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HOUSTON -- Thoughts on the Texans’ 34-7 rout of the Colts at Reliant Stadium

What it means: The Texans bolted out to a 1-0 start over the Colts last season, but this one was different. We saw what a good team can do against Indianapolis minus Peyton Manning. Houston sailed and the Colts struggled. It’s hard to call any Houston game a turning point, but this is one we might look back to as a pivot point for control of the AFC South.

What I liked: Matt Schaub-to-Andre Johnson was virtually can’t miss after an early interception of a pass that slid through Johnson’s hands. Derrick Ward and Ben Tate both ran effectively. Jacoby Jones showed smarts and speed on a 79-yard punt return for a score. The Texans’ new 3-4 defense found consistent pressure that made life very tough on Kerry Collins. End Antonio Smith was especially effective.

What I didn’t like: Collins was just shaky, handing away two fumbles in a short span early on, once on a sack, once on a fumbled snap. Unless the protection was perfect, he was messy and there were only a handful of snaps where the protection was perfect. Indianapolis’ defense simply didn’t show any ability to bottle up the run, and receivers consistently found space between defenders to collect Schaub’s passes.

Who to worry about: Colts linebackers. Gary Brackett suffered a shoulder sprain when he was tackled at the end of an interception return. The Colts played bad defense with him. Without him, they’d really have a hole. Ernie Sims suffered a knee sprain early in the game, which meant undrafted rookie Adrian Moten saw time in the nickel package.

One good thing about the Colts: They didn’t quit, showing some life in the second half even though they knew it was over. Reggie Wayne was in the middle of it. Jeff Saturday fought hard to recover Collins’ third fumble at the bottom of a pile.

One bad thing about the Texans: With Arian Foster (hamstring) already hurt, Ward left the game with an ankle injury. Tate and Steve Slaton provide nice depth, but any team down its top two running backs has questions.

What’s next: The Colts try to recover when they host Cleveland. The Texans try to keep things going in Miami. The rematch between Houston and Indy is at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 22.

Click here for a complete list of Houston Texans’ roster moves.

Surprise moves: After cutting rookie punter Brett Hartmann last week, the team cut veteran Brad Maynard. The Texans do not have a punter. One fan quickly joked that a high-powered offense doesn’t intend to punt. But the Texans clearly have their eye on someone and will be adding a punter in the next couple of days. They've left a roster spot open for him. Fifth-round safety Shiloh Keo, a Wade Phillips favorite who was supposed to be a special teams demon, didn’t make it. Raw, undrafted outside linebacker Bryan Braman did make it.

No-brainers: Deciding Steve Slaton was one of their best 53 players and keeping four running backs seemed prudent to me. Deciding Trindon Holliday wasn’t going to help as a return man or receiver makes sense too.

What’s next: The team has only Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones and newcomer Bryant Johnson at receiver and could be looking for a fifth option, thought their pass catching tight ends ease the concern. Houston is thin on the offensive line, too.

Cut questions as we wait for news on who’s in and who’s out …

Houston Texans

I’ve confirmed outside linebacker Xavier Adibi will be released, which is a surprise. The Texans are going younger at the spot, which could mean good things for undrafted Bryan Braman. He is raw and probably best suited for the practice squad, but may have done too much to risk cutting first. Can Steve Slaton stick? Odds are against him as he ranks as the team’s fourth back, at best. But he’s got to be a hard guy to let go even after a preseason limited by injury. He’ll be scooped up for sure by a team in need at the position. And he likely still qualifies as one of the team’s best 53 players.

Indianapolis Colts

I know a lot of fans want to see the end for players like Donald Brown, Jerry Hughes and Anthony Gonzalez. But we must ask who are the better options? I’m not sure about Gonzalez, but I suspect that Brown and Hughes are on this team. One guy we presume to have made it who might not is veteran defensive tackle Tommie Harris. One guy we presume not to have made it who might is undrafted rookie tight end Mike McNeill.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Former sixth-round pick Scotty McGee, a return specialist, was among the cuts we learned of Friday. They also included undrafted receivers Armon Binns and Dontrelle Inman. Does that mean another receiver, Jamar Newsome, separated himself and will make it? A team that loves to keep an undrafted guy or two may not this time around. Larry Hart, a 2010 fifth-round defensive end, is probably in trouble.

