New look for AFC south

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

My point is, if the offense got it done with less talent than they have now, then why do people think they will be worse? Defenses can do little different than what they were doing by the end of the season last year and the offense still produced. I understand the defense will be weaker, but it will still be in the top half of the league.

I think Hou-Tex described the Titans well. You are separating O and D too much. The D will still be good but not being great can snowball to the O. With the D just a little more porous, the O will have to press a little more putting more pressure on Collins who has never had back to back seasons with a QB rating over 80. The D also most likely will not provide the same kind of takeaway differential - Haynesworth's interior pressure was very important to that. But I still expect the Titans to be tough.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

My point is, if the offense got it done with less talent than they have now, then why do people think they will be worse? Defenses can do little different than what they were doing by the end of the season last year and the offense still produced. I understand the defense will be weaker, but it will still be in the top half of the league.

I think your defense has speed. Mario and Smith off the edge. Ryans, Cushing, June. If Dunta is 100%. Ryans and June can defend the pass (thats basically all June has done his whole career) and I imagine Cushing can if he was drafted 15th overall as an OLB.

But y'all didn't get it done. Sure, y'all had a great regular season, but if you aren't getting better, you're getting worse. You're saying that Britt and Nate are going to make your offense that much better?

Like you said, everyone looks good on paper. The off-season is always full of "if's".

[gtexan02]

Its possible to produce a legitimate argument for any of the 4 AFC South teams to win the division IF healthy. Injuries are impossible to predict, so we'll just have to wait and see

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I think Hou-Tex described the Titans well. You are separating O and D too much. The D will still be good but not being great can snowball to the O. With the D just a little more porous, the O will have to press a little more putting more pressure on Collins who has never had back to back seasons with a QB rating over 80. The D also most likely will not provide the same kind of takeaway differential - Haynesworth's interior pressure was very important to that. But I still expect the Titans to be tough.

Thank you. I'm a little under the weather so I might be having a hard time typing what I'm meaning to say.

Plus, with a defense being a little weaker, you're probably going to have to rely on the passing game more than you have in the past. While Collins might be decent managing the offense, I don't think you'd want to rely on him and that a WR corps to carry the offense.

[Bulluck53]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I think Hou-Tex described the Titans well. You are separating O and D too much. The D will still be good but not being great can snowball to the O. With the D just a little more porous, the O will have to press a little more putting more pressure on Collins who has never had back to back seasons with a QB rating over 80. The D also most likely will not provide the same kind of takeaway differential - Haynesworth's interior pressure was very important to that. But I still expect the Titans to be tough.

I understand what both of you are saying and its a good point. I am just, as a Titans fan, forced to view the situation as half full. Haynesworth is going to be a loss, one that will change how our defense plays, but the physicality will still be there up front. As someone said earlier the Titans had success before Haynesworth played lights out with an offense not too much different than they have now. I don't think we will go 13-3, around 10-6 unless there are injuries. Saying Haynesworth is worth a 3-game swing from last year is acknowledging his importance, IMO.

Haha and yes Hou-Tex, we didn't get it done. All I'm concerned with at this point is 'will the titans make the playoffs?' so thats what I'm discussing. If they get that far we'll talk Super Bowl. Britt and Washington are nothing special, I agree 100%, but they are much better than Brandon Jones and Justin McCareins. Thats all I've been saying.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

I don't think we will go 13-3, around 10-6 unless there are injuries. Saying Haynesworth is worth a 3-game swing from last year is acknowledging his importance, IMO.

I think that is fair - still a good team but coming back to the pack some which IF the Texans improve leaves things wide open in the AFC South.

Trivia here - about two thirds of teams have a record change of 3 or more games plus or minus each season.

[Bulluck53]

If Indy, Houston and Tenn play like they should it will be a dogfight for the top two in the division (I think the South will get a wildcard). Going to be very fun to watch.

And I didn't know that Infantry, good stuff.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

If Indy, Houston and Tenn play like they should it will be a dogfight for the top two in the division (I think the South will get a wildcard). Going to be very fun to watch.

And I didn't know that Infantry, good stuff.

