Sportaholic Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts Preview

The Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts come into this weekend’s game losing by a combined 87 points to their opponents last week. Both teams took one on the chin as they were just pummeled and were only able to produce 14 points between the two. Tennessee’s 41-7 loss marked their worst lost of the season and to top things off it was at home. The Titans look to rebound against Indianapolis who is still winless and getting desperate just to get a W on the board at this point after one of the worst losses in their franchise history. The Colts season continues to tank without their all everything QB Peyton Manning. I think most people expected them to be bad but lord have mercy not this awful. The joke I can keep hearing in Nashville is “Yeah we lost but at least we didn’t get beat as bad as the Colts did” I guess you have to just roll with it here in Tennessee.

This marks the 2nd straight home game for the Titans and a chance for them to get back on track after losing their last two in unceremonious fashion. The Colts come into the game ranked 27th in the league in passing yards per game and 29th in points scored per game. And that’s just their offense. Those numbers would be unheard of it number 18 was still leading them. If you go just by the numbers the Titans should dominate this game but of course games are not played on paper. Tennessee has enough problems of their own after being exposed by Texans. Houston ran their offense to near perfection on the Titans who put up little to no resistance. Coming into that game its was suppose to be an AFC South showcase between the two prohibitive favorites but Tennessee failed to get the memo. I saw several red flags in that game that puzzles me still to this moment. If your going to talk about Titans ineptitude, then you have to start off with the enigmatic RB Chris Johnson. Sports talk radio in Nashville has been going crazy with reports that Johnson has been seen out partying this week even as the Titans are in turmoil. I could care less about the partying and even more about those reporting it. Johnson has been doing the same things he always did but when you sign a $53.5 multi million dollar deal then everyone feels they should have an opinion on your lifestyle. Johnson does have to start producing on the field because a lot of people are starting to lose faith in the former All-pro back. He doesn’t seem to have that spunk that has carried him to greatness in his NFL career, I will agree to that much.

Another puzzling aspect from the Houston loss was the Titans defense. Arian Foster did everything he wanted and more in gaining 234 yards of total offense and 3 TDs. Foster’s 234 outdid the entire Titans offensive unit who were only able to muster up 148 yards of offense. That’s just pathetic and when you add what Ben Tate did with his 104 yards on 15 carries then you get the picture that I’m painting here. The Titans defense could never get the key stop that they needed and showed poor tackling as both backs continued to burst through the front 7 of the defense. Now with all due respect, the Texans do have one of the best offenses in the league as they are ranked 7th in the overall in total offense even without stud WR Andre Johnson but the Titans usually have a good showing against them. This was one of the first times I can remember saying without a doubt that the Texans were most definitely better than the Titans.

For the Titans to get back on track they have to get back to the things that made them successful and get off to that 3-1 start. Matt Hasselbeck in those 3 wins was able to spread the ball around and the receivers were able to get open to provide him with passing lanes. The defense was playing with a bend but don’t break mentality and were getting considerable more pressure on the QB. Neither of those things are happening right now and as a result they are on this two game losing skid. The Colts should provide sweet relief for the Titans as they had even a worse loss than Tennessee did. Curtis Painter, the man anointed with the misery of taking over for Peyton, was only 9-17 for 67 yards and one touchdown. The Saints passed for 321 yards and ran for another 236. the 62 points they scored was the highest allowed in the Colts team history. Indianapolis’s defense has been a joke ranking near the bottom in most defensive categories. I hate it to say but Chris Johnson and the offense really has a chance to do some damage if they are focused but that remains to be seen.

Now lets take a look at the 3 key factors of the game:

1. Which team comes out and strikes first? Before you could blink your eye in both games featuring the Titans and the Colts last week it was over. The Texans went up 20-0 by halftime on Tennessee and New Orleans was up 21-0 after the first and 34-7 at halftime. One of these teams will put up points early and gain confidence. The Titans have every reason to get off to a hot start as they are at home and after taking all those boos from last week they should be motivated from the first snap of the game. Curtis Painter and the Colts offense have been getting better each week but they no where close to what the Titans should be able to bring to the table. Even with that being said, if the Colts can find a way to accumulate points early and gain some traction then they could make this one a game. Watch out for who draws first blood and see how the momentum goes from there.

2. Which Titans offense will show up? The Titans have every reason to be successful on offense this Sunday. As I mentioned above, the Colts statistically are ranked near the bottom of every major defensive category. Matt Hasselbeck and his receivers should be able to find open lanes and even Chris Johnson should get loose as Indianapolis hasn’t’ stopped anyone on the ground this season. Now if Tennessee gets back into their bad habits of poor blocking, Hasselbeck trying too do to much and buy too much time, and Johnson running east-west instead of north-south then they could become their own worst enemies. Football is a cruel sport and can teach you a cruel lesson if you don’t play up to your potential. If the Titans play the way that they can on offense then they should have no problem disposing of the Colts.

3. Home field disadvantage? This game marks the 100th game in LP field for the Titans. Their record is 62-37 all time here in Nashville. You couldn’t tell that by the way the fans voiced their displeasure at last Sunday’s game. How will the fans in this one if the Titans come out flat like they did against Houston? That remains to be seen but in most games the LP faithful are some of the best fans in the league. If they come and cheer as they usually do, they can make this an even harder game for the lowly Colts. Curtis Painter will be baptized by fire with his first start in Nashville and I’m curious to see how he performs. Also, how will they react if Chris Johnson has another no show game like he did last week.



Final Prediction: This is a game the Titans can’t lose after being manhandled at home by Houston. The Colts are dangerous in a sense because they are desperate for a win in any conceivable way, so they will pull out all the stops. As long as the Titans play their game and don’t get into their bad habits they should win this will with ease. No Peyton Manning equals no wins so far for the Colts and I’m sure the Titans would like to keep it that way.



The Pick: Titans 31 Colts 17



NOTES

COLTS: Seek 6th consecutive win against Titans…Since realignment in ’02, Colts have 42-13 (.764) record vs. AFC South…In 4 career starts, QB CURTIS PAINTER has completed 60 of 108 passes (55.6 pct.) for 813 yards with 5 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 87.5 passer rating…RB JOSEPH ADDAI has 3 rush TDs in past 3 vs. Ten. Rookie RB DELONE CARTER (4th round, No. 119) had career-high 89 rush yards last week. Carter has rush TD in 2 of past 3 games…WR REGGIE WAYNE (817) needs 3 receptions to surpass Pro Football HOFer STEVE LARGENT (819) for 20th-most catches all-time. WR PIERRE GARCON is averaging 102.3 rec. yards per game in past 3 games vs. Titans (307 total). Has 3 TD catches in past 2 against Ten…WR AUSTIN COLLIE has 3 TD catches in 2 career games vs. Ten…DE DWIGHT FREENEY (98.5) needs 1.5 sacks to become 26th player with 100 career since stat became official in ’82. Freeney has 13 sacks in 16 career games vs. Titans. DE JAMAAL ANDERSON registered 1st sack as Colt last week…LB PAT ANGERER leads team with 79 tackles…TITANS: Dating back to 12/19/10, club has won 3 of past 4 at LP Field…QB MATT HASSELBECK has 90+ passer rating in 4 of 6 games this season. In only start vs. Colts (w/ Seahawks on 12/24/05) Hasselbeck completed 17 of 21 passes (81 pct.) for 168 yards with 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 131.7 passer rating…RB CHRIS JOHNSON has 100+ rush yards in 2 of past 3 vs. Colts (113, 111). Johnson (35) needs 2 rush TDs to surpass STEVE MC NAIR for 3rd-most rush TDs in franchise history (EARL CAMPBELL, 73; EDDIE GEORGE, 64). Johnson (4,866) needs 134 rush yards to reach 5,000 career. Tied season-best with 6 rec. last week…WR NATE WASHINGTON has 90+ rec. yards in 2 of 3 home games this season…TE JARED COOK is averaging 17.7 yards per catch this season (13 rec., 230 yards). Cook has TD catch in 2 of past 3…CB JASON MC COURTY leads team in tackles (51) & INTs (2) in 2011

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 7

Another week in the books for the NFL and a few things are starting to be clear about this season. QBs rule the NFL universe as this week saw multiple QB changes, some good (Tebow’s last 5 minutes, Christian Ponder) and some not so good (Tebow’s first 3 ½ quarters, John Beck, Carson Palmer’s debut with the Raiders). This is a QB driven league so we all know that you only can go as far as your QB can lead you. Speaking of QBs, Ndaumkong Suh continues his assault on QBs The way he and Cliff Avril of the Lions twisted up Matt Ryan should have put him out the game. The Lions are fast becoming the nastiest team in the league.

Tough day for Palmer and Boller

How about that 2 minute drill by San Diego against the Jets? I will never understand what was going on in Norv Turner’s mind with that one. Plaxico finally annoucned that he out of the pen and ready for some football with his 3 TD standout game on the Chargers. I will Carson Palmer a pass on that terrible display of football we seen against the Chiefs. He was thrown out way to early but the Raiders with Kyle Boller playing so bad. What did Tim Tebow have to wait until the last minutes of the game before he found his rhythm? I mean he had everything he needed and more that game with the Dolphins holding a Florida Gator tribute. That has to be the stupidest scheduling of an event in recent memory but that’s Miami for you. I have never heard Reggie Bush get mad except for that time he found out Kim Kardishian was dating Miles Austin, but he was plenty angry with his team after that fiasco against the Broncos and Tebow.

Murray just shed the St.Louis D to pieces

How bad are things in Indianapolis right now? Peyton Manning should win MVP for NOT PLAYING at this point. Get shell-shocked 62-7 on a primetime Sunday night against the Saints. I know the offense should suffer but when Drew Brees throws more TDs then incompletions than something is terribly amiss here. I remember watching this weekend and saying to myself what wrong with Chris Johnson? The newly minted $53.5 million dollar man just can’t kick it into high gear and for intensive purposes looks like he is stuck in a rut. He picked a bad time for his game to go down as the Titans got it handed it to them by the Texans. While CJ was laying an egg in Nashville, Demarco Murray was running like his hair was on fire in Dallas. 253 is 253 yards I don't care if the Rams have the worst run defense in the league. And to think that the Dallas coaching staff is still saying that its Felix Jones job when he gets back from injury, my question is why? He is explosive when healthy but thats the thing with him, he is never healthy. If Murray follows up his record breaking game with at least half of those yards agaisnt Philly, I say he has earned a starting role.

This guy is not human.

 I am fully convinced now that Cam Newton just isn’t human. That amazing run he had against the Redskins confirmed it for me. Christian Ponder looked way better in his first start then Donovan McNabb did in his previous 6 starts so that means the writing is on the wall for McNabb. It’s sad to see his career fade out the way is. Aaron Rodgers as always was money in that game and I just can’t see him not winning the MVP this year with the way he is playing.

Now time for the rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) – Consistency is one of the greatest attributes a QB can have and right now Aaron Rodgers in the most consistent QB in the league. Each week he seems to out do himself from the last and he is the main reason there is talk of an undefeated season in Green Bay. Now I don’t believe it will happen but that doesn’t stop the chatter. Minnesota showed some fight in this game with Ponder starting instead of McNabb but they let Rodgers and that deadly offense have the ball last in hope of stopping them and that’s just something you don’t want to count in against the Pack. Green Bay will continue to roll but someone will eventually beat them. We shall see who that team is but until further notice they remain at the top spot.

2. New Orleans Saints (5-2) – As I stated above, I understand that the absence of Peyton to Indy puts the offense at a disadvantage, everyone knows that but what is the defenses excuse? New Orleans made this a laugher early and NBC probably wouldn’t have cared if they called a mercy rule on this one. Drew Brees just keeps rolling although he wasn’t able to get over the 350 yards passing for the first time in awhile. The Saints are playing defense again with crazy man Gregg Williams mixing and matching his blitz schemes. Sean Payton didn’t even high to be in the booth for this one. I have to put the Saints at # 2 for their thrashing of the Colts.

3. New England (5-1) – The team that everyone loves to hate had a bye week so we don’t get to talk about some super human type of performance from Tom Brady and Wes Welker. Don’t you Pats haters worry to much they take on Pittsburgh this weekend which is sure to be one of the weekends top match ups

4. San Francisco (5-1) – It stills feels funny writing about the Alex Smith led 49ers. They are 5-1 and they have a chance to win their next three games against Cleveland, Washington, and the New York Giants. This team has luxury of playing in the worst division in the NFC West so they have every reason to run away with this thing. Alex Smith leading a team to a division title, that’s just a funny sentence.