Tennessee Titans

There looks to be a battle for a backup safety slot between Vincent Fuller, Robert Johnson and Anthony Smith. I wish I had a better feel and could pick a favorite there, but I can’t. It’s a tough call to whittle down from seven receivers, too. Can recent addition Kevin Curtis dislodge Justin Gage and does the team still have patience for Lavelle Hawkins? I can’t see Gage getting cut, even though he is due $3.5 million. Linebacker Rennie Curran sounded like a goner in Mike Munchak’s news conference Friday.

Quick observations and thoughts on the Houston Texans 27-14 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints at Reliant Stadium Saturday night:

The big guns: The three main guys on offense all looked great. Matt Schaub threw with precision and was in control, hitting on 12 of 16 passes for 163 yards and a 107 passer rating. In his first preseason action with Andre Johnson in the lineup, he found his No. 1 guy four times for 100 yards, even with a Johnson drop. Arian Foster ran very well, with 47 yards and two touchdowns on five carries.

Emerging: Ben Tate did some very nice work as the second running back behind Foster, showing just why the Texans found him such a system fit when they used a second-round pick on him last season. He carried nine times for 95 yards and a score and also caught a 13-yard pass. Once Derrick Ward and Steve Slaton are healthy, the Texans will have quite the loaded backfield.

Run room: The defense did well sniffing out screens and short stuff from Drew Brees and frustrated the quarterback. But New Orleans ran well with their frontline offense finding 86 ground yards and a 4.6-yard average in the first half including a 17 yard run and a touchdown run. The new defensive front would surely like to be more discouraging to an offense looking to hand it off.

Also: First round end J.J. Watt was disruptive and energetic, again. … Kareem Jackson did well to let Devery Henderson get in trouble for taking a couple swings in an after-the-whistle incident. … Xavier Adibi started in place of DeMeco Ryans (elbow) as one of the inside linebackers. Adibi was way late diving in to hit an already-down Lance Moore, drawing a personal foul early. … Chase Daniel's 56-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Morgan came over new safety Danieal Manning.

HOUSTON -- Yes, they brought in a top-flight defensive coordinator, drafted well and signed some good-looking free agents.

Still, the Texans have been the breakout pick so often in recent years and have come up short that it’s completely fair to ask, even with those changes, why should people believe? Why should they buy this team?

“I couldn’t sell it to anybody,” said Chris Myers, the team’s underrated center. “We’re doing what we do here in camp. If you’re a Texans fan, you’re a Texans fan. Our offense is the same offense that we’ve had and we’re going to try to make it better. Our defense has brought in who we think can change it, take it in the right direction and make us that complete team.

“That’s the pitch. If you’re going to buy it, you’re going to buy it. If not, we’re still rolling.”

To find their way to the playoffs for the first time since the franchise began play in 2002, the Texans need to find the consistency they’ve lacked on many levels -- start to finish in a game, week to week over the course of the season.

That defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, has a great record of turning defenses around. Gary Kubiak carries questions as a head coach, but not as an offensive mind.

It’s a now or never deal for Kubiak, and he’s got a lot of talent on his roster that knows it.

Receiver Andre Johnson, one of the league’s top players, says the team’s spent the past few preseasons talking about breaking through. This time he wants less talk and more action.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1) How quickly can Phillips shape the defense?

He's coming off a poor term as head coach in Dallas, but his track record as a coordinator is excellent.

Players on the Texans' defense say he’s funny, yet pointed. He’s already infused the group with confidence, and he quickly identified things that amounted to easy fixes. Mario Williams’ false step should disappear, for example, and Kareem Jackson is unlikely to be seen in press coverages.

“Wade Phillips and [linebackers coach Reggie Herring] have brought a credibility and a confidence to the system that they run,” said end-turned-outside-linebacker Connor Barwin. “I feel like it carries over to us. You know if you do what you’re coached up to do that it’s going to work.”

The change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 isn’t as extreme as some imagine, because Phillips’ 3-4 doesn’t demand a gigantic space-eating nose tackle, and it doesn’t ask linemen to be responsible for two gaps. The linemen are really playing roles akin to what they did in the previous system, with Williams now standing up as an on-the-line backer on the weak side.

Creating that matchup as often as possible is key, and Williams should be the centerpiece of the retooling.

Though Williams didn’t look comfortable in the preseason opener, end Antonio Smith thinks offenses will really struggle with Williams and his bull rush.