Don't know about y'all's schedule but weeks 9-13 are key for us. Four games plus a bye - all within the division - 2 home, 2 away. Can't recall seeing a team scheduled to four straight division games before.

[Bulluck53]

I think the Cowboys had a December like that last year, didn't work out well for them (Romo choked again, though)

We will stumble out the gate. In the first six game we have two at home (Hou, Indy) and four on the road (Pitt, NYJ, Jax, New England) and then we get a bye. If we go 3-3 I'll be happy.... a winning record and I'd be ecstatic.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

I think the Cowboys had a December like that last year, didn't work out well for them (Romo choked again, though)

The only time the Cowboys had back to back division games last year they had a bye in between. Their December was tough with non-division games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh. I wasn't just talking rough spell but four division games in a row.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

I understand what both of you are saying and its a good point. I am just, as a Titans fan, forced to view the situation as half full. Haynesworth is going to be a loss, one that will change how our defense plays, but the physicality will still be there up front. As someone said earlier the Titans had success before Haynesworth played lights out with an offense not too much different than they have now. I don't think we will go 13-3, around 10-6 unless there are injuries. Saying Haynesworth is worth a 3-game swing from last year is acknowledging his importance, IMO.

Haha and yes Hou-Tex, we didn't get it done. All I'm concerned with at this point is 'will the titans make the playoffs?' so thats what I'm discussing. If they get that far we'll talk Super Bowl. Britt and Washington are nothing special, I agree 100%, but they are much better than Brandon Jones and Justin McCareins. Thats all I've been saying.

It's nice to be able to hold an actual converstation about football without all the garbage talk. +Rep

This time of the year every fan should have the glass half full mentality for their team.

I'm sure you already knew this, but between 07 and 08 the titans went 1-4 when Fat Al wasn't playing. The 3 games he missed in 07 the defense gave up an average of 160 on the ground vs a season average of 92 per game. That's too significant to be just a coincidence, right?

[Bulluck53]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

It's nice to be able to hold an actual converstation about football without all the garbage talk. +Rep

This time of the year every fan should have the glass half full mentality for their team.

I'm sure you already knew this, but between 07 and 08 the titans went 1-4 when Fat Al wasn't playing. The 3 games he missed in 07 the defense gave up an average of 160 on the ground vs a season average of 92 per game. That's too significant to be just a coincidence, right?

I don't see it as a coincidence but the defense as a whole wasn't as good in 07. Finnegan, Griffin, Tony Brown weren't the same caliber players they were in 08. Hope missed almost the last half of 07 with a bad neck injury. Thornton even missed time due to injury.

I'm not quite as worried with stopping the run as I am with rushing the passer. With Washburn, Fisher's teams have been stout against the run but the pass defense has been bad. It will be interesting to see if the same type of pass rush can be achieved without having to blitz too much and if not, the effect it will have on the backfield.

[Bulluck53]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

The only time the Cowboys had back to back division games last year they had a bye in between. Their December was tough with non-division games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh. I wasn't just talking rough spell but four division games in a row.

oops, you're right... @ Pitt, NYG, Ravens, @ Philly

[Norg]

there is no way the colts are getting 11 winz mark my words down right now Just no way !!!!!!!!!

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Don't know about y'all's schedule but weeks 9-13 are key for us. Four games plus a bye - all within the division - 2 home, 2 away. Can't recall seeing a team scheduled to four straight division games before.

Thanks for making me look.

Six other teams play 3 divisional games consecutively. The Raiders open up with 3 in a row. But, no one else has 4 straight. With teams playing only 6 divisional games over the course of a season, that has to be rare. If not unprecedented.

[CloakNNNdagger]

A gambling site essentially puts the AFC South top 3 almost a toss up (you might want to check out their brief team summaries):

Colts 11-5
Texans 10-6
Tacks 10-6
Jags 5-11

In my opinion, there are more questions concerning the Colts' and Tacks' abilities to maintain their "expected" records than the Texans' ability to attain theirs.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

In my opinion, there are more questions concerning the Colts' and Tacks' abilities to maintain their "expected" records than the Texans' ability to attain theirs.

Exactly. I really feel like the Texans are not only going to the playoffs this year, they're going to win the division.

Yep, I said it.