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) – That had to be one of the worst MNF games in recent memory. The Ravens not getting a first down until the 3rd quarter was get atrocious. There is no way you can defend yourself for that kind of offensive performance. Joe Flacco has looked great in some games this year and flat out horrible in others. Ray Rice couldn’t find any running lanes and none of the Baltimore receivers could get open. Just an ugly display of football but the Ravens are known to have a let down game or two in them a year. So I will keep them in the top for now but if we get anymore performances like Monday, then there out.

Titans vs. Colts Preview

Are you ready for some Thursday night football? The Titans and Colts face off tomorrow as two desperate teams searching for answers right now. Indianapolis and Tennessee are the perennial powers of the AFC South. Since the creation of the division in 2002, these two are the only teams to win it (Colts have won the title six times and the Titans the other two times). Both teams started the year off hot with Indianapolis going 6-3 and Tennessee jumping out the gates at 5-2. But since then both teams have been in a deep slump as the Colts have lost three in a row and the Titans 5. The Colts still control their playoff destiny at 6-6 and the Titans aren’t so lucky at 5-7. With Jacksonville at 7-5, mathematically both of the teams still have a chance to catch the division leading Jags. With that being said, these two teams know each other well and if they want to win division this year; neither can afford to lose this game.

Peyton Manning’s struggles have been well documented this year. He had another 4 pick performance last weekend against the Dallas Cowboys and hasn’t looked like the Peyton that we have been accustomed to or he may be doing his best Brett Favre impersonation. Manning has thrown 11 interceptions during Indianapolis’ three-game losing streak. He now has to take on a Titans defense ranked eighth in the league with 15 interceptions. I won’t place all the blame on him though, as the Colts are without some of their top playmakers in Joseph Addai, Austin Collie, and Anthony Gonzalez. Their run game has been a joke this year averaging just 54.6 yards and 3.0 yards a carry. You can tell Peyton has figured that he will have to do it all himself and is pressing. The result of his pressing has been the interceptions that you don’t usually see from him.

Tennessee’s problem has been the offense. As of week 6, the Titans had the number 2 scoring offense in all of football at 29.2 points a game, but as of the last 13 quarters they haven’t scored an offensive touchdown. You would think with the addition of such an accomplished receiver as Randy Moss that their production would increase not decrease when he came to town. The Titans haven’t really used Moss as I predicted that they would and he seems to be frustrated with the direction the team is going in. Chris Johnson has found little running room in the last two games as he has just 58 yards in those contests. The Titans need a spark offensively and got some good news with the return of Kenny Britt at receiver. Another problem the offense has faced is the inconsistency of having the same QB week to week. Kerry Collins will start for the second consecutive time, marking only the first time the Titans have had a QB start consecutive games since Vince Young, beat Dallas and Jacksonville in weeks 5 and 6.

Now for the key match-ups that will determine the game:



1. Peyton Manning vs. Titans Secondary – As I stated above, Manning is facing a top ten secondary so he has to play like the 4-time MVP that he is. In the game against Dallas, I saw throws come out of his hands that I haven’t seen since his playing days with the Tennessee Volunteers. He was thinking instead of reacting as he usually does. He is trying to make the big play instead of the good play and it is leading to turnovers. He has to manage his eagerness and just do what he capable of. The Titans secondary is very opportunistic and will have some chances to swing the momentum if Manning continues his lackluster performances of late.

2. Colts run game vs. Titans defense – If there was ever a time for the running game to show up for the Colts the time would be now. The Titans have allowed 159.4 rushing yards during it’s their 5 game losing streak. The Colts added their former running back Dominic Rhodes to bolster that department. Joseph Addai also has seen limited action in practice this week has been ruled out for the game. Mike Hart is yet another injured running back for the Colts and his game status is unknown. If the Colts could somehow get one of their main guys healthy, they would have a chance at a big game against the Titans. Maurice Drew-Jones made a highlight reel of the defense last game, going off for 186 yards. The run more than anything else would help Manning at this point. He would be able to set up play-action fakes and take some of the pressure off his shoulders to carry the offense. This may be the most important factor in the game.

