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At the news conference making Peyton Manning’s release official, Colts owner Jim Irsay indicated more roster moves were pending.

They came down Friday, and the remaining roster is a barren landscape.

Gone are halfback Joseph Addai, tight end Dallas Clark, safety Melvin Bullitt, linebacker Gary Brackett, and quarterback Curtis Painter.

All but Painter are proven players who played important roles in the system the team run under the team’s top executive, Bill Polian, and coaches Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell.

Those three powers are gone, and new GM Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano are starting with a virtual clean slate.

Addai is not the type of back the team will want as it looks to get bigger and more powerful. Clark, Bullitt and Brackett are officially injury-prone and aging.

Some of these moves bring accelerated cap hits, and might cost more than the significant salaries the players were scheduled to make will save.

But in a year, the team should be in much better financial shape -- and be adding instead of subtracting.

The next big question is defensive end Dwight Freeney, who's due $14 million this season and carries a $19 million cap number.

The pool of NFL analysts is super deep.

It’s stacked with former players and coaches, but tends to be thin when it comes to GMs who’ve been decision-makers.

ESPN’s added one of those to its stable, announcing today that former Colts executive Bill Polian has joined the network. He will debut March 12 on "SportsCenter" and "NFL32."

The architect of the Colts who won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2006 season now joins the coach of that team as a television personality. Since he retired from the league, Tony Dungy has been a quality piece of NBC’s "Football Night in America." Polian can be the same for ESPN.

In my dealings with him since starting in this job in 2008, he was accommodating and helpful. Fifteen minutes with him could qualify as blog fodder gold. Take him the right big picture or personnel questions and he would regularly deliver home-run information and perspective.

He also qualified as a tough interview and could be intimidating. You couldn’t get away with a bad question or he’d call you on it and make you uncomfortable. He'd do the same if he didn't care for a topic that might have been just fine. There were reporters and analysts he simply did not like, and it’s always a bit awkward to me when a person from the league who fought with an element of the press moves on to joins the press.

But here’s what’s important: Polian can lend great perspective on league and personnel issues. I especially look forward to seeing him break down tape and tell us why a player is suited for a job or not and why a guy made a play or didn’t.

I saw Polian briefly in Indianapolis at the scouting combine. (He didn’t hint this was coming.) He said he was about to relocate from Indy to North Carolina, where some of his family settled when he worked for the Panthers.

He’ll now earn frequent flier points shuttling from Charlotte to Hartford, Conn. He may make watching football more enjoyable for a lot of us by doing so.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts of Chuck Pagano will gradually get bigger.

He spoke respectfully of the success the small and nimble Colts of Bill Polian, Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell had. But at the scouting combine he referred to an Al Davis mantra he picked up -- “It’s a big-man game” -- while emphasizing that doesn’t completely discount little, fast guys.

But part of getting big and part of being big in the NFL ties to an age-old football formula: To win, you’ve got to run and stop the run.

I asked him Thursday about his offensive philosophy, and here’s what he said:

“You watch the Steelers play, right? I’ve always said this and I learned this from my dad watching him coach growing up: You’ve got to run the football and have to stop the run to be successful at any level. So we’re going to be able to run the football, and like I said at my first press conference, you’ve got to be able to throw it also. So a good combination of the two. We want to be explosive, we want to be physical, we want to be tough, we want to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, most specifically up front with the offensive line.”

Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson will have a lot of work to do to shape an offensive line that can win like that, and they may not have the running backs who can be a key to that formula, either. (Incidentally, the 2011 Steelers threw the ball better than they ran it, and defended the pass better than they slowed the run.)

Plenty of teams win in today’s NFL with below-average run games and run defenses.

• The Super Bowl champion New York Giants were the NFL’s worst rushing offense in the 2011 regular season and ranked 19th in run defense.
• A year before, the Packers won the Lombardi trophy with the league’s 24th-best run game and 18th-ranked run defense.
• And while the 2009 Steelers defended the run well, ranking third, they were hardly a dominant rushing offense, finishing No. 19.

Pagano seems like an old-school guy. I understand the stance and the talk. But hopefully he and his staff will see that winning football, at least for right now, has a lot more to do with having a top quarterback and being able to hit opposing quarterbacks.

The new coach came to Indianapolis from Baltimore, where the Ravens made a habit of playing good run defense and getting a pretty good share of their offense out of Ray Rice.

While they advanced to the AFC title game twice during Pagano’s four years on the staff, they failed to win the conference or the Super Bowl.

Ultimately, owner Jim Irsay wants to see his Colts do more than that.

Peyton Manning has spoken of all the people disappearing from the Indianapolis Colts' headquarters.

As Chuck Pagano puts his coaching staff together, six more Colts could soon be former Colts. Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen, assistant to the offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, tight ends coach Ricky Thomas, running backs coach David Walker, assistant offensive line coach Ron Prince and assistant strength and conditioning coach Richard Howell remain under contract, flapping in the breeze.

Most significant among them is Christensen, who really ranks as the one prominent remaining link to Manning.

Pagano is a defensive guy, and his decision on offensive coordinator will be gigantic considering that coach will be the central figure in the development of Andrew Luck, the quarterback the Colts will draft with the No. 1 overall pick barring some crazy development.

It’s hard to imagine Christensen would be that guy, and parting with the guy who’s been the Colts’ coordinator for the past two seasons would in many ways be the final piece of a transition. From 2002-07 Christensen was Indianapolis’ wide receivers coach and in 2008 he had an assistant head coach title added. Then he took over for Tom Moore in the sort of transition the Colts set up for with their older coaches under Tony Dungy and then Jim Caldwell.

Christensen is continuity for Manning, one last presence from the old guard, one remaining significant connection to the offense he’s been running his whole career.

Of the six remaining assistants, I suspect a few remain became of their contracts. Cooter was in his first year in his role in 2011, Walker was in his first year with the team and Prince was in his second.

With 10 seasons in Indianapolis, Christensen ranks second to only Howell among the remaining staff.

When Pagano makes a move at offensive coordinator, odds are he will cut the last significant tie to Manning’s offense.

Then the only move left to be made by the Colts pertaining to their new era will be with Manning himself.

Thoughts about Chuck Pagano’s introductory press conference spun off of tweets from media and bloggers who saw it or heard it, or tried to as I did.

@JacobTamme: Streaming video is refusing to stream.

PK: Same here, bro.

@JMV1070: For those of you that wanted a retread. @JimIrsay said "nope".

PK: Laudable, particularly since the available retreads were not all that attractive.

@mg_indy: Pagano says his first priority is 2 get 2 know each of his players. "Family" & 'trust' thru "relationship building" is very important 2 him

PK: To hear his former players talk about him, his new ones will love him on a personal level.

@AdamsonAshley: Pagano says he wants to get to know every single person here. From the people who cook the food to the people who clean the building.

PK: That’s reverse Bill Polian, who I don’t sense was big on chatting with the cooks or janitors. Maybe that’s unfair. But his was a closed circle.

@chrishaganfox59: Pagano: "be loyal, be trustworthy, be dedicated."

PK: Admirable goals.

@chrishaganfox59: Pagano: "I'm here to serve."

PK: Aiming to serve from a high-ranking post rather than to be served is an incredibly smart approach that I am anxious to see in play. He’s different than Tony Dungy, for sure, but that sure seems like a similarity.

@ACwishtv: Pagano: "We're here to build each other up"

PK: Again, the sort of thing a lot of people will be excited to hear.

@18to88: I resent this talk of culture change within the organization, to be honest. This team did nothing but win for a decade.

PK: This is a very noteworthy point. I think the talk of culture change is tied to the way Polian operated. It’s not the best way to operate, and it ultimately blew up. But as Nate Dunlevy is pointing out here, we shouldn’t forget that out of the way he operated came an exceptional degree of success.

@ColtsAuthority (three tweets): If Wade Phillips can go into Houston and stand up Mario Wiliams, with the two great pass rushers we have here I don't see the problem. Just because we may line up and they may say they're a 3-4 team, we could be an odd 3-4 look on second down and lord only knows on 3rd and seven-plus.

PK: Very good point and very smart to refer to what Houston just did. Too much is made of hos guys are identified versus what they are asked to do. If (Dwight) Freeney and Robert Mathis are on the field, they’ll be rushing the passer.

@ColtsAuthority (five tweets): Pagano: Promise to wreak havoc. We just cut our guys loose. We're going to do a great job here... we have some explosive athletes. We will add to that and evolve, as drafts go by and free agency goes by. I think players like to play that way. We never ankle-weighted our players This is a reaction game. You don't have time to think. You see, you react, and you run. That's the kind of guys we have here now and will bring in. We want to be aggressive. We want to dictate the tempo defensively. We want them reacting to us and not vice versa. We will have schemes in place that allow our players to play to play and be aggressive.

PK: Just what you’d expect a defensive coach who’s got a good reputation with his peers and his players to say.

@ColtsAuthority: Pagano: No. Over the course of 28 years of coaching you develop relationships. You have a list of people from coordinators on down. There's a volume of really good coaches out there. There is quality people here. I will take time to talk to them and if it meshes and they're a part of our vision we can move forward from there. I don't foresee any problem putting together the best staff in the NFL.

PK: A little ambitious. Most of the best NFL assistant coaches are not available. But he should be aiming high and intending to land great people.

@AdamsonAshley: Just met Pagano's wife and 2 of his 3 daughters. Lovely fam...the girls say it's really weird to see their dad looking so important up there

PK: It’s funny, we tend to forget at a big moment like this for an organization what it probably like through the eyes of family.

@TribStarTJames: In meeting with Indy media after presser for Chuck Pagano as new head coach, Irsay said PManning should have kept issues "in house."

PK: They went a long stretch in this press conference without mentioning Manning by name, which can certainly be read as disrespectful. If this is the end, you want to send Manning out the right way. And the right way doesn’t start with suggesting you should dictate the terms of the exit strategy conversations. Also, is the proper way to take on Manning not keeping things in house to break your own policy for where to discuss it? Or since Manning did it first it’s OK for you to do it now too?

@LovinBlue: @JimIrsay STOP ignoring Manning & his legacy. The approach is hurting fans more than helping them move on. Honor past while looking forward.

PK: I think she raises a valid point.

A short break from a few days away because Bob Kravitz’s piece out of an extensive conversation with Peyton Manning calls for comment.

Manning never speaks without purpose. Did he know Rob Lowe’s character in “The Outsiders” was Sodapop Curtis or did he have to look it up? It doesn’t matter. Mentioning it as he addressed Lowe’s tweet report of Manning’s pending retirement helped him put a laugh right at the top of his message.

We can read between the lines; that’s always the fun game to play out of such interviews. He likes to reset the message when he feels it’s off or when he goes too long without being heard from. And saying a lot now means, hopefully, that he can minimize his presence next week when his brother, Eli, takes center stage. Peyton won’t want to steal any of that focus.

He’s used to being in control and he’s used to familiar surroundings. Now, as he rehabs his neck and wonders about his future, he’s got little control and is working in a building where long-time friends and colleagues are packing up their offices.

From Kravitz’s piece:

"I'm not in a very good place for healing, let's say that," he said, referring to the practice facility. "It's not a real good environment down there right now, to say the least. Everybody's walking around on eggshells. I don't recognize our building right now. There's such complete and total change."

Certainly Manning controlled a lot about how the Colts played and ran their offense. He had an influence on the direction of things. He had strong relationships with Jim Irsay, Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and many others.

He also played into the Polian paranoia and the thing where only a small circle of people were in the know, and that’s part of what Irsay has chosen to blow up with big change. That’s an overall good development. I don't know if Manning thinks so or not.

Manning certainly likes control, and obsessing over details is his prerogative and part of what has made him great. But I believe his actual control over a lot of things has been generally overplayed.

It’s a lonely existence for him right now.

The only players at team headquarters are other rehabbing guys. The GM is new and his door is likely closed -- Ryan Grigson said he needed to dig into film to learn his roster and would put a do not disturb sign on his doorknob.

Grigson and Irsay are also trying to finalize their coaching search and hire Caldwell’s successor.

Manning doesn’t get to control who’s around him. And once the Patriots arrive in town and take over the Colts’ facility, he doesn’t even get to go to the office.

Manning is set to host a Super Bowl week party in his home city, but I expect he will do his best to be in the background or invisible through the week.

He’s sent a message for now, but it’s hardly conclusive.

"I mean, it's 20 degrees, it's snowing, the building is absolutely empty except when you see coaches cleaning out their offices," he said. "I guess it's the reality of the football world, just not something I've had to deal with very often. But I'm in there every day, so I have to sit there and see it. Everybody's being evaluated and I'm no different. It's not the best environment.

"I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It's unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so ... sudden. Their keys didn't work the next day. There's no other way to do it? I don’t know. That's hard to see, all these people leaving.

"And I may be behind them. Who knows?"

It may be a while before we know if Jim Caldwell will remain in place as the Indianapolis Colts coach.

If he does, he will have a new special teams coach. The team announced it will not renew the contract of Ray Rychleski.

“I felt we needed to make a change and head in a new direction,” Caldwell said in a statement released by the team. “Although the special teams unit made some improvement as the season progressed, it was not enough to continue our current situation. We appreciate Ray’s service and hard work during his three seasons with the team.”

When Caldwell took over the top job following Tony Dungy’s departure in 2009, the new coach made two significant hires. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was fired late in the season and now Rychleski will also be replaced.

Jim Irsay spoke highly of Caldwell in his Monday news conference discussing the firing of vice chairman Bill Polian and general manager Chris Polian. While Caldwell remains with the team, a new general manager will likely have a hand in determining the coach’s fate. That’s an awkward situation and most incoming executives given full powers prefer to hire their own coach.

In that news conference, Irsay praised Caldwell for his accountability and said he had admitted Coyer was a poor fit to run the Colts' scheme and it amounted to a mistake.

It does not say a lot for Caldwell that both the coaching hires that qualifies as his guys are no longer on the staff.

Bill Polian de-emphasized special teams and it's an area that a new regime should pay more attention to.

Stuff I'd read if I were you and had the time...

• Is this the greatest season ever or does it just feel that way because the Texans are relevant, asks Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle.
• Ben Muth of Football Outsiders looks closely at the Titans' run blocking, says it’s been pretty consistent and put the failures early and the success recently on Chris Johnson.
• Josh Katzowitz of CBSSports.com looks at 10 guys who could be head coaches in the league next season.
• Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com reviewed game film and it produced good reviews of Johnson and T.J. Yates, and a bad one of Blaine Gabbert.
• There is one man who could fix all that ails the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, says my colleague Pat Yasinskas of the NFC South blog: Tony Dungy.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Cut-blocking, which is legal, is viewed as "cowardly," per Cleveland defensive end Jayme Mitchell via the Akron Beacon-Journal, writes Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle. The Texans continue to hear opponents grumble about their style. But when opponents say "dirty," the Texans hear "hard," as in the opposite of "soft," which is a tag that has saddled the team for years. That their style gets in people’s heads ahead of time gives them an advantage, I believe. They are a tougher football team than they used to be.

Cut blocking is legal. But Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle asks if it’s ethical. I ask if a football team needs to be concerned with such a question as it tries to plot a course to success. The Texans are very good at what they do, and have built a roster to do it.

Indianapolis Colts

What has Chris Polian done to assure his long-term security, asks Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. Kravitz spoke to several former Colts people who said Polian has been “a toxic force who has brought this franchise to its knees for reasons other than Peyton Manning's injury.” “Tell me, what has Chris Polian actually done besides win the genetic lottery?” Wow. Those are some very strong words.

Special teams coverage and returns have stubbornly defied sustained improvement for years, writes Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star. Through three head coaches and special teams coordinators -- Jim Mora and Kevin Spencer, 1998-2001; Tony Dungy and Russ Purnell, 2002-08; Jim Caldwell and Ray Rychleski, 2009-present -- they have remained largely substandard. I believe the team is simply too willing to not be good on special teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Frenette of the Times-Union offers his midseason report card for the Jaguars. He’s got an F for passing offense and a D for coaching, grades that offset some Bs.

“It would completely fly in the face of (Wayne) Weaver’s image as a patient owner to jettison (Gene) Smith after three years,” writes Frenette. “My goodness, he’s given (Jack) Del Rio nine years, longer than any coach in history without winning a division title. He gave Smith’s predecessor, James Harris, six years despite totally setting this franchise back with repeated first-round draft busts.” I agree. A housecleaning should not include Smith, and he should be hiring the next head coach.

Tennessee Titans

Javon Ringer finds himself a larger part of the Titans’ offense than he or anyone else would have envisioned at the start of the year, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. Ringer is averaging more yards per run and reception than Chris Johnson, carried the ball a career-best 14 times last week against the Colts, and was on the field for the last three drives of the game. If he’s running better, he needs to play more, I believe. I’d make him, minimally, the third-down back.

Marshall Faulk knows what hitting a wall looks like and feels like, and tells Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean that Chris Johnson has not hit a wall. But Falk has serious questions about CJ: “Right now, he looks like a guy who doesn’t have a good grasp of what they are trying to accomplish in the running game. He is running like a guy who is not certain about how teams are attacking him.”

Jim Caldwell’s not typically one to give us a lot of insight into him during his news conferences with the Indianapolis media.

So it was interesting that he shared one Wednesday when asked if he was feeling any additional pressure.

Here was his reply, courtesy of a team transcript:

“This business that we’re in, I’ve been coaching for a long time now. In 1978 when I first started, I knew that it’s a situation where it’s day-to-day in this business. I was at Southern Illinois University and I was on the job about two days, and the Athletic Director there was Gale Sayers at the time. He was one of my idols growing up. I loved the [Chicago] Bears and he was one of my favorites. He walked down to my office and asked if I would like to go to dinner, and my wife wasn’t there yet, because she was still in Iowa City. So he left the office and I remember picking the phone up and calling my dad telling him, ‘Hey, guess who I’m having dinner with.’ He sort of chuckled, he was always a big [Green Bay] Packers fan, but he knew I was a big Bears fan.

“So I sat down with Gale Sayers and we were just exchanging pleasantries, talking about our backgrounds and etc. Then he looked at me with a very serious look on his face, and he said, ‘Why in the world did you go into coaching?’ I kind of gave him my answer that I wanted to have an impact on young people, [I] wanted to have an opportunity to lead and direct and that was a great way for me to do so. I talked through that thing, and he asked me again, ‘Now, why in the world did you go into coaching?’ I started all over again, and he interrupted me and said, ‘Hold on a minute, I did hear that, but don’t you realize that you put your career in the hands of 17, 18 and 19-year-old young men?' I hadn’t really thought about it that way in that point in time, but he was indeed right.

“It’s one of those things that you’ve been in the business long enough to know that it’s a demanding position and it’s a challenge, but that’s why we love it as well. There are certain things that can be expected. I worked for Joe Paterno for a long time, and he won more football games than anybody in the history of college football. There was a point in time when they were trying to get rid of him. I also saw where a guy was 14-2 in this league, and got released. It’s ever-present, but it’s not something that we think about. Obviously, the challenge is something that we relish.”

It’s early to talk much about Caldwell’s future.

He’s not always strategically sound. But he didn’t choose the under-performing personnel, he’s had the team competing in recent games to the end, and we haven’t heard any dissent from the locker room. I score those things in his favor.

Still, I think he will be under fire at season's end -- perhaps he is deserving, perhaps as a scapegoat, perhaps out of the sort of politics that lead to a lot of changes in the league.

I don't think it will be because of the team’s performance in a season when it was bound to be bad once it became clear Peyton Manning wasn’t going to be around. I do think it could be because of the shift above him.

Bill Polian’s has relinquished a great deal of control to his son, Chris Polian, who is now the team’s general manager. We’ve seen big changes in other areas as the younger Polian has put his stamp on the franchise.

Caldwell was brought into the organization by Tony Dungy who worked closely with Bill Polian.

It’s not difficult to see a scenario where Chris Polian looks for a coach with whom he’s more closely aligned.

Maybe that guy is Jim Tressel, who starts with the team this week as a consultant. Maybe it’s an outsider.

Maybe I’m overreaching and Caldwell winds up fine.

There could be some Manning influence at work as well. And we have no idea who’s in good standing with him right now.

When Peyton Manning had a second knee surgery in 2008, the Colts were hardly forthcoming about it.

So the trust factor isn’t strong here.

But their statement Monday about Manning’s condition and the progress of his rehab included this: “As of now Peyton continues to deal with a complicated neurological recovery, the end date of which is unpredictable.”

All indications are that’s entirely true. And while the Colts’ style in telling us that can be somewhat off-putting, we need to be sure to hear what they are saying.

Time and time again, anyone who covers the team or has any connection is asked when Manning will be back.

I believe Manning and the team simply do not know. So while it’s the nature of the business, anyone pretending to know or taking a guess without a major disclaimer is doing us all a disservice.

I’m not guessing, and I’m reminding people that anyone picking an over-under number is guessing. Manning’s doubtful, he’s not practicing. It’s time to come to terms with Kerry Collins as the Week 1 starter.

Tony Dungy did Manning no favors when he said the quarterback would have to be dead not to be on the field. This is a neurological neck issue, not a mind-over-matter issue. (It’s not just a flesh wound, says Bob Kravitz.)

Manning’s never gotten the credit he deserves for his toughness. That comes, in part, because he is masterful at avoiding hits with dump-offs and throw-aways. That he’ll occasionally surrender when he goes down for a sack doesn’t make you think iron man.

But he’s played in 208 regular-season games in a row, and that’s impossible to do without major toughness.

Right now, it doesn’t matter how tough he is. This goes beyond that.

What I think they’re thinking in the headquarters of the four AFC South teams on Monday.

Houston Texans

That could have been a nice, restful weekend after a Thursday night game. Except we all tossed and turned the entire time, with nightmares of our play-calling in Indianapolis and the tipped Hail Mary in Jacksonville. We also daydreamed about a different result in winnable games against the Jets and Chargers. If just one of those four games came out differently, we’d have a real chance here with the Colts having a down season. But no, we’re at 5-7, a super long-shot for the division crown, shooting just to match last year’s record as we prepare for an angry Ravens team on Monday night.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning will say he’s not pressing and we’ll echo the sentiment. But Tony Dungy knows what’s going on here and he can, and has, said Manning is pressing. How else to explain all these interceptions? We needed him to carry us and he did. But the wheels are coming off now. This is our first three-game losing streak and first-six-loss season since 2002. Manning has 11 picks in three weeks. We’ll all look to him and see steady and unflinching, but maybe for the first we’ll wonder about what’s actually going on in his head and if there is any doubt there. We still have control, though, and the Titans can’t score with us. So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.

Jacksonville Jaguars

All the work, all the patience is paying off. Good teams come together and play their best in December, and we’re doing that. We’ve got as clear an identity as anyone in the division. We’re that tough, physical, run-it-down-your throat team. We can win on the road. We can win in the cold. We’ve got perspective and focus and while our hopes are about playing at home in the playoffs in January, we are locked in on Oakland at EverBank Field on Sunday. If we take care of the Raiders, we set up our biggest game in recent history the following Sunday at Indianapolis. Go ahead, overlook or dismiss us. We’re thriving on it.

Tennessee Titans

We’re sapped. There is no getting around it. We’re not among the league’s biggest teams and we are getting worn down. We just got manhandled by the Jaguars, a team we pride ourselves on being able to beat in a physical battle. Perhaps there is some solace in a quick turn for a matchup with the Colts, because they are even smaller than us. Unfortunately, they’ve got a ticked off quarterback who’s been struggling and will be looking to pick us apart. Even if he throws picks, he’ll throw touchdowns. And it’s been 13 quarters since our offense was in the end zone for anything other than warm-ups.

Reading the coverage …

Houston Texans

Chris Johnson is eager for a big game with Arian Foster on the other side, says Jeffrey Martin.

N.D. Kalu and John McClain review the Texans’ defense. (Video.)

Would you trade Gary Kubiak for Mike Sherman, asks Richard Justice.

Catching up on Bob McNair’s recent review from McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Spotting the football is an inexact science, says Curt Cavin.

Philip Rivers leads the league’s most potent offense, says Mike Chappell.

Bob Kravitz envisions Thanksgiving with the Colts.

In retirement, Tony Dungy’s quiet voice is everywhere, says Rachel Cohen.

Assessing Pierre Garcon with John Oehser.

Hope for the best, expect the worst from Bob Sanders. That’s Stampede Blue’s approach, anyway.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew has an abdomen injury.

A selfish approach works for the Giants defensive linemen, says Tania Ganguli.

The Giants’ inside-outside combination of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw is what concerns Vic Ketchman.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Heimerdinger will coach Sunday before starting chemotherapy on Monday, says Jim Wyatt.

Will Witherspoon thinks his $40,000 fine is excessive, says Wyatt and John Glennon.

Pete Prisco and Clark Judge face off over Vince Young.

Bud Adams sent the wrong message by not backing Jeff Fisher, says John McClain.

If the Titans are going anywhere, it’ll be because of their defense and special teams says Vince Verhei.

Examining the third-down defense against Washington with Tom Gower.

The Texans and Titans are both hoping for a rebound, says Ashlan Williams.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Brian Cushing is ready for the move to the middle, says John McClain.

Who has the edge in McClain’s eyes?

Indianapolis Colts

Gary Brackett says emotion isn’t going to beat the Texans, writes Mike Chappell.

Tony Dungy adds prestige to the ring of honor, says Bob Kravitz, and the Colts need to clear a lot of space for other names.

The Colts' offensive line expects a much better performance than in the first game against the Texans, says Chappell.

John Oehser’s seven-step look at the Colts.

It’s as close to a must-win as the Colts will have all season, says AP.

Eighteen things to watch for, from Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

A very good performance in a blowout of the Cowboys did much to salvage the Jaguars’ season, says Tania Ganguli. Also includes Gene Frenette’s report card.

David Garrard was stellar in his return from a concussion, says Vito Stellino.

A goal-line stand was a big momentum shifter, says Stellino.

Maurice Jones-Drew got going and got over 100 yards, says Ganguli.

If there’s one good thing to say about the inconsistency of these 4-4 Jaguars, it’s that they had the resolve to fight through a lot of negativity, says Frenette.

Frenette and Stellino review the game in this video.

They saved their season, says Vic Ketchman.

Garrard is one of the week’s MVPs, says Shutdown Corner.

Tennessee Titans

San Diego maintained its handle on the Titans, says Jim Wyatt.

The Titans let a big one get away, says David Climer.

Kenny Britt may be out indefinitely, says Jim Wyatt.

A holding call against Michael Griffin swung momentum, says Climer.

Wyatt’s report card.

Philip Rivers was the fourth quarterback to top 300 yards against the Titans.

The Titans defended Donnie Nickey, says Wyatt.

Britt heard a pop, says Terry McCormick.

Jared Cook saw mixed results, says McCormick.

Nick Schommer's film study paid off with a blocked punt, says McCormick.

Reading the coverage …

Houston Texans

Antonio Smith called a recent players-only meeting, says Nick Scurfield.

Texans defenders lament the league’s hit rules, says Jeffrey Martin.

The Colts will be seeking revenge, says Anna-Megan Raley.

Gary Kubiak actually fielded a question about being in contention this late in the season, says Richard Justice.

Indianapolis Colts

Tony Dungy joins the Colts' Ring of Honor at the half Monday night, says Phil Richards.

Bill Polian and Tony Dungy hit it off right from the start, says Richards.

Ron Jaworski hashed out his comments on Peyton Manning, who kind of responded to them, writes Phil Richards.

The Colts are ready to take on some unknown, says Mike Chappell.

Replacing Dallas Clark is not possible, says Bob Kravitz.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tania Ganguli and Vito Stellino discuss the Jaguars’ trip to Dallas.

The defensive backs are searching for stability.

Jon Kitna is hoping to spark the Cowboys against the Jaguars, says Ganguli.

Pete Prisco thinks the Jags' quarterback mistakes have stalled the franchise. I co-sign.

How to attack the Cowboys, from Adam Stites.

Tennessee Titans

Vince Young is looking like Sunday’s starter, says John Glennon.

Kenny Britt says he’s being falsely accused, says Jim Wyatt.

Jared Cook is missing out, says David Climer.

Titans rookies will wear Halloween costumes on the flight to San Diego, says Glennon.