“It has not been stopped in camp yet,” Smith said. “Since he decided to do it, I ain’t seem him lose. You know what you need to do to beat a person. I think that throughout this camp, he’s figuring out how to use that. He’s added it into his bag of tricks and he’s going to figure out how to use it along with his other moves.”

Matt Schaub and Johnson have both talked about how many more balls are contested and broken up in a typical practice. That difference suggests the new philosophy’s growing on a unit that’s needed not just players like Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning but also the sort of direction Phillips is providing.

2) Will Arian Foster be able to have another big season on the ground?

It wasn’t long ago that Steve Slaton ran for 1,282 yards. He’s disappeared since the 2008 season, however.

Foster said that what he did over 16 games last season proved him capable and that the notion of a fluke is ridiculous. But for the Texans’ offense to get better, he’ll have to follow up his 1,616-yard season and rushing title with another big showing.

“When you come out and have a season like that, then everybody wants to see what you’re going to do the next season,” Johnson said. “I think that is important for him, to come out and show people that he is the guy that he was last year.

“I think he’ll do it, there is no doubt in my mind. Because he works hard and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

Houston’s play-action can be spectacular with Foster running as he did in 2010. His style is perfectly suited for the team’s blocking scheme, which encourages him to cut once and take all he can get.

Another big year will go a long way toward setting the Texans’ course.

3) Do enough guys have killer instinct?

The Texans' slow starts and inability to finish were major issues last season. Better personnel and coaching will need to be accompanied by a killer instinct this franchise has too frequently lacked.

“You could put it that way,” tight end Owen Daniels said. “There’s definitely never been a lack of effort. I think it’s been missed opportunities at finishing games. ... We need to find something different this year in order to close out those games.”

A guy like Johnson, soft-spoken but intense, certainly has a personality you can win with. But are the Texans, in total, too low key? I think it’s a fair question.

“You’ve got to have that [killer instinct],” said Manning, one of the key newcomers. “... If you believe, all this other stuff is going to come into play: working together, supporting your man, pushing him, making him work hard, holding him accountable. All that stuff goes hand in hand. I’ve never seen a championship team that didn’t believe, that didn’t finish.”

BIGGEST SURPRISE

When they grabbed him during the 2010 season, I don’t think the Texans expected much from veteran cornerback Jason Allen. But the secondary was better with him than it was without him. Now, with a fresh start, he’s mounting a serious challenge to Jackson, the 2010 first-round draft pick. The team would be well served to go with Allen if things come out roughly even. Jackson’s seasoning would be better for now as a role player.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Antwaun Molden looks the part as a 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner. But the team has finally stopped talking up the fourth-year man from Eastern Kentucky. He’s not sturdy enough and doesn’t show enough gumption to be a factor in a group where he’s had a chance to add some depth. He had an interception in the preseason opener, but only after he committed a penalty that washed it away.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Joel Dreessen is consistently underrated. Dreessen can block and, while not as dynamic as Daniels, has a knack for finding open spaces and presenting himself to Schaub. The Texans have a lot of quality tight ends. Look for the team to put three tights on the field at times, when they can operate as a heavy package or shift Daniels, Dreessen, James Casey or Garrett Graham into space, depending on the defensive personnel. Anthony Hill is the blocker of the bunch.
• After facing questions about durability, Schaub’s played two full seasons. Now the questions are about play in the clutch. He needs to eliminate moments like the one where he threw an overtime pick-six against Baltimore last season.
• I expect the Texans to look closely at receivers when the league cuts down rosters. Dorin Dickerson currently looks to be fourth in line, but I saw him fighting some passes in practices and he’s still relatively new to the position. Jeff Maehl heads the undrafted group but didn’t look great either. Receiver depth is an issue.
• Inside linebacker Darryl Sharpton could be the best non-starter on the roster come opening day. He’s in a tough spot behind DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing, though injuries are often in play with Cushing.
• Myers is a key cog in making the Texans’ offensive line work, and he could be taking his place right alongside Jeff Saturday as an indispensable center in the division.
• The team could be an injury away from trouble at end and safety.
• Trindon Holliday’s speed is not enough for him to overcome his size as even a situational receiver. Plus, he seems easily hurt. The return jobs are open if the team wants to avoid using Jacoby Jones as the punt returner and Manning as the kick returner.
• Undrafted rookie Brett Hartmann beating out veteran punter Brad Maynard is a definite possibility.
• Count me among those not convinced that Matt Leinart can’t play. If this team needs a few spots starts, I bet he can do OK. One of the NFL’s quarterback-needy teams was foolish not to add Leinart to the mix. He’s better than a lot of guys with a chance to start some games this season.
• Lawrence Vickers is better equipped to work as the fullback than Casey, and he should get far more frequent opportunities to lead the way for Foster.

