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HOUSTON -- The inactive list should have little bearing on the Bengals-Texans opener of the NFL playoffs.

Houston will be without Troy Nolan, a safety who’s been part of the dime package. He's out with an ankle injury and Quintin Demps will get that action.

The biggest name on the Bengals list is Taylor Mays, a sometimes situational safety.

It’s a beautiful day in Houston, where my rental car said it was 75 degrees about 45 minutes ago. The roof of Reliant Stadium is closed.

Bob Holtzman and his producer extraordinaire, Charles Moynihan, are to my right. AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley is to my left.

Hensley and I will be in the Countdown Live chat along with Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. starting just before kickoff.

The complete inactive lists:

Texans:

• QB Jeff Garcia
• WR Jeff Maehl
• CB Brandon Harris
• S Troy Nolan
• G Thomas Austin
• T Andrew Gardner
• TE Garrett Graham

Bengals

• S Taylor Mays
• S Robert Sands
• LB Dontay Moch
• G Otis Hudson
• OT Anthony Collins
• WR Armon Binns
• DT Nick Hayden

Make a case for New Orleans running back Darren Sproles if you'd like. Philadelphia defensive end Jason Babin has been a sack machine. Matt Hasselbeck could get some votes for his work as a culture changer and quarterback in Tennessee.

But my vote for the best free-agent addition in 2011 goes to Johnathan Joseph, the Houston cornerback who’s been the key component in a transformation of the Texans’ secondary.

A miserable pass defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season now stands tied for second, a ridiculous jump that could only happen with multiple ingredients:

New coordinator Wade Phillips and his new 3-4 scheme.

A consistent rush from a swarming defensive front, bolstered by the team’s top two rookies, end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Brooks Reed.

And the addition of Joseph and safety Danieal Manning to a young secondary.

“Joseph has been exactly what they needed,” a scout told me this week. “After a horrible first-round draft pick in 2010 in Kareem Jackson, they made up for it with Joseph. He is fast, athletic and can match up with most receivers in the AFC. He plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 191 pounds), because he has good functional strength.

“The added pass rush has helped him, but he is a good player versus run and pass. He was added to the top of the group which allowed players like Jackson and others to play more of a role instead of trying to get things out of them that they were not capable of doing.”


Joseph has regularly matched up with the opponent’s best wide receiver, and his work earned him a Pro Bowl spot.

Sunday, when the Titans are in their base offense and Nate Washington lines up outside, Joseph will track him. In his first two years in the league after he was the 24th pick out of South Carolina in the 2006 draft, Joseph played on the right. The three years after that he was on the left.

Flipping around hasn’t been a problem and he’s happy to be looked at to slow an opponent’s best guy.

“It was something new that I had to adjust to,” Joseph said. “If that gives us our best chance to win, that’s what I am up for. Covering the top guy, you’ve got to go out each week and try to win your battle. We have a saying here about going out and being 1-0, whether it’s one play at a time or one game at a time. If you’re on the top guy, you’re going to get some balls thrown your way.”

The Colts’ Reggie Wayne, the Raiders’ Darrius Heyward-Bey and the Ravens’ Anquan Boldin had big games against the Texans. (Joseph covered Pierre Garcon in both games against Indianapolis.) But in their past nine games, no receiver has accounted for more than 82 yards against them. That was Carolina’s Steve Smith.

The Texans have played 75 percent man coverage, according to defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. He said his top corner has been a fantastic example for the Texans' stable of young, contributing defensive backs: safeties Glover Quin, who’s been excellent as a starter converted from corner, and Troy Nolan, and corners Jackson, Brice McCain and Sherrick McManis.

“He’s practiced every day,” Vance Joseph said. “That was important for our young secondary to see. Every day he was out there working whether he was sore from the game, sore from previous injuries. He worked every day. Those guys take his lead. Every day was game mode, every ball was contested, every ball they could pick off they picked off.

“So that’s the foundation of what we’ve been here on the back end. Johnathan wants to be the best and he’s worked to be the best every day. That’s been amazing for a veteran player of his caliber to come in and practice every day.”

Houston grabbed Joseph from the Bengals with a five-year, $48.75 million contract with $23.5 guaranteed. The Texans were players for Nnamdi Asomugha, the cornerback who was viewed as a singular prize player in free agency. But Asomugha moved slowly, and the Texans feared winding up without either Asomugha or Joseph. Plus, Joseph’s price meant the team could also add Manning at safety.

They were lauded for the strategy and it panned out perfectly.

Pro Football Focus rates Joseph as just the 10th best cornerback in the league at this point. The website can’t always know coverage assignments, but it says he’s given up three touchdowns, catches against him have averaged 12.3 yards, the passer rating on throws into his coverage is 71.3 and quarterbacks have completed 57.9 percent of balls thrown against him.

Those numbers aren’t worthy of being posted in neon lights. But in the context of the Texans’ defense and the Texans’ season, his play has been excellent.

The team and a lot of NFL people agree with Joseph that, so far, things could not have turned out any better. He’s got four interceptions, 15 passes defensed, a forced fumble and rave reviews.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it’s been a 10,” Joseph said. “It’s been an awesome experience coming in here, being with the guys, adjusting to the different way things are done here. It’s been tremendous all together. There is not one bad thing I can say about the experience that I’ve had.”

Much has been made of the Texans’ play without defensive end Mario Williams and receiver Andre Johnson.

Much is being made about how they’ll fare without Matt Schaub.

Danieal Manning’s kind of been lost among those big names. But the safety was a big part of the improved defense up until he suffered a fractured tibia on Oct. 23 against the Titans in Nashville.

“Surprises?” Gary Kubiak said when the Texans reconvened after their bye Monday. “Yeah, Danieal Manning practiced today with the team. It’s amazing how far this young man has come. If he doesn’t have any setbacks throughout the week, he should have a great opportunity to be available this weekend. So we’ll see how it goes.”

That would be quite a recovery.

The Texans might want to forcibly slow Manning down. The Jaguars have the NFL’s least threatening pass offense, and Troy Nolan’s been a pretty solid substitute.

He could surely play winning football Sunday in Jacksonville, and Manning could return Dec. 4 for a much tougher game against the Atlanta Falcons and Reliant Stadium.

As for Johnson, Kubiak said all systems are go for his return from a hamstring injury he suffered Oct. 2 against the Steelers.

In a best-case scenario, Danieal Manning will be out four weeks following surgery to repair a broken fibula. Odds are, it’s longer than that.

Gary Kubiak said the team would love to be able to wait for Manning, the veteran who was brought on board in the offseason from Chicago to settle a position that had been a big issue.

Troy Nolan (a seventh-round pick in 2009) now takes over at free safety, and depth becomes a serious issue. Dominique Barber is on IR and rookie Shiloh Keo, who just appeared in his first game, lacks speed and experience. He didn't make the cut out of camp.

“We do have a couple other options,” Kubiak told Houston press on Monday. “Torri Williams has the ability to possibly come up [from the practice squad], but right now, we really like what we see from [cornerback] Brandon Harris. He’s a smart player. We think he can go play some safety, so those are the options that we have. We’re going to see how things go this week, watch those guys work and decide where we move from there. Having a guy like Brandon up along with [Sherrick] McManis helps us in special teams too. We’ll see. We’ll see who can handle it the best, but Troy becomes a starter.

“… Harris is a bright player, understands schemes, understands what’s going on and we think [defensive coordinator] Wade Phillips and [defensive backs coach] Vance Joseph think that we can catch him up real quick. We’re going to take a look and give him an opportunity to do that and work with him over the course of this week.”

The Texans traded up to get Harris in the sixth-round, 60th overall.

Nolan was steady after stepping in for Manning in the first half Sunday. But the Texans again lack experience at safety as the other starter, Glover Quin, is in his first season as the spot after converting from cornerback.

Kubiak praised Nolan’s confidence and knack for the ball, qualities that the Texans were lacking last season, which prompted them to sign Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

What they should be thinking in the headquarters of the three AFC South teams who played on Sunday ...

Houston Texans

The rollercoaster has climbed the steep section of track again. There cannot be another free fall coming. Of our eight remaining opponents, three have winning records, and we should be able to hang with Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Cincinnati. The other five teams have a combined 8-23 record. The table is set for us, but we’ve heard it before. People will be high on us again now, and we need not to hear it. Danieal Manning has been very solid for us at safety, and now we’re going to miss him for a long stretch, or maybe the season. Has Troy Nolan developed enough for us to be able to survive that loss? If he’s ready to play at a solid level, we should be in good shape going forward. With Jacksonville and Cleveland coming to town, we can’t let down, but we should be 6-3 in a couple weeks.

Indianapolis Colts

What a disaster. What do we do from here? The Saints are way better than us, but our coaches have to give us a better chance than they did with that plan. Typically a team in our position would still have guys feeling like they need to bust it the rest of the way to enhance their status going forward. But our stars are safe, with reputations that can’t be ruined. And our fringe guys will get tossed aside in large quantity as we revamp after the season. So as we hear about Jim Caldwell’s uncertain future, it’s hard to know what exactly we are sticking together for beyond personal pride. And even personal pride gets worn down during a season like this. Tennessee is going to be looking for a big bounce back after its debacle against Houston. It’s probably not an ideal scenario for us to break through. But at this point what would be such a scenario?

Tennessee Titans

The time for patience is over. Under Mike Munchak, the theme’s been to know what you’re supposed to do and do it. Chris Johnson looked timid and uninterested against the Texans, and I’m sure that’s not in his job description. The interior line is a mess when it comes to run blocking. This is supposed to be a new era of accountability, and the ultimate way to make people accountable is to take away playing time. Whether it’s center Eugene Amano or left guard Leroy Harris, it’s time to pull an offensive lineman and see if things don’t get better with Fernando Velasco starting. And Johnson doesn’t need to sit entirely. How about working him as a third-down back? Against a tougher defense, I’d make that move. But Johnson should be able to get it going against the Colts, who can’t tackle at all. If CJ doesn’t make anything happen early, we need to be ready to turn to Javon Ringer.

The big storyline or two for the AFC South preseason finales, all of which will be played tonight…

Colts at Bengals

It would be silly for Kerry Collins not to start, and Jim Caldwell has said the new quarterback will play “a lot.” They should give him a reasonable amount of time with the starting line and the weapons he needs to sync up with if he’s starting on Sept. 11 in Houston. That would stray from the typical philosophy in the fourth game, but the change of circumstances dictates a change in approach. Unfortunately, Collins won’t have a chance to work with Austin Collie (foot) or Anthony Gonzalez (hamstring).

Titans at Saints

Depth decisions are the big story for Tennessee at this point. It’s a big night for wideouts Lavelle Hawkins and Kevin Curtis, defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, offensive tackles Mike Otto, Troy Kropog and Pat McQuistan, linebackers Rennie Curran and Patrick Bailey and safeties Vincent Fuller, Robert Johnson and Anthony Smith. Jake Locker should see significant time and it would be nice to see him cap the preseason with a performance that shows his growth since the starts of camp.

Rams at Jaguars

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and defensive end Aaron Kampman are both coming back from knee injuries and they will see their first action of the preseason. Odds are we don’t get great reads on either, but it’s a significant thing for them to be involved in a bit of live action. A sack, at any time, by anyone, would really help in dealing with pass rush concerns. David Garrard will only get a series or two. He can do a lot for himself and the team but putting together an effort that helps create confidence.

Texans at Vikings

We’ll see some kids play a lot, a whole game in some instances. Matt Leinart will have a big chance to show why Gary Kubiak is so high on him, and it would be good if he could connect some with newcomer Bryant Johnson. Like the Texans, the Vikings are expected to have a bunch of guys in street clothes. So while I’d like to see guys who’ve shined for Houston in a great preseason -- like Xavier Adibi, Jesse Nading, Troy Nolan -- fare well early in this game, it won't mean much more than them faring well a bit later in previous games.

My plan

From AFC South blog HQ, I expect to watch the first hour of the Colts and the first hour of the Titans and post something on those two games when they are over. The Jaguars and Texans may need to wait until morning depending on how things unfold. Odds are against me seeing all four games start-to-finish by the time I post some thoughts on them. And by "odds are against," I mean it can't happen.

A couple quick thoughts on the Houston Texans 30-7 win against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park Saturday night ...

• The big issue is Arian Foster's left hamstring. He left the game in the first quarter after re-injuring it. The team feels good about its depth with Derrick Ward and Ben Tate, but make no mistake -- a major countdown of Foster’s readiness for the Sept. 11 opener against the Colts is now underway. Ward ran for a score and Tate had a 4.7-yard average including a very nice two-cut run on a draw that showed patience and vision. Jeffrey Martin described the Foster scene here.
• Jacoby Jones had a Matt Schaub pass in the end zone go through his hands early on. Yes, it was on him quickly, had a lot of zip and required him to reach for it. But it’s the sort of catchable pass he misses that drives his critics crazy. It killed a drive that turned into the first of Neil Rackers' three field goals.
• Troy Nolan took an interception off Colin Kaepernick 73 yards for a touchdown after picking Alex Smith, too. Good news for a backup safety at a position where depth is a question. Kaepernick's was a horrible, telegraphed throw. Houston's defense was good against bad signal-callers, who managed to combine for a 7.6 passer rating. [I initially wrote that Dominique Barber had the pick of Smith. I did not see that play for myself, and the official NFL game book credits Barber. Apologies.]
• While Houston played starters into the third quarter, the 49ers went to backups far earlier. That’s nice that the Texans can push them around and build confidence and continuity. I understand Jim Harbaugh is sticking to his plans and not allowing an opponent to dictate what he does. But how does such a scenario benefit the home team?
• Twenty-eight guys earned a mention on the defensive stat sheet. Mario Williams was not one of them.

What wasn’t addressed in the draft and could be a free-agent focus for the Texans:

Free safety: Fifth-rounder Shiloh Keo out of Idaho could be the answer ar strong safety, but we still don’t know about the other spot. Two new cornerbacks, Brandon Harris and Rashad Carmichael, could put the team in position to move Glover Quin over. Troy Nolan remains an option. But I’d still like to see the Texans be bold and shop for a player like San Diego’s Eric Weddle if he comes free.

Receiver: They spent money to retain Kevin Walter last season and counted on Jacoby Jones to show growth. But the one spot on offense where things could get better is opposite Andre Johnson. A dynamic receiver who could draw some attention away from Johnson would be a nice addition. Those kinds of guys will be in short supply, however, when free-agent shopping arrives.

If Peyton Manning dropped back and looked downfield against the secondaries of the Texans or Jaguars right now, he’d find a safety pool that averages 2.25 years of experience and has an average draft spot of No. 205.

Collectively, Troy Nolan and Dominique Barber of Houston and Don Carey and Courtney Greene of Jacksonville have five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 31 career starts.

They are nice guys with some promise, but it’s hard to tab any one of the four as a star in the making.

As Houston and Jacksonville head toward a draft where the safeties are not highly regarded, it screams the question:

How can teams trying to catch Manning’s Colts playing in an increasingly quarterback-driven league be so poorly stocked as such a critical position?

It’s hard to figure.

At least the Jaguars have taken a big swing, missing badly on No. 21 overall pick Reggie Nelson in 2007, a feeble tackler who tended to take terrible angles. He was traded to Cincinnati before the 2010 season. Jacksonville was also the first team to have Bob Sanders in for a visit after he was cut by the Colts in February, but he ultimately lined up to go to San Diego.

Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio talked of his desire to add “that guy,” whether he came in the form of Sanders or not.

The Jaguars’ last homegrown safety of influence before Nelson was Gerald Sensabaugh, a fifth-rounder in 2005 whom the team let walk to Dallas as a free agent after the 2008 season and who’s scheduled to be a free agent again.

The team simply asked too much of young guys last season. Carey moved to safety from corner. He had never made calls before, but he was usually responsible for adjusting one half of the pass defense once it lined up, a tall task in games against the likes of Manning and Matt Schaub.

“Even when you crack down on your film study, when you get to a game it’s still very frustrating because they kind of know what you’re going to do in certain situations,” Carey said. “You try hard to hide your coverages; it’s a real chess match.”

Carey said he can’t worry about who’s brought in, he just needs to work to get better. General manager Gene Smith still sees Carey as an “ascending” player. Del Rio said Carey needs “technique clean-up.”

“Will he ascend to the starter we need him to be?” Del Rio asked. “I don’t know that. I think the jury’s still out.”

For a team that wants to build through the draft, Houston has devoted virtually no resources to the safety position. Of the 76 draft selections the Texans have made since they got off the ground in 2002, they've spent eight on safeties, but only one as high as the fourth round.

They relied on veteran castoffs the past few years but released the ineffective Eugene Wilson and made it known the one-dimensional Bernard Pollard will not be re-signed.

One personnel man told me recently that the state of the positions in the league is average, that this draft is thin at the spot, that the options are better at free than strong and that teams may look more than ever to try to convert corners.

Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com thinks these five corners could wind up being NFL safeties: Aaron Williams of Texas (second round), Marcus Gilchrist of Clemson (third), Jalil Brown of Colorado (third or fourth), Chris Culliver of South Carolina (fourth) and Chris Rucker of Michigan State (fourth or fifth).

Many teams are increasingly blurring the lines between the roles and ideally like to have two players who can both run and cover and step up to play the run.

Teams like the Texans and Jaguars would surely be pleased, however, to have one player with a talent on each end of the safety spectrum who could serve as an upgrade and help reduce the stress on the cornerbacks.

Houston may move Glover Quin to free safety, but then it will be playing its best cornerback out of position.

How much could better play from the safeties help a group of young corners that really struggled in 2010?

“I think it’s significant,” Texans general manager Rick Smith said. “I mean you’re looking at a former safety. So I value the position significantly.”

Both Texans coach Gary Kubiak and the Jaguars’ Smith have said they hope to add a veteran at the position as well as examining the draft options.

“You’d always like to have a veteran at the safety position,” Gene Smith said. “Playing safety is like playing quarterback, and you’d always prefer to have a veteran at quarterback. You don’t always have the luxury of being in that position, but that would be a good area to get a veteran player.”

A guy like San Diego free safety Eric Weddle, who could buy a real secondary ownership stake by signing with Houston or Jacksonville, should be an attractive option if he reaches the market. And he or Indianapolis’ Melvin Bullitt could help one of the incumbent kids or a rookie grow into a role quicker. Signing him could also help weaken the division’s top team.

Their values, when free agency arrives, should be high no matter who’s been drafted.

Even if the Colts re-sign Bullitt, they probably will be looking for safety depth. And while Tennessee maintains faith in free safety Michael Griffin, it should be looking for a player to challenge slipping veteran Chris Hope.

That’s just four teams in need of six players at the position in a draft where ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay thinks Rahim Moore of UCLA may be the only guy in the draft capable of stepping in as an opening-day NFL starter.

“He’s a really good player, great angles, ball skills,” McShay said. “The thing that keeps him from being elite is he’s not fluid in man-to-man coverage. But he has good range and is very instinctive.

“After that there is a big drop-off. Jaiquawn Garrett from Temple is a good player, but not elite. Ahmad Black from Florida is a great athlete, quick, and hits hard for a small guy, but he’s really small. DeAndre McDaniel from Clemson is so overrated.”

Those are hardly two paragraphs that will get Texans and Jaguars fans excited.

They may have an entirely different effect on Manning and the quarterbacks slated to throw against those teams if and when we get kickoffs this fall.

Good defensive backs should have short memories. Typically that cliched line is applied play-to-play or game-to-game. In the case of the Houston Texans, season-to-season would be good, too.

Houston had the worst pass defense in the NFL in 2010, yielding 267.5 yards a game. The Texans gave up single-game passing totals of 419, 403, 329, 305 and 301 yards.

Their plan to rely on young cornerbacks Kareem Jackson, Glover Quin and Brice McCain backfired.

“They are terrible,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said of Houston’s defensive backs. Veteran safeties Eugene Wilson and Bernard Pollard could both be replaced.

“In fact, they are right there with division-mate Jacksonville as the worst secondary in all of football. The Texans' safeties -- who are terrible in coverage -- deserve a lot of blame, as does a pass-rush that could use upgrading," Williamson said.

"But I blame the secondary much more than the pass-rush. As for the cornerbacks, it is way too early to write off Jackson. I did like him coming out of Alabama and he has to get better in Year 2. But wow, he was pretty terrible as a rookie.

“I would classify Brice McCain and Troy Nolan as ‘just a couple of guys’ and they need to be down-the-line contributors. Glover Quin is the best of the group right now, but in the end, I like him as a No. 3 corner with Jackson as one starter [possibly] and someone to be determined as the opposite starter. As for adding a veteran [Champ Bailey?], I am all for it. Not only does this secondary need veteran leadership, but so does the entire football team.”

Surely the Texans will be players in free agency -- if and when there is free agency. If they add a superstar corner like Nnamdi Asomugha or Bailey, shift each corner the Texans already have down a peg, find better safeties and get a better pass rush out of the 3-4 being installed by new coordinator Wade Phillips, things could be a lot better.

But Vance Joseph, who after five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers replaces David Gibbs as Texans secondary coach, can’t depend on that big addition. He’s got to focus on who he has right now.

Joseph has met and talked with his young guys about having clean slates and about how they can develop.

As is the nature of football in February, Joseph is relatively upbeat.

“I’m aware of what they did last year, I’ve watched the film and I’ll tell you, it’s not as bad as everyone thinks,” he said. “You’ve got to play better. And until those guys go out there and play better, that’s going to stick to them. We’ve got to do a good job of protecting those young corners.

“Obviously getting some pass rush helps, having some scheme things tweaked where they won’t be on their own a lot helps. But you regain confidence by playing well. So until they play better, that won’t be the case.”

When a new position coach joins a team to help fix a problem area, I want to know what he sees early on that he believes can be changed. Joseph said he often saw guys in position who couldn’t make the play.

Joseph said while secondary guys always need to be wary of getting beat for a big play over the top, fear of that can really cost a defense.

Expect the 2011 Texans to be closer to pass catchers on shorter stuff.

“That’s the part I’ve got to get right, finishing and making plays and giving them tools to make and finish plays,” Joseph said. “…On early downs, it’s back-pedaling, staying square and challenging routes. In the NFL, [receivers] are going to catch balls, but you want to make them bang-bang plays. When they catch the ball, I want them tackled.

“That’s something we can help them with, playing more square from the line of scrimmage and not bailing as much. When you’re bailing, you’re conceding most routes. You say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to get beat deep but I’m going to give you a 20-yard comeback.’ We’re going to play square and we’re going to challenge routes.”

While Joseph hopes his group will be able to play a wide variety of coverages, he also believes it’s important that in times of crisis they can fall back on something standard.

Last season, the defensive backs rarely seemed to have that reset mode. Going forward, Joseph’s hope is they always can return to something they know they are good at that can help them get through a tough day with a good result.

Phillips’ new defensive system won’t affect the secondary like it will the defensive line and linebackers. But there will be benefits out of a more unpredictable front for defensive backs.

“The beauty, I think, of playing defensive back in the 34 is the disguise mechanisms,” Joseph said. “You’re going to start in a basic two-shell, then move into your coverages. When you’re a 4-3 team, they know the four rushers, they’re down with their hands on the ground.

“Now, we can hold our coverage and the offense doesn’t know where that fourth rusher is coming from …. It kind of helps protect corners. Until a ball is snapped, that quarterback won’t know what we are in.”

Young guys, in disguise, able to fall back on something they know they are good at, eager to prove they are better than 32nd in the league. It’s like a lot of offseason recipes, filled with hope and promise.

Shooting for the stars is fine, but the Texans' secondary doesn’t have to be filled with stars to alter its reputation and play winning football.

“We don’t need guys who are going to Hawaii every year,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to stress here that we just need guys who fit what we do and are capable of doing the job within the system.”

Reading the coverage ...

The Colts will be big in the 2011 season, and Jeff Fisher will be coach of the year, says Andrew Perloff.

Houston Texans

Amid end-of-season gloom, the Texans got a win and a rushing title for Arian Foster, says John McClain.

Bob McNair and Gary Kubiak have a lot to talk about today, says Richard Justice.

Foster capped his breakout season with a big day, says Jeffrey Martin.

With Frank Bush likely out, players take the blame says Dale Robertson.

Troy Nolan got a start at safety and put up big numbers, says Sam Khan.

Fans want change, says David Barron.

McClain’s report card.

Some notable quotes, including big support for McNair from Matt Schaub, courtesy of Justice.

How would the current Texans fit in a Wade Phillips 3-4? From Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts won the division and secured the No. 3 seed, says Phil Richards.

For the ninth time in a row, the Colts are in the playoffs, says Bob Kravitz.

No one doubted Adam Vinatieri’s game-winner was going to be good, says Mike Chappell.

Indianapolis took advantage of a big Titans mistake, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Next up: the Jets.

This was no ordinary title, says John Oehser.

The Colts remain dangerous thanks to Peyton Manning and Vinatieri, says Gregg Doyel.

Jason Cole wonders if Manning is completely out of his midseason funk.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Backups briefly kept the Jaguars in the running, says Vito Stellino.

Once again, Team Tease had nothing left at the finish line, says Gene Frenette.

It was another humiliating finish, says Tania Ganguli.

Stellino tracks the AFC South’s decisive games simultaneously.

Maurice Jones-Drew will have his knee scoped this week, says Tania Ganguli.

Foster ran over the Jaguars, says Stellino.

The defense lost its edge, says Vic Ketchman.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans fumbled away a chance to win their finale, says Jim Wyatt.

Tennessee staggers into the offseason loaded with question marks, says David Climer.

The defense held up well, says Climer.

Kenny Britt’s big game was halted by a groin injury, says John Glennon.

Chris Johnson didn’t have the game or the season he was hoping for, says Glennon.

Wyatt’s report card.

Craig Stevens showed good speed and made a crucial tackle, says The Tennessean.

Thoughts on the Texans’ loss to the Broncos in Denver.

What it means: The Texans are 5-10 and have lost eight of their past nine games.

Hard to believe, but true: The Texans, a team known for making big comebacks only to lose, jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead only to allow the Broncos to mount the comeback. Matt Schaub threw for 310 yards with a TD and a pick on a tipped ball, but Houston’s defense allowed rookie Tim Tebow to match him. Tebow threw for 308 yards with a TD and a pick, and he ran for the game-winning score.

What I liked: Filling in for Andre Johnson, out with his ankle injury, Jacoby Jones caught five passes for 115 yards. Eugene Wilson was listed in the official game book as not having played despite being in uniform. Troy Nolan probably isn’t the answer at free safety, but neither is Wilson.

What I didn’t like: The Broncos fumbled four times, but the Texans didn’t manage to take one away. Houston’s offense, the unit that needs to carry this team, converted only one of eight third downs. The chance at a late score to win it disappeared when Brian Dawkins tipped Schuab’s pass and SyQuan Thompson gathered it up.

What’s next: The Texans conclude their season by hosting Jacksonville. The Jaguars still have a shot at the AFC South crown, if they beat the Texans while the Titans win at Indianapolis.

Observations from the Texans' 34-24 loss to the Eagles on Thursday:

What it means: The Texans fell to 5-7 and sit alone in last place in the AFC South, awaiting the results of Sunday’s Jaguars-Titans game. The seven losses assure they cannot top last season’s 9-7 record.

The Vick factor: The Texans got quality pressure on Michael Vick at times, delivering some shots in the first half that served to slow him. But ultimately he was more than capable of making the plays the Eagles needed to win, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns and running for another score.

Crucial spot: Tight end Brent Celek was able to spin and stretch for the first-down marker to convert a third-and-19 on the touchdown drive that put the Eagles up by the final 10-point margin. He was initially marked short, but a replay challenge by Eagles coach Andy Reid was upheld. Celek landed on top of Kevin Bentley as he made the lunge, and safety Troy Nolan, the second player with a chance to stop him short, flew past the play as he tried for a hard shot rather than worrying about Celek’s location.

What I liked: The Texans’ ability to come back -- down 17-3 early, they were ahead 24-20 in the third quarter… Some good life out of Amobi Okoye (for the second week in a row) and Antonio Smith up front… Big third-and-long conversion catches by Joel Dreessen, David Anderson and Andre Johnson.

What I didn’t like: There were a lot of failures beyond Matt Schaub for the Texans, but he had at three especially bad moments. First was a brutal interception late in the first half on a short throw intended for Arian Foster. Then there was the bounce pass toward Kevin Walter on a third-and-7 when Schaub had room to run for a conversion (on the possession after Philadelphia retook the lead). And what about the play-call and/or Schaub decision on fourth-and-5 on Houston’s last best chance, a back shoulder throw intended for Walter up the right sideline?

What I couldn’t tell: If Schaub actually got hit in the helmet by Joselio Hanson on that fourth-down play, which would have warranted a flag and produced a first down. Schaub and Gary Kubiak certainly thought there was a missed call.

What’s next: The Texans host Baltimore on "Monday Night Football" on Dec. 13.

Jim Caldwell’s issue may be “solved” by another injury. Gary Kubiak will probably try to use one too.

Two AFC South coaches face semi-sticky situations with starters returning to health while their subs have been upgrades.

For Indianapolis, Austin Collie’s expanded role with Pierre Garcon out has made for great production. If both players were available, I’d say Collie needs to stay on the field as the second starter, moving inside when Garcon comes on in three-wide. But while Garcon looks like he will be back, Collie could be out. He didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday with a foot injury. If he doesn’t play, Caldwell doesn’t have to decide. Garcon would start with Reggie Wayne, with Blair White the third receiver.

For Houston, it was a blessing that Eugene Wilson’s hamstring kept him out last week. Dominique Barber and Troy Nolan filled in, Nolan pulled in two opportunistic interceptions and Kubiak said he’s earned more time. But Wilson’s practicing this week and the Texans aren’t revealing their plans. Kubiak would be wise to start Nolan, even if it means stretching it and saying Wilson isn’t quite ready to return.

I know most coaches abide by the starters-can’t-lose-their-jobs-to-injury bromide. But Collie’s been better as a starter than Garcon was. And Nolan is an upgrade over Wilson right now.

Getting the better guy on the field more increases the chances to win, thus trumping anything else.

Through four games, let’s check in with our four teams on the health front. We’ll go in order from the team in best shape to the team in worst shape …

1) Houston Texans

Rookie running back Ben Tate was lost for the year in the preseason. Andre Johnson’s dealt with an ankle sprain that’s meant he missed a game, and Owen Daniels doesn’t seem to be back to himself after ACL surgery. He had a hamstring injury on top of that. Jacoby Jones now has a calf issue. Eugene Wilson’s hamstring injury opened the door for Troy Nolan, who shined in Oakland. Overall, health hasn’t been a huge issue for the division-leaders.

2) Tennessee Titans

The Titans have the depth to handle missed games by ends William Hayes and Jacob Ford, but a season-ending ACL injury for Derrick Morgan means they are down to four-deep at the spot. Cornerback Alterraun Verner will get at least a few more starts with Jason McCourty (arm) out. Receiver Justin Gage (hamstring) could be out a bit going forward, which could open a door for Damian Williams or Lavelle Hawkins. They can’t complain at this point.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars

Second-round defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith was lost for the year in the preseason with an Achilles injury, and backup quarterback Luke McCown is out for the year after tearing an ACL in relief work. Receiver Jarret Dillard and kick returner Scotty McGee are also out for the year, while punt returner Deji Karim (thumb) has yet to play. Linebacker Justin Durant’s been out of action the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Not ideal, but nothing killer.

4) Indianapolis Colts

Bob Sanders (biceps) is out until at least November and Melvin Bullitt will soon have season-ending shoulder surgery. That puts a huge strain on the team at strong safety. Anthony Gonzalez hurt an ankle in Week 1 and hasn’t been back, and Pierrre Garcon’s got a hamstring injury that’s cost him games. The Colts have been thinned out at receiver. Clint Session missed a couple games with a hamstring, and one backup, Ramon Humber, is done for the year, as is return man Devin Moore (brachial injury). Charlie Johnson’s played with a bad foot and missed one game. Depth is being tested in a big way, again.