Around the league:My AFC South projections

Aug 11, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA Carolina Panthers quarterback Derek Anderson (3) tries to escape pressure by Houston Texans tight end James Casey (86) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

The AFC South hasn’t really been a competitive division the past few years however, that all begins to change this year. Now I’m not remotely suggesting every team will have a chance, I really see this being a two team race. I’m more saying that it has a lot of potential to, in a few years, be at least a three team competition.

4. The Jacksonville Jaguars: Without a doubt this team is the worst in the South, maybe the worst in the league. With MJD’s contract problems, he won’t report to camp and will hold out of the regular season. In my opinion the front office is just being stubborn. This guy is the team’s only weapon, defenses know they only have to stop him, and still can’t do it. With no Jones-Drew, the rest of the offense will completely fall apart and they’re already hanging in by a thread. Other than the offense the defense is quietly very good. They have a nice little pass rush and a secondary that, while not great, can work together with the front end to hold offenses down. They need to settle the differences with “Pocket Hercules,” get Justin Blackmon under control, and keep Blaine Gabbert in check before they can do anything. The defense steals a few for them but they have no chance at competing.

3. The Indianapolis Colts: The Colts were just horrible last season, quite frankly they sucked. Drafting Andrew Luck will not “save” this team as fans hope, but he will lead this team back to playing good football soon. I’m not so high on him because he had one good preseason game against the Rams however, I will say he looked solid. He looked like a veteran at points reading defenses and performed well, even against the starters. The wide outs he has around him are not the best overall, Reggie Wayne was a very good guy to get back, he will teach Luck how to be a pro and a few drafts will improve his pieces. The defense also has to improve but, I did like the re-signing of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, they are still good players. In a few good off-seasons and a good development year of Andre Luck, this team could be back to relevance by at least 2014.

2. The Houston Texans: I’ll start with this;Houston makes the playoffs yet again, and it’s not so much that they’re not good enough to win the division again, but rather that the Titans are too good. The Texans went to the postseason for the first time in their history last year and the defense lead them even through the regular season with Matt Schaub down. The defense will dominate again this season even without Mario Williams (who they missed in the last 11 games of the year not to mention the playoffs) and again be in the top 10 statistically. Other than the “D” the offense will also be good. Arian Foster has been my favorite running back for the past couple years, his versatility literally amazes me. A foster block well, runs strong, hard, and fast, and catches the ball in the slot and out of the backfield. Matt Schaub will help the team in the air even if Andre Johnson can’t stay healthy again. This team is young, hungry, and dominant. They will contest hard for the top spot but, will fall just short getting the wild card.

1. The Tennessee Titans: The Titans have been one of my favorite teams (outside ofSan Diego) for a while now; I really think they have a recipe for winning. The quarterback situation gets me feeling really good; if Jake Locker isn’t ready to start they can definitely count on Matt Hasselbeck until he is. CJ2K should come back strong and return to his old self in 2012. He will help this team win a good amount of games. Last year they went 9-7 and he had a very small impact. With Chris Johnson coming back full force the offense will be solid, Kenny Britt (say what you will about his off-the-field problems) can stretch the field and help the rest of the passing game. The defense was strong last year and can play complimentary to the offense. This team will play hard, give a 110%, and fight for a division crown.

Well that’s what I have everyone I hope you have your own feelings, let me know. Let’s have a really great game tonight and beat up some “Boys.” Enjoy the game and your days. ?

-RRR