Three things to watch for in Houston’s preseason opener against the visiting New York Jets on Monday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The new 3-4 front will be on display in a game situation for the first time. Coach Gary Kubiak said starters will only go 10 to 12 plays, but it should be enough to give us a sense of how things are different in the Wade Phillips-coordinated defense. Mario Williams will stand up as a “linebacker” for the first time, but he’s still going to be at or near the line of scrimmage. Look for him to regularly find his way to the weak side and to go heavy with the bull rush from the start against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Wayne Hunter.

Matt Leinart was labeled a “special” in the last week by Kubiak. Matt Schaub’s backup will play a lot against the Jets. Leinart looks great in practice, with solid command and a nice ball. But critics who’ve watched him regularly from close range believe he’s just a beat off in game situations. The Jets intend to play starters for the entire first quarter, so while Leinart will work with mostly second-stringers, he will get some good work against some top defensive personnel.

Meet Chris Ogbonnaya. With Arian Foster, Steve Slaton and Ben Tate all dealing with hamstring injuries, expect Derrick Ward to get the carries with the first team and Ogbonnaya to be the running back who gets the most work on the night. The team really likes him, but the four guys in front of him all have loftier pedigrees, so it will be very difficult for him to make the team.

HOUSTON -- Arrived at Texans practice about halfway through. I thought I’d start out with some straight observational sharing.

1) I watched the offensive and defensive line one-on-ones from a tough angle.

• Chris Myers had a very good snap against Shaun Cody.
• Antonio Smith gained good ground on Wade Smith twice.
• Duane Brown fended off Bryan Braman twice.
• J.J. Watt got good push against Derek Newton, but Newton managed to stay between Watt and his target. Newton also watched Jesse Nading fly right past him.
• Mike Brisiel handled Tim Bulman, but Bulman had a good win against Cody Wallace.
• Connor Barwin went around Pete Hendrickson.

And the highlight for me: Brooks Reed vs. Eric Winston. Reed quickly got inside Winston on the first snap. Then he did it again though he had to go wider. And against Newton, he got steered out real wide, wide enough that he probably couldn’t have recovered to make a play.

Reed’s clearly super-fast off the edge. (Sidenote: He’s got relatively skinny legs. Calves anyway.) On the second snap against Winston, I wondered if he went wide enough that even a clean run might take him too long to get to the quarterback, allowing for the ball to come out. Still, forcing a quick pass with such pressure is a victory.

2) Brian Cushing, who’s been out of action for most of camp as he recovered from knee surgery, was part of team drills. In the very first snap of 11 vs. 11 work I saw, he edged up to the line and weaved his way through the middle very quickly and cleanly, slicing through the line in a way he would have had a pretty good shot at Matt Schaub in a live situation.

3) Schaub found Kevin Walter with a bomb up the right side that fell incomplete only because Kareem Jackson had a handful of Walter’s jersey to prevent him from catching up to it. Jackson made no real effort to hide the foul or recover from it.

4) Owen Daniels slipped open against what had to be a busted coverage for a big play. Reed let him go near the line of scrimmage and Glover Quin wasn’t in range. The culprit is likely unidentified.

5) Trindon Holliday had a nice little catch-and-run, but limped back and found a trainer.

6) Sherrick McManis intercepted Matt Leinart.

7) When I talked to the sidelined Ben Tate after the practice, he indicated that Steve Slaton now has a hamstring issue as well.

Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson takes on the AFC South running backs in this Insider piece Tuesday. You know the division is loaded with talented run games when Arian Foster and the Texans rank third. Here’s a sampling of Williamson’s assessment, with some reaction from me.

Tennessee Titans

Williamson: “Johnson might be the most dangerous player in all of football. The entire league was keying on him last season, and the blocking for him wasn't nearly as good as it was in 2009. His quarterback situation certainly didn't help his cause. It was unrealistic to expect him to maintain the pace that he set for himself in 2009.

“But I also believe that Johnson took a small step backward last season. I have very few worries about him and do think he is simply phenomenal, but I thought he tried to bounce more runs outside, didn't always take what was given to him and too often looked to bust the long run. Johnson was hit behind the line of scrimmage far too often in 2010. Always looking for the big play doesn't work well in this league. In 2009, the big plays came from a workmanlike approach to every carry.”

He also says pass blocking was a problem for Johnson last season and notes how he fared far worse as a pass-catcher than he did in 2009. He believes rookie Jamie Harper will get more work than Javon Ringer if Johnson is healthy, and could even challenge for some third-down action.

Kuharsky: The interior line simply has to play better to maximize the Titans' chances to run effectively, and all indications are the team will re-sign Leroy Harris and stick with him and Jake Scott as the guards with Eugene Amano as the center. Johnson needs to find ways to be more of a leader.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Williamson: “[Maurice Jones-Drew’s] career to date has been impeccable. I am very high on him, but I do fear that we are seeing the very first stages of his inevitable demise. Running backs don't last long in this league.

“That isn't to say that Jones-Drew will not be effective in 2011. I think he will again rank among the best at his position. He was very impressive last year, averaging more than 117 total yards in his 14 games with every defender on the field keying on him. And he did it while battling a knee injury for the better part of the season. Jones-Drew posted a six-game stretch last season when he rushed for more than 100 yards. His toughness cannot be questioned. He is a bowling ball -- extremely difficult to get a great hit on and quite good in short-yardage situations. Jones-Drew is the definition of a leverage player. He is a touchdown machine who excels between the tackles, on the perimeter and as a pass-catcher. Despite his size, Jones-Drew is also one of the best running backs in the league in blitz pickup. He can do it all.”

He calls Jones-Drew an old 26 and sees Rashad Jennings as one of the most underrated backups in the league.

Kuharsky: The passing game needs to offer Jones-Drew and the run blocking better relief and help open things up. That falls on receivers Mike Thomas, Jason Hill and Jarett Dillard as well as tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Zach Miller.

Houston Texans

Williamson: “[Foster] has very good size, exceptional run instincts, strength, cutback ability and breakaway speed. Foster presses the hole very well and shows great patience and skill with setting up his blocks. He is also excellent out of the backfield as a receiver, and offenses designed by Gary Kubiak throw a lot to running backs…

“Can he match those astronomical numbers? I tend to doubt it. He did log 392 total touches, and durability remains a question mark. But everything is set up for this 24-year-old, who has only 380 carries at this level, to excel again in 2011.”

He doesn’t love Derrick Ward or Ben Tate, and predicts Steve Slaton will be elsewhere but not bring much in return. He gives high praise to Vonta Leach and the entire run blocking game.

Kuharsky: There is a lot of sophomore slump talk out there regarding Foster. (I know it’s his third year, but it will only be his second as the starter from the beginning.) I don’t foresee it. And if teams load up to stop him, Houston is equipped to make them pay in the pass game.

Indianapolis Colts

Williamson: He fears Joseph Addai’s best years may be behind him already, but as a solid dump-off threat and a trustworthy piece for Peyton Manning, he believes Addai is more valuable to the Colts than he would be to anyone else.

The most interesting piece of this write-up is on rookie Delone Carter:

“It might not happen right away, especially with the lockout situation, but I honestly would not be shocked if Carter became the No. 1 option at running back.

“This guy is a brute. He is built low and like a brick wall. And yet he is quite nimble. Carter is a decisive runner who will stick his foot in the ground and get downhill with conviction. He should be excellent in short-yardage situations and near the goal line. Indianapolis has not had such a running back in some time. As with any rookie runner, pass protection could take some time, but his competitiveness and build imply that he could eventually excel at keeping Manning clean in the pocket. He could use work as a receiver as well. He's the type of runner who can consistently keep Indianapolis ahead of the down. When Manning sees favorable numbers in the box, Carter should excel. Carter could put the Colts' opponents away once Indianapolis gets a firm lead late in games. Don't underestimate how important that is. The selection of Carter could go down as the best value pick in the draft.”

Kuharsky: I completely agree about Addai -- he’s a better back in this system than he would be elsewhere. The Colts have talked of dipping into free agency a bit. If Reggie Bush is available and affordable, I believe they’d consider him and look to pair him, rather than Addai, with Carter.

After being struck recently with how the NFL's labor rift has been cast as billionaires vs. millionaires, I thought I’d look at some players' salaries.

Totaling-up career earnings is quite difficult, and bonus money can be hard to nail down and sort through.

We can still get an interesting snapshot by looking at scheduled 2011 base salaries. I suspect many readers will be surprised that the vast majority of players will earn less than $1 million this fall.

Here, according to the NFLPA, are the players from each AFC South team currently scheduled to make a base salary of $1 million or more in 2011. Keep in mind guys in line for some form of free agency are not part of things here.

Fifty-three of 216 players under contract are slated to make $1 million or more. That’s 24.5 percent of the division.

Houston Texans

• DE Mario Williams -- $13.8 million
• WR Andre Johnson – $7.2 million
• QB Matt Schaub -- $5.7 million
• LB DeMeco Ryans -- $5 million
• DE Antonio Smith -- $4.6 million
• RT Eric Winston -- $4.5 million
• DT Amobi Okoye -- $2.95 million
• C Chris Myers -- $2.75 million
• QB Dan Orlovsky -- $2.75 million
• K Neil Rackers -- $2.15 million
• G Wade Smith -- $1.75 million
• WR David Anderson -- $1.44 million
• RB Steve Slaton -- $1.2 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 13

Total players under contract for 2011: 49

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 26.5

Indianapolis Colts

• DE Dwight Freeney -- $11.42 million
• CB Kelvin Hayden -- $6.105
• WR Reggie Wayne -- $5.95 million
• RT Ryan Diem -- $5.4 million
• FS Antoine Bethea -- $4.745 million
• TE Dallas Clark -- $4.2 million
• DE Robert Mathis -- $2.41 million
• C Jeff Saturday -- $2.4 million
• LB Gary Brackett -- $2 million
• LB Philip Wheeler -- $1.2 million
• WR Anthony Gonzalez -- $1.11 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 11

Total players under contract for 2011: 57

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 19.3

Jacksonville Jaguars

• QB David Garrard -- $7.975 million
• CB Rashean Mathis -- $4.45 million
• LB Daryl Smith -- $4.2 million
• RB Maurice Jones-Drew -- $4.05 million
• FB Greg Jones -- $3.1 million
• DE Derrick Harvey -- $2.8025 million
• DE Aaron Kampman -- $2.45 million
• G Vince Manuwai -- $2.9
• K Josh Scobee -- $2 million
• OL Justin Smiley -- $2 million
• C Brad Meester -- $1.95 million
• WR Kassim Osgood -- $1.475 million
• LT Eugene Monroe -- $1.2425 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 13

Total players under contract for 2011: 51

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 25.5

Tennessee Titans

• QB Vince Young -- $8.5 million*
• SS Chris Hope -- $6.5 million
• WR Kenny Britt -- $5.75 million
• LT Michael Roos -- $5 million
• G Jake Scott -- $4.7 million
• RT David Stewart -- $4.5 million
• DT Tony Brown -- $4 million
• WR Justin Gage -- $3.5 million
• FS Michael Griffin -- $3.3105 million
• WR Nate Washington $3.3 million
• CB Cortland Finnegan -- $3.293 million
• DT Jovan Haye -- $3 million
• C Eugene Amano -- $2.68 million
• K Rob Bironas -- $2.4 million
• DB Vincent Fuller -- $2.06 million
• LS Ken Amato $1.05 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 16

Total players under contract for 2011: 59

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 27.1

*Young will be cut or traded, the Titans have announced.

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

FALLING

1. The Jaguars’ run defense: Jacksonville got gashed by the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and in yielding 236 yards, a 5.6-yard average and three rushing touchdowns, the Jaguars dropped six spots in the league ratings to 25th. On a day when only 13 passes were completed against the Jaguars, 28 of their 65 tackles were credited by game-day statisticians to defensive backs.

2. Colts kickoff coverage: Pat McAfee has been good for nearly two kickoff touchbacks a game and consistently puts the ball deep. The team’s substitute punter, Jeremy Kapinos, punted in 20 games for Green Bay in 2008-09 and one for the Jets in 2007, but doesn’t look to be a kickoff guy. Odds are Adam Vinatieri kicks off to Steve Slaton or Jacoby Jones. Vinatieri’s short kickoffs were a reason McAfee was so attractive to the Colts in the 2009 draft. The Colts are currently 19th in the league defending kick returns.

3. Titans’ tight ends: Bo Scaife was played against Philadelphia with a groin injury. But in the team’s last seven-plus quarters, when Kerry Collins has been the quarterback, Tennessee has seen six connections on 13 passes aimed for the tight end for 32 yards, with a long of 12 and a 2-yard Collins-to-Scaife connection in Jacksonville. More balls to receivers is generally a good thing for the Titans, but Jared Cook still not earning chances isn't

RISING

1. Damian Williams, Titans receiver: He’s jumped Lavelle Hawkins, who the Titans spent the offseason hyping, and been a reliable target for Collins the last two weeks. I believe he should remain in the top three even if Justin Gage is recovered from a hamstring injury. Williams lost out to Marc Mariani in the return jobs competition. But when the Titans drafted him in the third round they said they thought he could develop into an eventual No. 1 and they’d be wise to let him get some chances.

2. Kevin Bentley, Texans linebacker: Bentley is coming off knee surgery while Xavier Adibi’s had a hamstring injury. Perhaps Bentley is just healed up better, but he’s gotten the nod over Adibi, at least initially, to take over Brian Cushing's strong side linebacker spot. Cushing is moving to middle linebacker for the remainder of the season to replace the injured DeMeco Ryans.

3. Jacob Tamme, Colts tight end: A big opportunity has arrived for Tamme, who’s been used infrequently on offense in his three seasons. He’s now listed as the starter for the Colts in the spot typically occupied by Dallas Clark, who’s finished for the season with a wrist injury. Tamme is fast and has good hands, but we don’t know how polished he is running routes or finding seams. Odds are we find out Monday night.

A few observations on Houston's 31-24 win over the Oakland Raiders.

What it means: The Texans moved to 3-1, a game better than everyone else in the AFC South. They showed they can win without their best player, Andre Johnson and bounced back from a dud a week earlier against Dallas.

Hero: Arian Foster didn’t start and didn’t play until there was 6:50 left in the first half. According to the Houston Chronicle, he missed one team meeting and was late for another. Derrick Ward and Steve Slaton ran well in his place and Foster made a giant impact when he did get in the game -- with a 74-yard touchdown run and a 10-yard touchdown catch.

Trending: Owen Daniels has not been himself this year as he returned from a torn ACL suffered midway through the 2009 season. Even with Johnson out because of an ankle sprain, Daniels has just one catch for 8 yards. Joel Dreessen, the team’s second tight end, was the team’s leading receiver with five catches for 73 yards.

What’s next: The Texans host the NY Giants at Reliant Stadium in their third game against the NFC East.

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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 2:

Picking it up: Lost in the Colts' pass protection struggles last week was the play of Joseph Addai, who showed what a versatile force and well-rounded player he is. He ran well on his rare chances and I thought he was great in pass protection. Still, I’d like to see the Colts sacrifice three-wide once in a while in order to get Brody Eldridge into the game to help in this area too. Charlie Johnson is already dealing with a bad foot, Jeff Saturday recently had knee surgery and Ryan Diem (neck) is on the injury report too. Will Indy do anything different from what it did when Houston constantly hurried and hit Peyton Manning?

Friendships and familiarity: I think too much gets made of mentor-versus-mentee games such as Mike Shanahan against Gary Kubiak. When it’s over and they shake hands, one will say congratulations and the other will graciously accept. What’s a lot more interesting to me is how Matt Schaub reads and works against Jim Haslett’s creative 3-4 and how well Arian Foster can follow up his big opening game. He’s not the only one who needs to follow up his Week 1 effort. Let’s also see that pass rush force Donovan McNabb operate faster than he would like.

Patience is the key: Chris Johnson and Vince Young often talk of playing patiently and awaiting the right play or situation to come. The Titans' offense will benefit from that approach against the Steelers. The openings against the defense may not show themselves frequently, but Tennessee has to jump into them when it has the chance. The Titans can’t afford to make mistakes while waiting for opportunities, especially with Troy Polamalu lurking, eager to hit Johnson and get his hands on Young's throws.

Safety conscious: The Chargers will be determined to get on track after an opening-week loss to Kansas City. I expect they’ll have plenty of stuff drawn up for Philip Rivers that allows him to test the Jacksonville safeties: Sean Considine and either Anthony Smith, who’s hurt, or Courtney Greene. It’s a soft spot in the Jaguars' defense, and the best way to cover for it is by rushing the quarterback, the way Jacksonville did last week.

Open the screen door: Aaron Schatz tells us that the Texans averaged a league-leading 9.0 yards on screen passes last year, and the Redskins gave up 8.5 yards per screen pass, the third most in the league. Washington had better hope its switch to a 3-4 scheme has fixed that problem. If the Texans really want to test that out, Steve Slaton could have a bigger role in this game. They love him as a pass-catcher, especially on third downs.

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans opened the season with a 34-24 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Reliant Stadium. Here’s a quick overview.

What it means: The Texans are 1-0 and atop the AFC South. They’ve matched their win total in the AFC South from all of 2009. The Colts will be in the relatively rare position of playing chase early in the season.

Hero: As the center of a franchise record rushing day, Arian Foster was fantastic. He gave the Texans just the sort of run-game presence they needed to push around the fast but small Colts, who seemed to wear down. The offensive line and fullback Vonta Leach did their parts to make a record running day possible for him, and Steve Slaton proved the nice alternative they needed with no fumbling issues.

Goat: Justin Tryon twice had chances to down punts near the goal line and pin the Texans back, but twice botched the play on short punts by Pat McAfee. On the first he appeared to misjudge it, on the second he’d run out of bounds and then was the first player to touch the ball.

What I liked: The Texans were resilient and showed the sort of killer instinct they’ve lacked in the past. When the Colts cut it from 27-10 to 27-17 with 4:52 remaining, there wasn’t panic from a team that’s blown 17-point leads against this opponent in the past.

What’s next: The Colts host the Giants in Sunday night football, for another edition of The Manning Bowl. Houston travels to Washington for its first game in the season matchup with the NFC East.

Check here for a full list of Houston’s roster moves.

Biggest surprises: At times, the Texans touted running backs Jeremiah Johnson and Chris Henry. But they are both gone now, Johnson likely due at least in part to a toe injury. Veteran Derrick Ward gets the last running back spot, and the Texans will move forward with Arian Foster, Steve Slaton and Ward as they look for a big jump from their running game. Another player that got some early hype from Gary Kubiak, defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, didn’t stick.

No-brainers: Considering quality and draft status ahead of them, low-ranking depth chart guys were easy choices for the waiver wire: Receivers Bobby Williams and Derrick Townsel, offensive tackles Steve Maneri, Brett Helms and Cole Pemberton, defensive tackle Mitch Unrein, linebacker Will Patterson and cornerback Mark Parson. Perhaps we will see a few of them who did OK resurface on the practice squad.

What’s next: With the running back issue resolved, the Texans might not have too much waiver-wire surfing to do. They could upgrade over Jesse Nading at their final end spot. While they are quite young with their five cornerbacks, they seemed committed to them all, at least right now. While they put Kris Brown and Andre Davis on IR and Anthony Hill on PUP, they did not announce Brian Cushing is on the suspended-reserve list. So they might still be in line to gain one roster spot.

Some bullet point thoughts on the Texans’ 24-17 loss to the Buccaneers Thursday night:

• Houston sat 29 players.
• Neil Rackers hit a 21-yard field goal while Kris Brown was short on a 56-yarder in the final chances in the kicking competition. Expect the guy who doesn’t stick to find work with relative speed.
• Jeremiah Johnson turned three carries into 20 yards while Chris Henry needed 15 carries for 51 yards as the Texans got a look at their third and fourth backs. I like Johnson as the third.
• After Dan Orlovsky threw two interceptions to Corey Lynch -- one for a 91-yard touchdown -- John David Booty threw two touchdown passes. Gary Kubiak expressed continued confidence in Orlovsky after the game, but what is he supposed to say?
• The Texans went for it on fourth down five times and converted four.
• Even without Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Jacoby Jones, Arian Foster and Steve Slaton Houston managed 417 total yards. The Texans ran 76 plays compared to 49 for Tampa Bay, though time of possession was only 32:55 to 27:05.
• Dorin Dickerson’s one-handed 27-yard reception from Booty was the best catch I remember seeing from an AFC South player in the preseason.
• Rookie linebacker Darryl Sharpton got the start and was credited with six tackles and a sack. Xavier Adibi started on the strong side. The Brian Cushing replacement strategy looks like it will be Adibi in his spot or Sharpton at weakside with Zac Diles moved to strong.