the Titans' rookie quarterback played well when called on to relieve the injured Hasselbeck. His rushing touchdown was especially impressive, as he went airborne but managed to reach the ball inside the pylon. That’s the highlight/symbolic play so far to illustrate what he can do and why they are so excited about him. That said, the team needs a healthy Hasselbeck to maximize the playoff chance this season.

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FALLING

1. The Jaguars’ ability to score points: OK, it’s not fair to say it's falling. It’s been poor all season and showed no sign of improving. The Jaguars came back from a 10-0 deficit against San Diego on Monday night to take a 14-10 lead. But once San Diego got more than 20 points, the game was over –- the Jaguars haven’t scored 21 points all season. And the Chargers had more than 30 before the fourth quarter started on their way to a 38-14 victory. With Blaine Gabbert quarterbacking and Maurice Jones-Drew as the offensive centerpiece, this isn’t a team that can make much of a charge from behind.

2. The luck of Andre Johnson, Houston Texans receiver: For the second time this season, Johnson went down while running without taking any contact, victim of a hamstring injury. Last time cost him six games. This time it’s the other leg and doesn’t appear nearly as serious. Although the Texans are calling him day-to-day, they could again be without their top weapon in the passing game. Absent Johnson, teams can load up to stop Arian Foster and Ben Tate, taking their chances against rookie quarterback T.J. Yates as he looks to less-threatening downfield weapons.

3. Offensive line play in Indianapolis: The offensive line has actually played better much of this season than we could have reasonably expected, especially once the injuries started to pile up. Now it’s struggling with penalties and giving up sacks. In New England, the line accounted for four of the Colts’ five penalties with false starts and holding. With the minimal margin for error, the Colts simply can’t afford that. A hold that might save a hit is one thing, but a false start is the sort of undisciplined stuff that gets bad teams killed.

RISING

1. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans coach: He gave credit to offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp for a sleepless week working to get Yates ready and teach two new backups the system. But Kubiak calls the Texans' plays, and Yates made a solid showing in his first NFL start. Jim Harbaugh might run away with coach-of-the-year honors for his work turning San Francisco around, but that seems only slightly more improbable to me than what Houston’s doing considering its injuries. While defensive coordinator Wade Phillips gets a lot of credit for the transformation, here’s a small bid for giving Kubiak his fair share.

2. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans running back: He’s here a second week in a row after a second big game in a row, and this one came after he lost weight because he was so sick in the days leading up to the team’s trip to Buffalo. The Titans have waited and waited, and Johnson finally looks like he’s back to the form that earned him a giant contract after his holdout this summer. To make a push for a wild-card spot out of a division the Texans are very likely to win, the Titans will need more big contributions and explosive plays from Johnson. Everyone was getting blame when it was bad, as coach Mike Munchak pointed out, everyone should get some of the credit now.

3. Taylor Price, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver: A third-round choice by the Patriots in 2010 out of Ohio University, he didn’t make a mark with receiver-needy New England. But the Jaguars are even more receiver-needy. They got him Monday with a waiver claim, and even if Price does nothing in the remainder of the season, he’s a good piece to add to the mix for the upcoming offseason. The 90th overall pick by a team that drafts well is definitely worth a look, and even if the team really addresses the position in free agency and the draft, Price could have an opportunity to stick in Jacksonville.

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FALLING

1. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars coach: His damage control on Monday was better, but he had a terrible Sunday. When he says coordinator Dirk Koetter makes the play calls, he appears to be throwing the assistant under the bus. He also appears not to have a good feel for the job. Allowing coordinators to do their thing is important. But it’s not a violation of their freedom to do their jobs for a head coach to participate in a timeout discussion of what’s to come. To claim that Koetter has complete autonomy is to distance yourself from important decisions. That’s a weak strategy. Shouldn’t the buck stop here?

2. Tennessee Titans defensive ends: The Titans were excited about getting Derrick Morgan in the mix after losing him for his rookie year to a torn ACL, but he’s made minimal impact and hurt an ankle in Atlanta. They moved Jason Jones from tackle to end to help beef up the outside, and he has not been a big presence. Dave Ball is hurt again. William Hayes flashed a week ago but clearly is not a staff favorite and killed the Titans with a fourth-down offside penalty against the Falcons. Production from the group has been simply insufficient.

3. Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks: We probably will learn the team’s verdict on the starting quarterback for the Carolina game on Wednesday. But does it matter much? I think Curtis Painter is better than Dan Orlovsky and should be the choice, but it’s not much of a choice. The best-case scenario is that whoever is at quarterback makes a couple of big plays to Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne, then plays mistake-free. Even in that scenario, the Colts would need the sort of defensive effort to win that they don’t seem capable of.

RISING

1. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans backup quarterback: He showed himself to be ready and able in relief work of Matt Hasselbeck. Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer put him in favorable situations -- working out of shotgun, throwing on the move, in position to take off running. He sailed a few throws but overall earned an "A" for being prepared, confident and effective. That said, the right move is to return him to the bench behind Hasselbeck. It’s the kind of playing time and experience that’s really healthy for Locker at this stage.

2. The perception of the AFC South as super-weak: The Colts are winless. The Jaguars can’t beat the bad Browns. The Titans are average. The Texans are a good team, but they are moving forward without their quarterback. Hasselbeck is the division’s best quarterback now with Matt Schaub out, and although we need to see Matt Leinart, we know Painter and Blaine Gabbert are awful now. The AFC North and NFC South feel very good about drawing this division on their schedules this year.

3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans receiver: He’s ready to return, and adding one of the game’s best receivers to the lineup should provide a jolt. Leinart must find him early and take advantage, too, of the attention the Jaguars are likely to devote to him, creating space and opportunity elsewhere. The Texans did great work with Johnson out of the lineup for six games with a hamstring injury. Getting him back for the first game without Schaub is a big, big deal. Someone asked me how long I thought it would take for Johnson to get back into the flow. I say three plays.

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FALLING

1. Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end: This offseason MMA training was supposed to transform him and take his game to another level. That’s great if his hips are opening up better, but does it matter if he’s not catching the ball and if he hasn’t earned the confidence of the team’s rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert? If Tennessee’s Chris Johnson wasn’t getting all the attention, there would have been far more attention on Lewis’ poor production and we’d be asking the same question: Did he get happy and relax after landing a big contract at the start of training camp? Blocking well is not enough. This team expected and deserves more.

2. The Colts' decision to IR Kerry Collins: Look, the veteran quarterback wouldn’t automatically be fixing all that’s wrong with the Colts. But if his concussion has cleared up he’d sure provide a better alternative right now to Curtis Painter than Dan Orlovsky does. And if Collins were available and could put together one steady game with some big pass plays mixed in, the Colts would have their chance to win a game. Instead, they’re choosing between two bad options and are going to be hard-pressed to find a victory.

3. The Texans’ confidence, potentially: They’re coming off a fourth straight win and feeling great and, bam, bad news about their quarterback. Matt Schaub’s done with a foot injury. The Texans are saying all the right things and I believe they do believe in Matt Leinart. But take a team heading for the playoffs and maybe even a first-round bye and tell it the quarterback who got it there is out, and it has to have a psychological effect. We’ve questioned the mental makeup of this team in this space before. The Texans seem to be making big strides in that department, and they’ve overcome the loss of significant guys in Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Danieal Manning. But Schaub is a different deal. The quarterback is the centerpiece and he’s been steering things very well. Doubt can creep in.

RISING

1. The importance of everyone surrounding the quarterback for Houston: Leinart could do just fine as he steps in for the injured Schaub the rest of the way. But when the Texans start out with him in the huddle on Nov. 27 in Jacksonville, everyone else needs to make him as comfortable as possible. That means a continued excellent run game, behind continued great blocking from a line that also needs to protect well. It means reliable routes and catches from everyone in the Texans’ big stable of pass targets. The more they can do to ease him in, the better.

2. Tennessee Titans linebackers: Akeem Ayers, Will Witherspoon and rookie fill-in Colin McCarthy were active and effective for the Titans in Carolina in a very good collective effort. There was better work going on in front of them as the pass rush had its best day of the season. The Titans dragged Cam Newton down five times. McCarthy was solid in the middle playing for the injured veteran Barrett Ruud. Mike Munchak said Ruud (groin) will be back in when he’s ready, but McCarthy could get additional work in some packages.

3. Jeremy Mincey, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end: He continues to get better, and on a defense with some veterans who were brought in with big contracts, he’s providing valuable energy as an edge rusher. In Indianapolis, he made a great spin move to get inside on Anthony Castonzo for the first sack, he helped Daryl Smith put Painter down to share a sack and got around the corner and swiped a fumble free from Orlovsky in the fourth quarter.

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FALLING

1. The Titans’ ability to play 60 minutes: They turned a 10-point lead into a seven-point loss Sunday at LP Field against the Cincinnati Bengals. Afterward they talked of their failures to execute and make plays. I hope they did a thorough dissection of why they couldn’t do anything after intermission, because more incomplete efforts like that one will absolutely doom them as they prepare for three in a row against the NFC South.

2. Curtis Painter, Indianapolis Colts quarterback: He had a couple of performances that were good enough for a team to win with, but those seem like ancient history now. The Colts have a lot of issues and the defense is probably the biggest. But Painter was bad enough on Sunday in the loss to Atlanta to get pulled in favor of Dan Orlovsky late in the game. When your average per pass play is smaller than your rushing average, you’ve got major issues.

3. Expectations for the Jaguars on Sunday: Scan the Colts' schedule and look for the game they might win and a lot of people point to the one against the Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Jacksonville opened as field goal favorites, and I don’t know if that’s insulting or not. But the Jaguars will hear a lot this week about how they may be susceptible to a winless division foe. Will they fall into the trap or puff out their chests and storm into town to prove that although they may be struggling themselves, they are at a different level than Indianapolis?

RISING

1. Brooks Reed, Houston Texans outside linebacker: There is no replacing Mario Williams. But Reed’s the guy getting the playing time with the defensive ace lost for the season, and he’s doing well. Against Cleveland he sacked quarterback Colt McCoy twice and was a big part of the active defensive front. He’s a high-energy guy, a second-round draft pick who clearly fits into what the Texans want to do. He should continue to be a factor as he gets better, and because he didn’t play a ton early on, perhaps any rookie wall issues will be postponed.

2. Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee Titans cornerback: He was super active on Sunday in the Titans’ loss to Cincinnati. He got his hands on balls; he forced quick throws as he blitzed. Finnegan’s been a solid force for Tennessee all season. He’s in a contract year, and he’s a standout on a defense lacking another consistently impactful player.

3. The chances for the Colts to go winless: For a stretch they were in games to the end. The losses to Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and even Cincinnati were palatable. But the last three to New Orleans, Tennessee and Atlanta have been pitiful. If they were showing some signs of improvement, it’d be one thing. Although some people regard Sunday against Jacksonville the best remaining chance (see above), the Jaguars' defense may simply snuff out any chance of a breakthrough. I still think they win one almost by accident, but scan the schedule and tell me -- which one?

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FALLING

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

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

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

RISING

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

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

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

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FALLING

1. Jacob Lacey, Indianapolis Colts cornerback: Lacey is ideally a dime guy, maybe a nickel. But the Colts married themselves to him as their No. 2 starter right after the lockout in a move many of us still struggle to understand. Lately they’ve been using Terrence Johnson some. Sunday in Cincinnati it sure seemed like they went with Lacey early and then pulled him for Johnson. If there was anyone on the roster who was capable of putting real pressure on Lacey, he’d have to get some time on the bench to get his game together. Drew Brees will look his way and see red meat.

2. Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback: In a poor first half for the Jaguars in Pittsburgh, Mathis was exceptionally noticeable. He had a crack at a hit that would have prevented a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown run, got stiff-armed out of another run play, he dropped a ball I thought he could have picked and was in defense on a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace (yes he’s tough to defend, but still). Mathis is a quality leader and a quality guy. He told the team after the game that it’s on the cusp of winning a game. They may be, but he’s one of the guys who’s got to do better to make it happen.

3. Leroy Harris and Eugene Amano, Tennessee Titans interior offensive linemen: Mike Munchak’s team has been very good in pass protection, which is why Matt Hasselbeck’s been able to be such a significant story. But run blocking is an issue, and these two guys are the root of it. Munchak is steadfastly loyal to the group that started for him last season when he was offensive line coach, but asked recently if he was considering any line changes, his answer wasn’t “no,” it was “not yet.” That’s as close as this pair may come to getting put on notice. Fernando Velasco is the one legitimate alternative on the bench.

RISING

1. Tim Jamison, Houston Texans defensive end: As the Texans started life without injured outside linebacker Mario Williams, Jamison exploded with a big first-half performance: two sacks, including one that forced a fumble he recovered that set up a touchdown. It was an impressive showing, and it’s the sort of effort from a member of the supporting cast that the Texans can really use. Gary Kubiak said he sees Jamison as a young Antonio Smith. That’s high praise considering what a player Smith is.

2. The Tennessee Titans’ health: Coming off a bye, the Titans appear pretty healthy. Safety Chris Hope (arm) is out for a long stretch. Backup linebacker and special-teamer Colin McCarthy (hamstring) may be the only other issue. If tight end Craig Stevens (ribs) is feeling better, things will be looking up for the Titans. And considering the Texans just played the very physical Ravens and have a banged-up quarterback in Matt Schaub, it’s a nice advantage to have.

3. Indianapolis’ pass protection: The Colts have scrambled to patch things together with a bunch of injured guys, but quarterback Curtis Painter has gone over 100 pass attempts without an interception and he’s had time the past few games to make his reads and make his throws. Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne have been beneficiaries. This line’s taken a beating when things have been bad, and run blocking is no strength. But the group is stepping up to give the young quarterback a chance.

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FALLING

1. The secondary, Indianapolis Colts: Safety David Caldwell dropped an end-zone interception that really could have influenced the game early on. The three cornerbacks who were on the field a lot struggled to locate pass-catchers and get them to the ground. Are Terrence Johnson, Jacob Lacey and Chris Rucker good enough to hold up against superior passing teams like New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston and New England coming up later on the schedule? It’s a rhetorical question, and the answer right now is no.

2. Danieal Manning, Houston Texans special-teamer: We’re not knocking Manning the safety here. We’re knocking the guy who blocked a Pittsburgh field goal attempt on the last play before halftime. He circled around and was one of a convoy of Texans following Johnathan Joseph as he scooped up the kick to run it back for a score, and Manning inexplicably shoved kicker Daniel Sepulveda in the back. There was no way the kicker was going to threaten the play, and Houston was very fortunate to survive the lost touchdown. So props to Manning on the block, but he’s got to be smarter from there.

3. Linebackers, Jacksonville Jaguars: The team poured money into the position in the offseason, and Paul Posluszny and Clint Session are good players. But Posluszny dropped a pick and Daryl Smith let Drew Brees guide him out of bounds on an interception return. The backers were repeatedly victimized by running back Darren Sproles, who averaged 10.9 yards a touch, and tight end Jimmy Graham, who caught 10 balls for 132 yards. The Jaguars need more from these guys against players like that.

RISING

1. Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis receiver: He can be maddening with his drops -- he had one early against the Bucs. But the reason he’s around is that he can change games with one play. He had two of them for the Colts Monday night, grabbing Curtis Painter passes and doing excellent work after the catch. They were the sort of explosive offensive plays Indianapolis has to have if it’s going to be competitive.

2. Tight ends, Tennessee Titans: Among the people the team has talked of needing to help fill the void without Kenny Britt, Jared Cook was a top name. If teams choose to cover him and attempt to tackle him the way the Browns did, look for him to put up monster numbers. Craig Stevens is regarded as more of a blocker, but he did well to catch a touchdown. If Cook, Stevens and Daniel Graham can continue to be counted as good targets for the accurate Matt Hasselbeck, there is a lot of cause for hope. Those guys complementing receivers Nate Washington, Damian Williams and Lavelle Hawkins are looking like a strong group.

3. Antonio Smith, Houston Texans defensive end: He’ll represent the entire defensive front here, which has been very good and which just overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line in Sunday’s win. Ben Roethlisberger can be exceptionally tough to drag down, but Smith and the Texans ganged up on him for five sacks and really hit him with great regularity. The secondary is vastly improved, but life is a lot better back when a quarterback like Roethlisberger has little time to work.

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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.

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FALLING

The division’s status: Early in the season the AFC South was regarded as one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. But a “down” year for the Colts and poor, poor play by the Titans and Texans have made it less than mediocre. The division has 28 wins, ahead of only the much maligned NFC West.

Coaching stock: Gary Kubiak, Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio are all likely to have heart-to-hearts with their owners early next week and while I don’t expect three changes, we’re likely to have one or two. The three owners have been patient, but each will be considering whether it’s time for a change.

Tennessee’s play in the AFC: Only the Carolina Panthers, who’ve clinched the No. 1 pick in the draft, have a worse conference record than Tennessee’s 3-8. No one is worse in the AFC and the other teams with just three AFC wins aren’t teams you want to be grouped with -- Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Denver.

RISING

The Colts’ run defense: Defensive tackle Daniel Muir was out with an injury, but the Colts rallied to the ball and really limited Oakland’s run threat with Antonio Johnson playing a bigger role on the interior line. We saw the defensive speed at work in chasing people down and bottling them up.

Mike Thomas, Jaguars receiver: He had six catches for 96 yards in the overtime loss to Washington and continues to establish himself as a consistent and reliable weapon. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter knows how to deploy him and David Garrard's got a comfort level throwing to him. Thomas should be a key piece of the Jaguars’ offense for some time.

Jared Cook, Titans tight end: The wait has been a long one. But in a terrible game for the Titans in Kansas City, Cook was the bright spot with five catches for 96 yards. It would be a great thing for the team if he could have a second productive game in a row heading into the offseason.

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FALLING

1. Jeff Fisher, Titans coach: He spelled out his reasoning for a fourth-and-1 punt and an end-of-the-game scenario in which the Titans scored a touchdown on the last play but had no chance at the second score they needed. Still, expecting a second straight stop against the Colts' offense was overly confident. The failure to find a way to use both Randy Moss and Kenny Britt was atrocious.

2. The Texans' ability to finish: For the fourth time in five weeks, the Texans came back from a 14-point deficit to tie or take the lead only to lose. That’s never happened to a team before, so it’s really impressive to do it in five weeks. Matt Schaub was spectacular in the rally against the Ravens. But Schaub simply cannot make the throw he made out of his own end zone that turned into the game-losing interception return by Josh Wilson.

3. Jacksonville’s run defense: They got away with one against Oakland, with Darren McFadden doing some major damage. Allowing 6.1 yards per carry in a crucial game is no game plan for victory, but they survived it. Now they head to Indianapolis, where the Colts' run game is unlikely to be an issue for them.

RISING

1. Gene Smith’s case for executive of the year: If the Jaguars win the division Sunday, it’ll be hard to make a case against the team’s second-year general manager. He's refreshed a roster and instilled a winning attitude. He’s trimmed the fat and drafted well. His calm, steady approach sets a trickle-down tone.

2. Lead running backs: Maurice Jones-Drew, Arian Foster and Chris Johnson all got to 100 yards in their games (as did a riser from last week, MJD backup Rashad Jennings). I’m anti-fan voting for the Pro Bowl because it’s a popularity contest. But the people are getting it right here, as the trio occupies three of the top five slots in AFC Pro Bowl voting, though they could order them better. Foster is a deserving first, with Johnson third and Jones-Drew fourth.

3. Jacksonville’s run-blocking: The Jaguars are rolling with the run and their offensive line has been getting great push with Vince Manuwai setting a tone. Also big factors: fullback Greg Jones and tight end Marcedes Lewis.

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FALLING

Odds of Titans getting a third-down stop: The Texans converted half of their 18 third downs, which led to nearly 40 minutes of possession against Tennessee on Sunday. In their last five games, the Titans have allowed conversions 55 percent of the time, an enormous number. Jeff Fisher’s teams are usually able to respond to a point of emphasis. The Titans are failing at that here in a big way.

The Jaguars’ ability to handle blitzes in big situations: Playing with two backup tackles in a tough road game against a quality front, the Jaguars fared pretty well. But as I documented here, in their last chance to beat the Giants they fell apart and got burned badly by a pass rush that included one or two defensive backs.

The Colts' offensive line shuffling: There is a long list of elements to what’s been wrong with the Colts’ offense in recent weeks. But there was no time for anything deep to develop for Peyton Manning who appears to be getting rid of the ball in record time and no matter who’s taking the carries they can’t run effectively. Kyle DeVan displaced Jamey Richard a while back and Jeff Linkenbach’s been ahead of Mike Pollak at right guard for three weeks. Those changes don’t seem to have improved things up front in the run or pass game.

RISING

Jason Allen, Texans cornerback: We won’t pretend that he was a magic solution for the secondary. But the Titans hardly went after the recent waiver claim, who played ahead of Kareem Jackson and lined up across from an underutilized and ineffective Randy Moss. That Allen played a lot in a shutout can give the secondary a feeling that things have changed.

The Jaguars' offense on third down: The Jaguars were 10 for 16 on third down against the Giants, a remarkable feat that could and probably should mean you win a game. They’ll look to build on that Sunday in Nashville against a defense that’s struggling terribly to get off the field on third down. (See the falling entry on the Titans’ above.)

The Titans' intention to get the ball to Moss: Why bring him in if you have no intention to use him at what he does best? Sure he’s going to draw double-teams. But if Minnesota and New England looked away from him based on the coverage, he wouldn’t have the best reception-per-touchdown number (6.2) in league history among players with at least 500 catches. If you throw a deep pick on third-and-long, it’s the same as a punt.

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FALLING

1. Vince Young, Titans quarterback: He’s on IR with a thumb injury and will disappear from the Titans’ public talk going forward. All the long-running issues about his maturity, preparation, dedication and football smarts boiled over into a gigantic meltdown that few players survive. This player, though, still has his owner under his thumb.

2. Tiquan Underwood, Jaguars receiver: With Mike Sims-Walker (ankle) out, the Jaguars used Underwood more and he was a disappointment with two drops of well-thrown balls by David Garrard. One might have been a touchdown or would have at least put the team near the goal line. Underwood looked timid.

3. Peyton Manning in 2-minute drills at the end of games: It’s a lot to expect him to always lead the Colts to a win when they’re in range late. But given a chance to win or tie at the end in recent games at Philadelphia and New England, Manning’s ended the game with an interception instead.

RISING

1. Terrance Knighton and Jeremy Mincey, Jaguars defensive linemen: Mincey brought a great energy to the defensive line and recorded two sacks. Knighton looked like a Pro Bowler stuffing things up in the middle and penetrating on pass plays. He had four tackles, a sack and a big impact on the Browns' offense.

2. Passer ratings against the Texans: Mark Sanchez topped 300 yards and threw for three touchdowns, including one with 10 seconds left to lift the Jets to a win. Houston’s allowed opponents a passer rating of 109.2, worst in the league by a significant margin (Jacksonville, 103.9). Can the Texans handle Titans rookie Rusty Smith?

3. Joel Dreessen, Texans tight end: Without the injured Owen Daniels, Houston is still getting good tight end production. Dreessen showed a knack for getting open in the loss to the Jets and clearly has Matt Schaub’s confidence. He had four catches for a team-high 104 yards, including a 43-yard TD when he was wide open.