Gästebuch » State of the AFC South heading into week two

The Colts’ loss to the Bengals in week one was a major disappointment. It wasn’t that anyone expected them to absolutely win the game Youth Jordan Wilkins Jersey , we entered it with modest expectations for their play. However, they were in command of the game and let it slip away, ending on a hope-crushing turnover. It was a tough way to lose your first game.The good news is, 2 of the other 3 AFC South teams lost their openers as well, so the Colts are in good company within the division. So let’s take a look around the AFC South and see how our divisional opponents fared in week one.Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty ImagesOur first stop is with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are widely viewed as a team in “win now” mode and they have one of the most complete teams with the exception of one position. Unfortunately, that position is quarterback. This fact was evident in their week one matchup against the New York Giants.They punted on seven straight drives, and simply struggled to get any real offense going. The saving grace for the team was that they were playing a Giants team that, despite having several stars on its offense, could not overcome the Jaguars’ smothering defense. In fact, if not for a Myles Jack interception that was returned for a touchdown, this game would have been a loss as well. One area of concern is that on an already stagnant offense, the Jags lost their star running back, Leonard Fournette, to a hamstring injury during this game. The team is optimistic that he will be able to return quickly to action, but the loss of their only significant weapon on the offense will be tough to overcome, even with a nasty defense. Having said all that, the Jaguars went on the road and got a win in tough conditions. That is what good teams do Womens Jack Doyle Jersey , and they are definitely a good team. Time will tell if their flaws are too difficult to overcome.Tennessee Titans (0-1)Photo by Marc Serota/Getty ImagesThe Tennessee Titans are in big trouble. It is tough to make sweeping conclusions after just one week of play, but the Titans lost three of their four most important pieces on the offensive side of the ball on Sunday. In what was a very odd contest punctuated by delays due to inclement weather, the Titans dropped a game to the Miami Dolphins in week one. A loss is bad, but the injuries suffered by the team are worse. Marcus Mariota left the game after sustaining an injury to his elbow. Mariota simply struggles to stay on the field and healthy, and if that injury affects his play or lingers for any amount of time, it is a problem for this team. Tight end Delanie Walker, arguably the best tight end in the division and the Titans’ best offensive passing weapon, was lost for the season after sustaining an ankle injury. Additionally, Taylor Lewan, the Titans excellent starting left tackle was knocked out of the game by a nasty blindside block that landed him in concussion protocol. If Lewan isn’t healthy, that is a major blow to the offensive line that was already missing Jack Conklin at right tackle. The Titans’ schedule is not going to be forgiving over the next couple games either, as they face the Texans at home, then the Jaguars on the road, before coming home to face the Eagles. All three of these teams have defenses that would love nothing more than to tee off on a battered Titans’ offensive line. Houston Texans (0-1)Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesSpeaking of trouble, the Houston Texans may be in it too. Why? Because they entered the season as arguably the team with the worst offensive line in the NFL. That was before they lost their starting right tackle, Seantrel Henderson, for the season with a broken ankle.Behind that line Womens Adam Vinatieri Jersey , second year quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled. He looked very much like a player who was returning from injury, and he’s going to get hit a lot. New England’s defense is not even close to as good as what the Texans will face throughout the season, and they made the offensive line look as bad as it is. Personally, I don’t think Watson will play as poorly all season as he did Sunday. He has talent, and that will come through. However, he was very fortunate in many of his passes last season, and it would not be surprising if he regressed some this season, especially given the pass rush he will face given the line’s dearth of talent. There is enough talent on this team to get some wins, but they cannot afford any more injuries to their offensive line if they hope to have any kind of offense, or keep their quarterback healthy.Where do the Colts stand by comparison?I actually think the Colts are in a good place comparatively. The Colts are very likely to be the only team in the AFC South who can consistently produce any significant offense. They also have a young and exciting group of defensive players who will make some plays but who will undoubtedly make a lot of mistakes as well. However, the other teams in the South have got some really critical divisional matches early on, and the Colts play only the Texans prior to their bye week. That gives those young defenders a lot of time to learn and grow throughout the season before hitting that critical part of the season.Perhaps that will matter very little. The Colts need to ultimately start winning games to be relevant, and if the defense doesn’t play better, and the offense goes stagnant in the second half, they won’t win many games. It seems that much has been made about the rise of the AFC South as a new power, but at this point it may be prudent to pump the brakes on that sentiment.2018 Week 4: Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts Open Thread The Colts head into their first AFC South match-up with a chance to put the Texans in a very difficult position. A Colts give them a two game cushion over Houston and would put the Texans in an 0-4 hole to start the year. A loss by one or both of the Titans and Jaguars could see Indianapolis move up in the rankings as well. With the New England Patriots on the road Thursday night, this is one Frank Reich really needs to win. Here are some of the keys to an important home win.Pester Deshaun WatsonOver the last couple of weeks Womens Ryan Grant Jersey , the Colts have started to get something going with their pass rush. Kemoko Turay showed signs of production, Margus Hunt continues to dominate, and Darius Leonard’s speed has shown in a big way. Perhaps the best pass rusher of the bunch, Jabaal Sheard, has also be dialing up the pressure and could easily be tied for the team lead in sacks right now if not for penalties.If Andrew Luck has earned a reputations for holding onto the ball too longer in his young career, Deshaun Watson certainly belongs right there with him. They both have a fearless attitude in the pocket and try to extend plays. Sometimes this trait leads to heroics, other times, especially against fast penetrating defenses, it can lead to sacks, turnovers, and negative plays.If the Colts can get into Watson’s head and stay there, it’s unlikely that the Texans backfield will be able to carry Houston to a win.Red Zone EfficiencyThe Indianapolis Colts offense has come into the 2018 season looking sluggish. There are plenty of causes for this, including Andrew Luck being rusty and needing some time to get himself completely back into game shape, and injuries all of the offense. However, Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni must find a way to improve the red zone issues. If the Colts can’t punch the ball into the end zone when they get into the red zone, there will be unnecessarily large weight placed on the Colts defense to continue carrying the team.Andrew Luck’s Decision-Making and AccuracyThere are plenty of questions about Andrew Luck’s arm strength to this point in the season, and we’ve monitored and reported on this questions — including full film breakdowns every week to see how Luck is progressing. Assuming that his throwing shoulder is still healthy and not experiencing a set back Womens Denico Autry Jersey , Indianapolis needs him to cut down on the mental mistakes and easy misses.Colts fans are used to seeing Andrew Luck use deep ball accuracy to pick apart opponents and create big plays. To this point, a drop by T.Y. Hilton, pass interference calls, and some throws that have been off-target have limited some of the home run plays. Frank Reich’s play-calling style and quick hitting offense certainly play a role in this change as well but the offense will have to start hitting on deep strikes to really open things up.Offensive BalanceThe Colts are a fumble, a few penalties, and a couple of broken red zone plays away from being in a much better position this year. One thing appears to be a key to the offense have more success and keeping Indianapolis in games is offensive balance. When the Colts go away from the ground game, even against top rushing defenses, sledding gets really difficult. It’s possible that Frank Reich and the coaching staff need to stick with Jordan Wilkins a bit more and allow him to get the most out of each carry as he has certainly been the back with the most consistent success in his limited opportunities.Slow Down the Texans Pass RushSomehow, the Texans defense line that includes players like J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney should be one of the more manageable units the young team has faced this season. These players are still premier weapons and highly effective at creating disruption and getting to the quarterback. With Joe Haeg recently placed on injured reserve and Anthony Castonzo set to miss another game, Denzelle Good and Le’Raven Clark will have to continue playing up and doing their best to keep Andrew Luck clean.If Luck has time in the pocket and can get the ground game and quick passing game going, T.Y. Hilton should have a nice day. If Luck is on his back, that isn’t possible.Game Time1 PM ET on Sunday, September 30, 2018LocationLucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, INTV ChannelCBS– Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (color commentator)RadioWFNI (107.5FM/1070 The Fan) and WLHK (Country 97.1 Hank FM)Referee AssignmentCarl Cheffers“Enemy” BlogBattle Red BlogTwitterFollow @StampedeBlue for the complete Colts coverage.FacebookLike Stampede Blue on Facebook!PodcastApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Art 19 | SB Colts Cast YT Channel