3. Chris Johnson vs. Colts Run Defense – The prediction CJ made this year was the worse thing he could have did. Not only did he basically put every NFL defense on notice but he also put a large target on his back with his 2,500 yards statement. Every team the Titans have played this year now implements a certain defensive scheme just to stop number 28. I know Johnson won’t back down but that prediction was a bust as he now has 1,026 yards so far this season. He may finally find some running room in this game as the Colts defense is allowing 171.3 yards a game during their three game slide. I look for the Titans to get him the ball early and often to try and soften up the Colts run D. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are two of the best pass rushers in the game and they will feast on the QB if they don’t have a reason to worry about the run. Johnson will have his chances; it will be up to him to take advantage of them.

This will be a great game based on the pure agony each team will face with another lost. Peyton will be on his A-game after his dreadful performance against the Cowboys. You don’t see many back to back bad performances from the Sheriff. The Titans have lost five in a row and are due for a good game at this point. If the Colts and Titans want to keep the division within reach, then this is the game where it has to start. Another loss for either and they will continue their drop into obscurity. Which team will show up and play to their capabilities? Hopefully both teams but we will see.



Game Notes: Since the advent of the AFC South in 2002, only two franchises have won the division title: the Colts (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) and the Titans (2002, 2008). The AFC South is the only division in the NFL with only two champions from 2002 to present.

• Thursday night’s game marks the first of three AFC South games over the next four weeks: Tennessee this week, Jacksonville (at Lucas Oil Stadium) on Dec. 19, and the Titans (at Lucas Oil Stadium) on Jan. 2.

• Despite trailing Jacksonville (7-5) in the AFC South race by a game, Indianapolis (6-6) can win the division by posting victories in all four of its remaining regular-season games.

• Four of the Colts’ six losses have been by three points or fewer (Jacksonville, 31-28; Philadelphia, 26-24; New England, 31-28; and 38-35 to Dallas in overtime).

• The average margin of defeat for Indianapolis this year is 6.8 points.

• Two former Colts currently play for Tennessee: offensive guard Jake Scott(notes) and linebacker David Thornton(notes). Scott was a fifth-round draft pick by Indianapolis in 2004. Thornton was taken in the fourth-round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Colts. Both joined the Titans as free agents once their original Indianapolis contracts expired.

• Peyton Manning has an 11-5 regular-season career record against Tennessee. He has completed 357 of 503 passes for 3,976 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 16 regular-season games against Tennessee.

Manning has completed 71 percent of his career passes against the Titans. He has a career 101.3 passer rating when facing Tennessee.

He has thrown for 300 or more yards five times against the Titans, with a high game of 425 yards in a 51-24 win on Dec. 5, 2004.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 8

Another tough week in the NFL and a few top teams took a tumble. The Jets couldn’t score a point in Lambeau and Pittsburgh met a desperate defending Super bowl champ with all the voodoo working on Halloween. The Titans for some reason just can’t beat the Chargers. The Patriots and the Colts beat up on Minnesota and Houston. Some other really good teams had a bye this week. (Giants, Ravens, Eagles)



Now let’s unveil the new top five

1. New England Patriots – They just keep finding ways to win. They shut down the Vikings offense when they needed to and Tom Brady will always give you an opportunity to win. The throw he made to Brandon Tate was a thing of beauty. The young defense is now starting to find their way and jell. The hit by Myron Rolle on Brett Favre was vicious, gave the old man eight stitches. And for all the Randy Moss pre-game talk, he had all of one catch for eight yards.

2. Indianapolis Colts – Did you see Peyton Manning run for a first down Monday night? I see why he doesn’t do that often, he looked so awkward sliding. Even with all the weapons they have lost, they remain potent on offense. As long as the Sheriff is in town, they have a shot. (Pun intended)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers – Talk about a tough venue, trying to go into the Super Dome and face “Who Dat” nation on Halloween. They even set a world record for the largest Halloween gathering with 17,777 fans in costumes (don’t they always have that many at every home game?). I can’t say that they didn’t have their chances though. A lot of late mistakes but sooner or later Big Ben was going to show some vulnerability. The Saints defense finally played like it did last year. With that all said, the Steelers will be just fine

4. New York Jets – A goose egg Jets? Did I miss the frozen tundra out there or something? Mark Sanchez took a lot of heat for that game but it wasn’t his entire fault. His receivers (Jerricho Cotchery in particular) dropped multiple passes. The run game wasn’t effective either, with LT and Shonn Greene combining for just 76 yards. The Jets defense did their part, only allowing a very good offensive team to nine points. It was just an ugly game by both teams. That Clay Matthews is a beast.

5. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens had a bye this week and with Tennessee losing, I have to keep them at this spot. They have a tough game against Miami this week. The Dolphins are 4-0 on the road this season and are coming to town. We should get a better feel for the Ravens, after their head scratching performance against Buffalo.

Honorable mention: Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings

I wanted to wait until the Monday night game was in the books but upon further review I don't have Dallas (duh) or the Giants in my top five so it was OK to go ahead and post my Power rankings. In one of my previous posts (http://thenashvilleblog.com/2010/10/pretenders-and-contenders/) I listed my Pretenders and Contenders as of week 4. The list included two teams at the time that I thought until they got their act together were not going to make the playoffs. Both of those teams have finally straightened up and look to make some major noise going into week 9. The two teams you ask? None other than AFC co-division leaders Tennessee and Indianapolis and both make their introduction into the top five. And with that being said let's jump in the Power Rankings

1. New York Jets - I have to keep them here even though they had a bye week. The offense has been fluid and only looks to get better with another week of practice and finding places for Santonio Holmes to get the ball. Sexy Rexy's (Pun totally intended) defense will always show up and give the team a chance. I really like this team and they look to be the class of the league right now

2.Pittsburgh Steelers - As everyone knew, the addition of Big Ben to the offense has infused life back into that side of the ball. Before Rothelisberger, the passing offense was ranked dead last and now with him back they have already rose to 26th in the league. Aaron Smith was lost for the season with a torn tricep and may be a bigger blow than most think but the defense is the least of their worries these days in Steeler nation. One other thing I worry about with the Steelers is how they sometimes get a little cute with Ben back in the lineup and pass more than they should. All in all this is a solid team and Super Bowl contender.

3. Tennessee Titans - On paper you look at this team and try to figure out who some of these guys are. You know the names Vince Young, Chris Johnson, Cortland Finnegan and after his break out performance Kenny Britt. I challenge anyone outside of of Tennessee to name any other players from this team. Hmm? That's what I thought. But the thing about the Titans is that they play with a mean streak that is indicative of their coach Jeff Fisher. They will hit you in the mouth, just ask Philadelphia. The emergence of Britt really is intriguing for this team. If you can combine a speedy deep threat to the likes of Chris Johnson you are definitely on to something. The running lanes will be open more now for Johnson and Vince Young now that a passing game has developed. This is a team to be reckoned with and will have something to say about the AFC south crown.

4.New England Patriots - The gritty, gutty Patriots gutted one out against the mistake prone San Diego Chargers but it wasn't without its faults. The Pats almost had a fourth quarter meltdown. San Diego was able to find their offensive rhythm in the fourth and came back from 20-3 down to almost tie the game. New England was saved by a missed field goal from the unreliable Kris Brown ( Houston fans know what I am talking about.) New England is a good team but I am weary of their young defense. Good teams will make that field goal and take it to overtime or not be in that position at all in the first place. I noticed a lot of holes in the secondary that Phillip Rivers was able to take advantage of. But to be honest if that is one thing you have to worry about, than you should be OK. As long as Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck are on the same page, the good times should continue in Boston.

5.Indianapolis Colts - I flipped and flopped in my head who to put in this slot. I really like Baltimore, but that was just a bad performance they had against the Bills. They should have blown them out. So instead I will go with the Colts this week. Indianapolis had a bye this week and thank god for that. The players have been dropping left and right with Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Donald Brown all getting injured. The biggest one is Clark, he has always been Peyton's safety net, so that will definitely be a blow to their high powered offense. I just think Manning will find a way to get the best out of what he has and they will battle Houston and Tennessee all the way to the end for the AFC South. I have a personal belief to never ever bet against Peyton Manning. He has burned me too many to do so.

Honorable Mention: Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs.