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AFC South

S

Spike

Waterboy
What are everyone's thoughts of the AFC South next year and the years to come? I am excited about the prospect of a productive off-season and hope that we can add several more contributors in this year's draft, but our division could be really tough for the next several years:

(1) Indy - This team will go as Manning goes. As long as he is playing well, Indy is going to be tough to beat, defense or no defense. The bad news is, the D looked pretty good in the playoffs.

(2) Tennessee - No need to state the obvious. This team has incredible upside with Vince and they have a lot of cap room this off-season.

(3) Jacksonville - Nothing about Jacksonville jumps out at me, but I don't think we can expect to sweep them every year.

(4) Houston - Improved, but still a lot of holes to fill.

I think the Texans do well to go .500 in our division for the next couple of years. On average, I think that we pull out 1/4 from the division series with Indy and Tenn. and we probably split with Jacksonville. In a year like this year, we sweep Jacksonville and steal one from Indy or Tenn. We seem far away from ever sweeping either Indy or Tenn.

Follow-up question: Based on our division, how do you build this team in the off-season?

I change my mind daily, but from this perspective, I think we do well to pick up another OL in the off-season and draft another RB in the first round and try to establish an offense that can grind it out on the ground. Our defense was much improved last season and can get better, but I think it is going to be tough to put a defense on the field that can consistently stop Indy and Tenn. I think we are better off focusing on a ball control offense that can keep the ball out of the hands of the talented QBs in our division.
 
I say O-Line and D-Line. Your going against Freeny, Mathis, Van Den Bosh, Reggie Hayward and others. Jacksonville has a very good defense, Colts have good passrushers and Tennessee are very young and hungry. You have to fix the O-Line this year. I know people say Carr 5 years.. well I am also waiting for O-Line 5 years. When can we call his line respectable? Above Average? It has to be this offseason.

Now you have Vince, Manning and Leftwich. Leftwich is like a statue. You give him pressure you will be rewarded. Manning is unstoppable when there is no pressure around him. Great when there is. You have to try to get a rush on him. See the bears? They didnt get pressure, Manning torched him. Young you have to rush him and make him throw. He is a weapon running but no a clear weapon throwing yet. You have a fast defense to contain him and a D-Line to keep him from wanting to run with the ball.

Then you got Jones Jr, Henry and White, and Addai. 3 up and comming running backs. You win game at the line. PERIOD!
 
t_flare said:
I say O-Line and D-Line. Your going against Freeny, Mathis, Van Den Bosh, Reggie Hayward and others. Jacksonville has a very good defense, Colts have good passrushers and Tennessee are very young and hungry. You have to fix the O-Line this year. I know people say Carr 5 years.. well I am also waiting for O-Line 5 years. When can we call his line respectable? Above Average? It has to be this offseason.

Now you have Vince, Manning and Leftwich. Leftwich is like a statue. You give him pressure you will be rewarded. Manning is unstoppable when there is no pressure around him. Great when there is. You have to try to get a rush on him. See the bears? They didnt get pressure, Manning torched him. Young you have to rush him and make him throw. He is a weapon running but no a clear weapon throwing yet. You have a fast defense to contain him and a D-Line to keep him from wanting to run with the ball.

Then you got Jones Jr, Henry and White, and Addai. 3 up and comming running backs. You win game at the line. PERIOD!
Click to expand...

These are some good points for upgrading O-line. I am sure that most people agree with you here t_flare but alot of people have their priorities for our team differently. Unfortunately, we have so many holes that the O-line could go virtually unchanged in this offseason, although I hope not.
 
I think you both have very good assessments of where this team is, where we need to go, and what we need to do to get there. When you look at it by saying we definitly need to fix our oline and beef up our dline...then add in there a much improved secondary...and maybe a true starting runningback...its no wonder we're ranked dead last in the south every year.

If you look at everything we Need to be a true contender...we have a long way to go and I don't want us to try and fix it overnight. it can't be done and will only hurt us in the long run.

Like you said..Colts will always be dangerous w/ manning. They will defenitly be battled by Tennessee for next years south champs imo. Titans are young (no pun intended) and are definitly improving and getting better. Nothing really jumps out at me against the Jags except they do have a good D and scare a lot of teams..we just can't take them for granted.

I love the staff we have now. I think they are going about this the right way, so I'm really looking forward to our Texans in a few years when they put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Remember this is more of a marathon than 100 meter dash.
 
t_flare said:
I say O-Line and D-Line. Your going against Freeny, Mathis, Van Den Bosh, Reggie Hayward and others. Jacksonville has a very good defense, Colts have good passrushers and Tennessee are very young and hungry. You have to fix the O-Line this year. I know people say Carr 5 years.. well I am also waiting for O-Line 5 years. When can we call his line respectable? Above Average? It has to be this offseason.

Now you have Vince, Manning and Leftwich. Leftwich is like a statue. You give him pressure you will be rewarded. Manning is unstoppable when there is no pressure around him. Great when there is. You have to try to get a rush on him. See the bears? They didnt get pressure, Manning torched him. Young you have to rush him and make him throw. He is a weapon running but no a clear weapon throwing yet. You have a fast defense to contain him and a D-Line to keep him from wanting to run with the ball.

Then you got Jones Jr, Henry and White, and Addai. 3 up and comming running backs. You win game at the line. PERIOD!
Click to expand...
Your analysis of the chance of beating the other teams is based on their QBs and their RBs. Leftwich is like this, Manning is like that, they all have up and coming RBs. So,,, "You win game at the line. PERIOD!" WHAT?!?!?! Then why did you focus on their QB and RB???

How about WE get a QB and a RB that other teams have to worry about instead of a QB who panics if a defender gets within 5 yards, can't take a shotgun snap, and is doing good to complete more than one pass of more than 3 yards and a RB group either picked up off waivers, or who spent the year on the practive squad or IR.
 
It's too early for this.

There is still plenty of time for signing people for too much money, cutting the wrong guy, drafting with crooked darts, taking a poisoned pill, and riding motorcycles.

Any of these, of which, and could drastically change a season.
 
RB's can found throughout the draft. We need to shore up the big uglies, the secondary, and address the ? at QB. What is about the current crop of #8 wearing QBs?
 
The AFC South could be the most intense division next year. That the Texans go .500 again in the AFC South next year will be very difficult, but it's do-able.

The Texans have to focus on the running game, both on offense and defense, because all three teams have game-changing running offenses (I'm counting Vince for Tennessee). Also, Kubes' offense is a run-first offense. They need the players to establish the run.

That makes the top three upgrades during the offseason the running back, defensive tackle, and linebacker, whether in FA or via the draft.
 
Spike said:
What are everyone's thoughts of the AFC South next year and the years to come? I am excited about the prospect of a productive off-season and hope that we can add several more contributors in this year's draft, but our division could be really tough for the next several years:

(1) Indy - This team will go as Manning goes. As long as he is playing well, Indy is going to be tough to beat, defense or no defense. The bad news is, the D looked pretty good in the playoffs.

(2) Tennessee - No need to state the obvious. This team has incredible upside with Vince and they have a lot of cap room this off-season.

(3) Jacksonville - Nothing about Jacksonville jumps out at me, but I don't think we can expect to sweep them every year.

(4) Houston - Improved, but still a lot of holes to fill.

I think the Texans do well to go .500 in our division for the next couple of years. On average, I think that we pull out 1/4 from the division series with Indy and Tenn. and we probably split with Jacksonville. In a year like this year, we sweep Jacksonville and steal one from Indy or Tenn. We seem far away from ever sweeping either Indy or Tenn.

Follow-up question: Based on our division, how do you build this team in the off-season?

I change my mind daily, but from this perspective, I think we do well to pick up another OL in the off-season and draft another RB in the first round and try to establish an offense that can grind it out on the ground. Our defense was much improved last season and can get better, but I think it is going to be tough to put a defense on the field that can consistently stop Indy and Tenn. I think we are better off focusing on a ball control offense that can keep the ball out of the hands of the talented QBs in our division.
Click to expand...

could be? how about will be. Defending Superbowl Champs twice, A jacksonville team that will be itching to pay us back for basically ruining their playoff hopes last year & a Tennessee team apparently on the rise with enough cap room (Will Bud's cheap A#$ really spend all of that? probably not) to go get anybody they want. The only thing we have going for us is that we Might be able to defensively frustrate jacksonville/Tennessee if we go defense high in the draft, & hope that Mario emerges into the player that most of us seem to think that he can be.
 
TexansSeminole said:
These are some good points for upgrading O-line. I am sure that most people agree with you here t_flare but alot of people have their priorities for our team differently. Unfortunately, we have so many holes that the O-line could go virtually unchanged in this offseason, although I hope not.
Click to expand...

As long as or O-line stays the way it is and gives up as many sacks as they do, it doesnt matter who is under center they wont fare much better than Carr did/does. I dont think alot of people realize that. The o-line makes Carr look way worse than I believe he really is.
 
TexansTrueFan said:
As long as or O-line stays the way it is and gives up as many sacks as they do, it doesnt matter who is under center they wont fare much better than Carr did/does. I dont think alot of people realize that. The o-line makes Carr look way worse than I believe he really is.
Click to expand...

I know this is off topic.. but is that a Guitar for the greatest game in the world??
 
Spike said:
What are everyone's thoughts of the AFC South next year and the years to come? I am excited about the prospect of a productive off-season and hope that we can add several more contributors in this year's draft, but our division could be really tough for the next several years:

(1) Indy - This team will go as Manning goes. As long as he is playing well, Indy is going to be tough to beat, defense or no defense. The bad news is, the D looked pretty good in the playoffs.

(2) Tennessee - No need to state the obvious. This team has incredible upside with Vince and they have a lot of cap room this off-season.

(3) Jacksonville - Nothing about Jacksonville jumps out at me, but I don't think we can expect to sweep them every year.

(4) Houston - Improved, but still a lot of holes to fill.

I think the Texans do well to go .500 in our division for the next couple of years. On average, I think that we pull out 1/4 from the division series with Indy and Tenn. and we probably split with Jacksonville. In a year like this year, we sweep Jacksonville and steal one from Indy or Tenn. We seem far away from ever sweeping either Indy or Tenn.

Follow-up question: Based on our division, how do you build this team in the off-season?

I change my mind daily, but from this perspective, I think we do well to pick up another OL in the off-season and draft another RB in the first round and try to establish an offense that can grind it out on the ground. Our defense was much improved last season and can get better, but I think it is going to be tough to put a defense on the field that can consistently stop Indy and Tenn. I think we are better off focusing on a ball control offense that can keep the ball out of the hands of the talented QBs in our division.
Click to expand...

1) Indy. Yeah Indy is dangerous but they have a weakness and that is when Peyton is under pressure he has trouble. Solution: Need to put pressure on Manning.

2)Tenn: Tenn still has Young and a decent core. Young needs to be contained and must be forced into making his arm beat you. Solution: put pressure on the QB and stack the box.

3) Jags: Jags have a strong RB in MJD. However, it has been shown that pressure can beat Garrad or leftwich. Solution: Need to put pressure on the QB. When MJD is taken out of the game, good things can happen.

So, what do we do:
1. Protect our own QB
2. Put pressure on the other QB
3. make sure we have DBs who can cover
4. use a defensive package that employs more blitzing in appropriate situations.
 
awtysst said:
1) Indy. Yeah Indy is dangerous but they have a weakness and that is when Peyton is under pressure he has trouble. Solution: Need to put pressure on Manning.

2)Tenn: Tenn still has Young and a decent core. Young needs to be contained and must be forced into making his arm beat you. Solution: put pressure on the QB and stack the box.

3) Jags: Jags have a strong RB in MJD. However, it has been shown that pressure can beat Garrad or leftwich. Solution: Need to put pressure on the QB. When MJD is taken out of the game, good things can happen.

So, what do we do:
1. Protect our own QB
2. Put pressure on the other QB
3. make sure we have DBs who can cover
4. use a defensive package that employs more blitzing in appropriate situations.
Click to expand...


stack the box VY will just run past your rush :marionaner:
 
I'm interested to see how VY handles his sophomore year. I'm also interested in what Jax does with their QB situation. The ones they have don't look like great ones. I can see us splitting the series with these two and I hope we can pull off another upset with the Colts. 2-4 is how I see our divisional record for '07. Maybe we can sweep the Jags again, but you can't just pencil that in.
 
Titan "Tack" Fan;593174 said:
Not that simple. Blitzing a scrambling QB can hurt you bad. (you know the example, I don't need to remind you).
Click to expand...

I agree, stack the box & not too much blitzing but if if you want to blitz, do it up the middle & keep your ends at home so if you can flush him, he'll run right into one of your ends. He's a great athlete & he will break some outside, but you just can't let him kill you that way by buying time. Above all else, you have to stay disciplined (Lanes, coverage).
 
I'm a huge VY fan from his days at Texas and have not hidden the fact that I wanted him here badly, but that is for another thread.

That said, I think flooding the zone is a far more effective strategy for beating VY. Vince proved in his Senior year at Texas that he was more than capable of beating teams with his arm, but I'm not sure that he has the comfort level with NFL caliber defensive back fields like he had in college. He'll get to that point, but I don't think he's there yet.

So flood the defensive backfield zones and make him throw it underneath and drive in small chunks. Chances are he'll make a young player mistake and kill the drive before it reaches paydirt. I think eventually that strategy will become less and less effective, but right now.....it is probably the best way to go against the Titans.

Oh, and we are probably last in the AFC South next year.

Indy, Tennessee, & Jax are superior teams.

Go Texans & Hook 'em Horns
 
I think Indy has a few more years as an elite team .

I think the Jags and the Titans are easily within range .

I think next year Vince will be a marked man by defensive cordinators ... that's when he'll really earn his money .

I expect the Texans defense to dominate the second half next year .

The Texan offense should have things sorted out by training camp and should be somewhat better .
 
Well I think the AFC South will be the focal point of the NFL soon due to the competative nature of the division. People tend to focus on the NFC East because the teams always play each other close and I see us going that direction.

Indy's reign of terror is coming to an end. Texans, Jags, and the Titans all have beaten them now and are learning how to play Manning. Playing in Indy will still be tough but the home games will be much more interesting.

The Jags are hard to gauge. We had their number this year, but their defense is good and there is some potential on the offense.

Tenn. is going to be good. Their defense is underrated and made VY look better than he is. VY is a great player but for me he has not crossed that line where men become gods, roaming the field slaying mortals at will.

The Texans are getting better. What would help us more than anything would be a better running game. The best ways to beat VY and Manning are to keep them off the field. Our defense is becoming better and soon I believe it will be the terror of the South...hey that sounds good "The Terror of the South."

Which ever team is sitting at the bottom of the South these next couple of years will be a pretty good team in its own right.
 
i think indy will stay on top of the south for 2 or 3 more years. i hope houston gets better because i actually like them (and i'm a colts fan!). i see the south next year going how it went in '05. i think the jags are still a good team, just are mentally weak (as jaws would say). the titans will get better, but i still see a ~.500 season next year. the texans could inch closer to .500 but IMO will still stay below it next year.
 
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