2009 NFL Season Preview: AFC South

Continuing today, The American Sports Blog will preview the 2009 NFL season. Going division-by-division, we'll look at each team and predict a winner for each division. At the conclusion, we'll predict the Super Bowl matchup and champion. Today, we look at the AFC West:One of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the AFC South features two teams that made the playoffs last season. The Indianapolis Colts were knocked out in the Wild Card game, while the Tennessee Titans lost in the Divisional round. The Titans surprised everyone by winning the division over the Colts, but they clearly earned that right, as they finished the season with the best record in the NFL. In 2009, this division figures to be as competitive as ever, with the Houston Texans also in the discussion. Tennessee Titans (13-3): Last season, the Titans won the majority of their games because of their defense. The unit ranked as one of the best in football, with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth leading the way. Offensively, it was a running game that led the way for the Titans. Tennessee has made improvements during the offseason, and should once again be a top team in not only the AFC, but the entire NFL. Haynesworth had a Pro Bowl year and was a force on the line, which helped out the entire defense. The pressure Haynesworth got on opposing quarterbacks -- he had 8.5 sacks last year -- made things much easier for a secondary that featured multiple Pro Bowlers. Michael Griffin led the team in interceptions with seven, followed by Cortland Finnegan with five. The only noticeable member of the secondary gone is cornerback Chris Carr, who went to Baltimore. What Tennessee will have to do is replace Haynesworth, who signed in free agency by the Washington Redskins. The Titans will likely use a rotation featuring Jason Jones, Jovan Haye and others. Replacing Haynesworth will be extremely difficult, but coach Jeff Fisher has exuded confidence in his defensive tackles. While Tennessee's offense wasn't great, it was solid enough to reach the playoffs. Kerry Collins stepped in against Jacksonville in Week 1, and was impressive throughout the season. No one had expected Collins to play, since Vince Young was the starter, but once Young went out of the Jacksonville game for multiple reasons, Collins had no trouble making fans forget about Young. Collins threw for 2,676 yards and 12 touchdowns. Though those are hardly staggering numbers, they were good enough for a team that featured a great running game. Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 26 touchdowns and just over 2,000 yards. Johnson, who was just a rookie, should be even better this season; as should White, who is on a contract year. Tennessee has a great chance to once again fight for the best record in the league. Though the loss of Haynesworth is huge, the defensive tackles that Fisher has tabbed to fill in are solid. Jones came on late last year when Haynesworth was injured and played well. Moreover, the Titans have an offense that should be even better than last season, which will in turn make the team better overall. Indianapolis Colts (12-4): Everything looks and feels different in Indy these days. