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It’ll be a surprise if the Titans make a big offensive line move any time soon, though I think they should consider one. They had four guards in for a look today, but regular Tuesday workouts rarely turn into transactions in Tennessee.

Stanley Daniels, Leonard Davis, Vince Manuwai and Duke Robinson were at team headquarters. The team usually rotates though positions to stay updated on available players. It seems likely to be more than a coincidence they looked at guards considering it's been a weak spot recently.

As recently as last year, Manuwai was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top run-blocking, best tone-setting offensive linemen.

I talked to him before he left Nashville to head for Oregon State, where he’s been working out under the watch of his offensive line coach from Hawaii.

“It went pretty good,” he said. “I didn’t know what to look for. It was a little tense, I was a little more nervous. It was a little different, rapid fire. They didn’t really say anything too much.”

A lingering ankle injury, his weight and his price -- a $500,000 roster bonus and $3 million salary -- were issues when the Jaguars released him after the lockout. He said the ankle flare up has settled down and allowed him to get down to 328 pounds from 344. Tired from the full workout, he said he benched 315 pounds 11 times afterward.

If he’s healthy and if he’s trimmed down and the Titans are willing to concede they need outside help, he’s a guy who could come in as an outsider and have a chance to help create space for Chris Johnson. Maurice Jones-Drew’s best work last season came when Manuwai was in the lineup. In nine games when both started, Jones-Drew carried 194 times for 918 yards, good for a 4.7-yard average.

Would the Titans be sacrificing something in pass protection if they made a move that ultimately got Manuwai in the lineup? Perhaps.

Coach Mike Munchak said Monday one reason the team is hesitant to pull left guard Leroy Harris or center Eugene Amano and insert Fernando Velasco off the bench is because they aren’t certain what they might gain in rushing yardage would be worth what they’d add in terms of hits on quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

That’s an important consideration for sure. But a healthy and fit Manuwai is much more of a proven commodity than Velasco.

If Manuwai looked good, he’s a guy they should ponder adding to the bench to get acclimated and have ready if they decide a change needs to be made.

When Jacksonville cut him just before the season, the widespread presumption was that David Garrard would be quickly scooped up. But the former Jaguars quarterback remains out of work, reportedly unsatisfied with a scenario Miami recently presented.

Jacob Ford was a pretty effective situational pass-rusher for the Titans, but didn’t rate as a fit for them as they changed their defense and went with bigger ends. When healthy, former Jaguar Vince Manuwai can be a top-flight run blocking guard. Like Garrard, they seemed like players who would land another job in relative short order.

But more than a month into the season, they and many others who may still be NFL-caliber players are floating around, jobless.

Why?

My theory is that when Team X spends a draft pick, money, time and resources to develop a player and ultimately decides he can no longer help, the rest of the league tends to think, “We’d rather develop our guy than take a chance on theirs, considering they’ve given up on him.”

“There are a lot of good players out there,” Titans defensive end Dave Ball said. “Look at guys coming through for workouts [and] not getting picked up. [Safety] Chris Horton came through here and worked out. He was playing a big role for the Redskins, a big role, a couple years ago.

“It’s tough. When you get cut, it can take a while. I got cut and it took me a year-plus to get back with somebody. I think it’s a big confidence-shaker for teams looking to pick people up.”

Teams typically have realistic views of their own players, at least in time. Fans can tend to overvalue their own.

Ball said Ford is a good pass-rusher who should definitely be on a team, and that it’s scary to look at the landscape of a league where there is not a spot for him.

As more and more teams devote themselves to building through the draft, they seem to be less interested in pulling in an outsider during the season if they don’t have a hole created by injury.

Surely former Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu expected to be working again by now.

For a lot of No. 1 picks, it’s different. Aaron Maybin, a defensive end drafted in the first round by Buffalo in 2009 but cut after two seasons, was of interest to more than one team and got signed by the Jets. The Colts scooped up former Atlanta No. 1 pick Jamaal Anderson and are getting good run-down work from him. Linebacker Ernie Sims was a similar acquisition, but he’s been hurt.

“There are a lot of people who will take that first-rounder, anticipating that they may not be able to get a full 60 minutes out of him, but maybe they can get two quarters of No. 1-draft pick play out of him, kind of using him in a role,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. “There are some teams that do a great job of that, take guys who have been No. 1s, plug them in and say, 'All I need is a quarter or two quarters' or 'All I need is third down from this guy' and try to utilize him that way.”

As for lesser picks who are still floating out there, Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said he thinks it’s still early and a lot of those guys will wind up playing.

The lockout also contributed to less opportunity. Reinfeldt said the draft pick a team might have given up on after spending the spring and summer with him got the benefit of the doubt as teams needed more time to evaluate.

“It was all so quick,” Reinfeldt said. “You didn’t get the opportunity to evaluate them the way you did in the past, so some made it because of who they were. This year was so compressed, I think some rookies made it just because the period of inspection and scrutiny wasn’t what it usually was. And that came at the expense of those other guys.”

Draft picks are such a premium commodity. Teams love to gather them, hate to part with them, and believe their scouting system can find them quality with each one.

Linebacker Barrett Ruud moved from the Buccaneers to the Titans as a free agent this season. He sees building your own guys as the central theme when it comes to opportunity these days.

“Teams want to develop the guy they brought up,” Ruud said. “Sometimes you’ve got a young guy and maybe it’s his first chance to start a game. You bring in someone to start in front of him and his confidence is shattered.

“I don’t think it’s a reflection so much of how somebody got cut. I think it’s more a reflection of a team wanting to develop a guy they brought in.”

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning are ready to fill holes in the Texans' porous defense, says Jeffrey Martin.

Rick Smith’s done good work so far. Now Jerome Solomon wonders if Ty Warren could be the next addition.

Baltimore and Denver are interested in Vonta Leach, who wants to be the league’s highest-paid fullback, says John McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are losing in free agency, like they always do. And they’ll win when the games count, like they always do. Hard to argue with Bob Kravitz here.

The Colts have a healthy roster heading into camp, says Mike Chappell.

Late on this: "If I could have one quarterback in history to get me through a contemporary season or series of seasons, I would select Peyton Manning," says Mike Tanier.

Expensive good players don’t kill teams. Expensive bad ones do, says Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have made instant improvements on defense with their four free-agent additions, writes Tania Ganguli.

The front office is being aggressive, says Gene Frenette.

It's fitting for the Jaguars to have a heartfelt goodbye to Vince Manuwai, and more like good riddance to Derrick Harvey, says Frenette.

Punter Matt Turk got one year for nearly $2 million, with $600,000 guaranteed, says Ganguli. Note the “observation deck” on the left side of this page.

Blaine Gabbert looked good Friday, says Alfie Crow. One whole day was enough for Frenette to begin to change his stance on David Garrard.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson needs to show up in order to get contract talks started, writes Jim Wyatt.

Matt Hasselbeck expects to win with the Titans, says Wyatt. Don’t miss the story in here about his airport code name.

Kenny Britt is off the hook for team discipline unless he has a misstep going forward, says John Glennon.

Vince Young is paying tribute to Steve McNair in Philadelphia, says Wyatt. A nice gesture.

For all the hope that conditioning wouldn’t be an issue for teams and that guys would be able to take care of themselves during the lockout …

The Jaguars two biggest concerns reported back to the team unready to practice.

Guard Vince Manuwai and defensive tackle Terrance Knighton are both overweight. Manuwai is also hurt and was placed on the team’s non-football injury list.

The Jaguars played their best when Manuwai was healthy and fit and making holes for Maurice Jones-Drew and before Knighton wore down and slowed down last season.

We can’t read tone in print. But check out these Jack Del Rio quotes from the team’s transcript.

On Manuwai, who’s got an injured foot and ankle: “He’s just in no position to be competing on the football field. He hasn’t passed the physical and he’s in poor condition. I know he’s been dealing with some personal issues but for us we can’t, the doctors couldn’t, the coaches wouldn’t. He’s just not ready to be on the field and so we’ll see how that goes.”

On Knighton: “Terrance Knighton will condition on the side until we feel he’s ready to participate; he’s not ready right now. For his sake, for his safety and for other players we just feel like have to hold him out right now, so he will not participate until he gets himself in a place where we feel that’s acceptable to come on the field.

Knighton told reporters he needs to drop eight to 12 pounds, to which Del Rio said: “It’s like the deck chair being thrown off the Titanic. He’s got a little work to do.”

Is Del Rio annoyed that Knighton is overweight at the start of camp for the second season in a row?

“It doesn’t always go the way you’d like it go,” he said. “I’m just going to make real certain that everybody here understands what I’m looking for, and I think he’s real clear on what I’m looking for, and now it’s up to him to get rolling.”

Two immediate beneficiaries: Rookie guard Will Rackley and second-year defensive tackle D'Anthony Smith, who shredded an Achilles at the start of last summer's camp.

Nate Davis wisely hits it in his premise: it’s harder to find underappreciated players in the NFL when invitations to the Pro Bowl are passed out like advertising fliers on a Times Square street corner.

Nevertheless, USA Today’s published its annual All-Joe team, a squad of players who don’t quite get the sort of recognition they might deserve.

The AFC South’s presence comes primarily in the middle of the offensive line.

Here’s the entry on the guards:

Ryan Lilja, Chiefs -- Plucked off Colts' scrap heap, he was a linchpin in K.C.'s top-ranked rushing attack despite battling thumb and foot injuries. Wade Smith, Texans -- Journeyman joined team, joined lineup for 16 starts and helped RB Arian Foster join all-pro ranks as league's rushing king. Vince Manuwai, Jaguars -- Fully recovered from a devastating 2008 knee injury, he was a major reason Maurice Jones-Drew hit his stride in the second half.

I thought Smith was solid and represents the sort of addition the Texans need more of. Manuwai was very good at his peak, but was a late entry into the starting lineup after losing out in a position battle in camp.

Also mentioned: Colts tight end Jacob Tamme.

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

Seriously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fan voting counts for one-third of the Pro Bowl results, which is unfortunate because fans treat it like a popularity contest and botch their part.

I just went and filled out my ballot here. If you’re a reader of the blog network, I rate you as smarter than the average fan and urge you to go vote to offset some people who don’t pay us regular visits.

My endorsements don’t mean a lot. But here’s who got my votes from the AFC South:

Running backs: Arian Foster, Maurice Jones-Drew

Receivers: Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne

Fullback: Vonta Leach

Tight end: Marcedes Lewis

Defensive ends: Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Jason Babin

Defensive tackle: Terrance Knighton

Return man: Marc Mariani

An explanation on a few close calls:

• I initially had Greg Jones over Leach before talking to two people I respect who gave their nod to the “Leach to the Beach” campaign. Jones is playing great right now, but Leach may be having a better total season.
• I like what Vince Manuwai's done at left guard for the Jaguars and he may be my favorite/the best offensive lineman in the division right now, but he wasn’t a starter for the first five games.
• Josh Scobee's been great. But look at Billy Cundiff. He’s right there with Scobee on makes -- minus a 59-yard game-winner -- and he’s on a record pace for touchbacks.

I'm sure you'll find oversights and I look forward to the conversation this sparks.

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

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.

» NFC High Energy: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at a player who gave his team a significant boost in Week 13.

Coming out of training camp, Vince Manuwai’s stock was way down. He was a backup, with Justin Smiley starting at left guard for Jacksonville.

But Manuwai returned to the lineup Oct. 18 and has been a key element in the return to prominence of Jacksonville’s running attack. The Jaguars pride themselves on being physical, and when they are the more physical team, they are often the better team.

On Sunday in Nashville, Manuwai helped spearhead a 53-carry, 258-yard rushing game in a 17-6 win over the Titans that got the Jaguars to 7-5 and into first place in the AFC South.

Maurice Jones-Drew, who ran for 186 of those yards, was quick to share the acclaim with his line, tight ends and fullback.

“Without Vinny in the lineup, some of the stuff we are doing now wouldn’t be possible,” Jones-Drew said. “He doesn’t just move a guy 1 or 2 yards off the line. He moves him 4 or 5 yards, which makes it easier for me as a running back. You know you can get 4 or 5 yards when you are going to his side. He’s very physical and he always says, ‘Some people like to do other things, I like to block.’ Glad to have him on my side.”

Any lineman in the league would take satisfaction in hearing his running back talk about him like that.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans tried a bit to decorate it, but it’s hard to paint the Jaguars’ 17-6 win at LP Field as anything but a thrashing in which the visitors simply imposed their will.

It’s a risk calling anything in the NFL circa 2010 a transformational win -- the next week can too easily undo things -- but this had a lot of good ingredients for the Jaguars.

This is a team that hasn’t traveled well in the cold after Thanksgiving and that was 7-5 a year ago before a four-game losing streak ended its season short of .500.

Even so, this win on the road in the cold after Thanksgiving felt distinctly different. The Jaguars ran the ball 53 times for 258 yards while controlling the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

“They came to our place on a Monday night and handed it to us,” cornerback Rashean Mathis said, remembering the Titans’ 30-3 Oct. 18 win. “This was payback. We knew we needed to get this game, to dominate this game. It felt good to come in and control the game the way we controlled it on both sides of the ball.

“We’re in first place now. To get a win like this after the Thanksgiving holiday in the cold weather with it snowing a little bit, it feels great. It’s good to break the mold, especially with a division opponent. It just shows the growth of this team. We’re getting better, still. And there aren’t too many teams in the league that are doing that at this point. It shows progress. It can be slow, but it’s good when it gets here.”

Also helpful: The Colts' 38-35 overtime home loss to Dallas that dropped Indianapolis to 6-6. The Colts are a game off the pace of Jacksonville, which won the first head-to-head game. The Jags visit the Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium in two weeks.

The Titans now own a 5-7 record and a five-game losing streak. While the Jags can point to slow progress, some Titans fans would have to be pleased at this point if their team simply faded less slowly.

Besides win-loss records and mindset, here’s a look at the Jaguars and Titans in a few other categories.

Run defense: Jacksonville’s young tackles Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu are becoming a force that simply won’t allow interior runs. The Titans want to be a run-stuffing defense too, but Maurice Jones-Drew regularly found space anywhere on the field he aimed on 31 runs that averaged 6 yards.

“We’re starting to jell, we have the same guys in there, we’re starting to develop a rotation and that’s the message that we’re starting to send to teams: ‘Running the ball is not going to work,’ ” Knighton said.

The same Titans who held Jacksonville to 76 rushing yards in the first game, meanwhile, have now given up consecutive rushing totals of 156, 88, 107, 188 and 258.

“They really didn’t do so much,” said Titans defensive tackle Jovan Haye. “The game plan was real simple. They just beat us with a simple game plan. It’s not like they came in here doing crazy plays. They just lined up and did what they wanted to do.”

Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson: They both hit the 1,000-yard mark during the game. But Jones-Drew found giant holes, broke tackles and ran over defenders, embarrassing Michael Griffin with a stiff arm late in the fourth quarter.

Johnson went a half with 9 yards before finding some footing with his team behind 17-0 and finishing with 53 yards.

“The O-line tight ends and fullback did a great job making those kinds of holes for Maurice to run though,” left guard Vince Manuwai said. “We know they’re banged up. That doesn’t change the mind frame of running the ball. Healthy or not your whole objective is just to run the ball.”

The Titans missed way too many tackles, which safety Chris Hope said he believed often resulted from aggression.

“Sometimes being too aggressive causes you to miss tackles and I think that was one of the biggest problems,” he said. “… I feel like we played a part in a lot of the chains moving being that you’re trying to make a powering tackle instead of a safe, secure tackle. Sometimes you knock yourself off of a guy, sometimes your teammates knock you off of a guy. Then Jones-Drew is a hard tackle by himself anyway.”

Fourth down: Jags coach Jack Del Rio is a fourth-down riverboat gambler on some fourth downs. He can be a little reckless about going for it.

Against the Titans, his offense converted two of three chances: Running back Rashad Jennings took a fourth-and-1 for that 11-yard TD run up the middle and David Garrard snuck to convert a fourth-and-1 early in the third quarter.

“I would go for it too [on fourth-and-short],” Haye said. “We didn’t do a good job on first and second down keeping them behind the chains.”

Jeff Fisher also went for it three times, with the lone conversion coming on a Kerry Collins-to-Jared Cook connection.

I’m all for going for it on fourth down so long as a team makes it. The Jaguars were aggressive when they needed 1, 1, and 2 yards. The Titans were desperate when they needed 7, 6 and 3.

Freshness: From the start, the Jaguars seemed to have hop and the Titans seemed tired. Over the course of the game, the way the Jaguars played fed both sides of that.

Jones-Drew is peaking at the right time, but it wasn’t just him. No 2. running back Jennings did some good work, taking 10 carries 44 yards and scoring an 11-yard touchdown on a fourth down. Greg Jones took a short pass and ran physically for 11 yards up the sideline.

The Titans came into the game way more banged up and it showed, I thought.

Houston Texans

The Texans are thinking upset in Philadelphia, says John McClain.

McClain and N.D. Kalu see an Eagles’ win.

Brian Cushing gives the Texans their pulse, says Richard Justice.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts’ offense seeks consistency, says Mike Chappell.

Jacob Tamme has filled in well, says Chappell.

By his lofty standards, Peyton Manning is in a major slump, says Jason Cole.

The return of skill players will help the offensive line, says John Oehser.

Running more won't help the Colts win any more game. Winning more games will help the Colts run more, says Nate Dunlevy.

The Colts future is not in doubt, says Brett Mock.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Eugene Monroe is all clear, says Vito Stellino.

Is Vince Manuwai the reason for the Jaguars’ run-game success? Tania Ganguli discusses it.

The Jaguars are expecting to see Kerry Collins, says Ganguli.

The Jaguars have to control Chris Johnson again, says Alfie Crow.

Vic Ketchman doesn’t like quirky stuff and doesn’t need everything to be right and just.

Tennessee Titans

Cortland Finnegan says he’s miscast as a villian, writes Jim Wyatt.

Collins expects to be ready, says John Glennon and Wyatt.

Johnson and Randy Moss are becoming fast friends, says Terry McCormick.

Dave Ball says league discipline on the Finnegan-Andre Johnson fight sets bad precedent, says McCormick.

The Jaguars were down 4 points and had the ball at their own 27-yard line with all three of their timeouts Sunday at New Meadowlands Stadium against the Giants. They moved to the Giants’ 29-yard line before things fell apart.

“The end of the game we’re sitting there first and ten on their 29-yard line, all three time outs, just under two minutes and in perfect position to take that game back, really take it back, and just didn’t get it done,” Jack Del Rio told Jacksonville media Monday. “We certainly had many opportunities. There wasn’t any one play or one person that was the difference. I think it was simply a matter of not executing and taking advantage of some of those opportunities we had.”

Here is a closer look at back-to-back-to-back sacks of David Garrard that ended any chance for the Jaguars:

• First-and-10 NYG 29 -- Left guard Vince Manuwai gets a good block on Chris Canty. Left tackle Guy Whimper goes left to get Osi Umenyiora and tight end Zach Miller stays outside, whiffing on a chip. Safety Antrel Rolle cuts inside the space between Whimper and Manuwai, chasing Garrard to his right where Justin Tuck sheds Jordan Black and gets in on half the sack. Result: Loss of 11 yards and a Jacksonville timeout.
• Second-and-21 NYG 40 -- Garrard takes a deep drop and as the pocket starts to close he steps up. Whimper steers Jason Pierre-Paul past him, but Pierre-Paul managed to slap at Garrard’s left elbow, prompting a fumble. Garrard recovers. Result: A 4-yard sack for Dave Tollefson and a Jacksonville timeout.
• Third-and-25 NYG 44 – Black turns his head to the left at the snap and doesn’t recover, whiffing on two blitzing defensive backs. Rolle goes outside him and is picked up by Maurice Jones-Drew, but Terrell Thomas goes inside Black and gathers some speed as he decks the quarterback from his right, forcing a fumble Rolle recovers. Result: A 12-yard sack, a lost fumble and, effectively, the end of the game. An injured left wrist for Garrard.

Said Garrard: “I just think we felt like we were going to be able to do fine with the pass game. We felt like they were playing a lot of single-high and they were bringing some blitzes. They brought a couple of blitzes that we hadn’t seen before. Really it was just up to us executing and picking our guys out, me getting the ball out of my hands. We didn’t do that and it showed.”

Reading the coverage …

Arian Foster, Wade Smith and Jason Babin are on Jason Cole’s midseason All-Unlikely Team.

Houston Texans

John McClain thinks Brian Cushing back to the strong side is the right move.

Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels missed practice, says John McClain.

More on the injuries from Nick Scurfield.

Pete Prisco and Clark Judge debate Gary Kubiak’s future.

What’s “wrong” with Matt Schaub, asks Battle Red Blog.

Thoughts on Cushing and the secondary issues, from Houston Diehards.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts front office has to keep digging up suitable replacements, says Mike Chappell.

Jerraud Powers says he’s ready, writes Phil Richards.

Breaking down Bengals-Colts with Phillip B. Wilson.

The Colts added Joique Bell, says Wilson.

Brandon James is back, says Wilson.

Clint Session said his injury came with major pain, says Wilson.

Peyton Manning is the glue holding things together, says Michael Marot.

Gary Brackett is dealing with turf toe again, says John Oehser.

Shutdown Corner says Pat Angerer is a Top 10 NFL name.

Joseph Addai talked to 18to88.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Rashean Mathis hopes to line up against Johnson, says Vito Stellino.

The division race is tough and tight, says Tania Ganguli.

Vince Manuwai has overtaken Justin Smiley at left guard, says Ganguli.

Eben Britton’s shoulder surgery was the “Drew Brees special,” says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

Randy Moss wants wins, not trouble, says Jim Wyatt.

Joe Biddle assesses the media crush for Moss. (I was not left speechless, for the record.)

The defense knows what Moss can bring, says John Glennon.

A transcript of Moss’ news conference.

Vince Young sat Wednesday out, say Wyatt and Glennon.

A slide show of Moss at practice from George Walker.

Moss was gruff but compliant, says William Rhoden.

The Titans think any Moss distractions will be worth it, says Chris Harry.

Moss intends to be all business, says David Boclair.

Young Titans admit to being star struck by Moss, says Terry McCormick.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

The Chargers potent passing possibilities could be trouble for the Texans, says Jeffrey Martin.

Kris Brown is not nostalgic about playing against his old team, says John McClain.

Kevin Walter has slowed down after a hot start, says McClain.

Richard Justice intends to support Gary Kubiak.

Statistics don’t’ tell the full story on Walter, says Anna-Megan Raley.

A look at the defensive problems with Pro Football Focus, from Stephanie Stradley.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning was No. 8 on the NFL Network’s list of all-time players. (Video.)

John Clayton told JMV he thinks Anthony Gonzalez is out for a significant period of time, writes Stampede Blue. Anthony Calhoun reports the same.

Make a big mistake and coaches and management usually do their best to help you out, writes Phillip Wilson.

Jim Caldwell is navigating all the distractions, says Bob Kravitz.

Clint Session’s availability is in doubt, says Mike Chappell.

Session is not going on IR at this point, says Aaron Wilson.

The defensive challenge is to slow Michael Vick, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Looking at specifics of injuries like Session’s, with Laura Calaway.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Terrance Knighton is heeding the advice of his grandmother, says Tania Ganguli.

Courtney Greene and Don Carey were both fined for hits against the Cowboys, says Vito Stellino.

The Jags are becoming a good story, says Vic Ketchman of jaguars.com.

Vince Manuwai powered through, says Alfie Crow.

A close look at David Garrard, with Andrew Hofheimer.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have to find ways to get Randy Moss involved, says Jim Wyatt.

David Climer gives a thumbs up to the Moss move.

Playing with what Moss has said in the past, with Climer.

Mike Heimerdinger sees Moss as a good fit, says David Boclair.

The Moss addition is a good one, says Mike Wilkening. (Hat tip to Music City Miracles.)

Could Vince Young become like Daunte Culpepper, asks Shutdown Corner.

Ernie Sims got a $50,000 fine for a hit on Lavelle Hawkins, says Marcus Hayes.

Our 10-point bye report on the Jacksonville Jaguars:

Major issue: Inconsistency. They looked great in wins over Dallas and Indianapolis and did what they needed to against Denver and Buffalo. But they were terrible against San Diego, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Kansas City. To have a chance in the AFC South, the Jaguars will have to be a steadier team in the second half.

Playmaker update: Marcedes Lewis has been outstanding with seven touchdowns in 25 receptions and Mike Thomas is developing well and leads the team in catches. Still, this team needs to develop the stable of guys beyond Maurice-Jones Drew to consistently threaten a defense.

Protection issues: David Garrard plays a lot better when he’s well protected, and the pass protection has been up and down. Right tackle Eben Britton is out for the season, replaced by Jordan Black. In the Dallas game, Vince Manuwai may have wrestled the left guard spot away from Justin Smiley.

Score more: The Jaguars have been outscored 226-165. Jack Del Rio has said a blowout or close loss are the same to him, but they shouldn’t be. Playing well in a loss is much healthier than playing poorly. The only teams with worse point differentials are Buffalo, Arizona, Carolina and Denver. That’s not who you want to be bunched with.

Automatic: Josh Scobee is a perfect 19-for-19 on field goals, and nine of them have been from 40 yards or longer. He’s the only kicker in the league with more than six attempts who’s perfect. And his 59-yarder to win the Colts game on the final play was a kick he’ll have a hard time topping in his career.

Safety concerns: They’ve played them all -- trading one away and cutting another, twice -- and are going with kids Courtney Greene and Don Carey right now. It’s good experience for them, but it’s hard to imagine that this spot won't a huge offseason project. All the uncertainty at safety has made things harder on cornerbacks Rashean Mathis, Derek Cox and David Jones, who haven’t always been as bad as they have looked at their low moments.

Star performance: Maurice Jones-Drew is averaging 4.0 yards a carry, but he actually has more passing touchdowns (two) than touchdown runs (one). He’s got two games over 100 yards and two games under 50. Deji Karim seems to have the coaches’ confidence and can lighten some of MJD's load to ensure he’s as healthy as possible late in the season.

Developing well: Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu are developing into a top-flight interior defensive line tandem. Knighton is remarkably quick for a gigantic man and is a handful for multiple blockers. Alualu penetrates well and is getting better week to week. We’ll mention outside linebacker Justin Durant here, too. He’s played great since returning from an ankle injury.

About those blackouts: Turn your attention to San Diego and Oakland, please. The Jaguars have played four home games and they’ve been on local TV four times. They have issues, but drawing enough people to ensure they’re seen on TV has not been one of them to this point.

What’s to come: Out of the bye, the Jags have home games against Houston and Cleveland. They need good results there, because trips to the Giants and Titans follow.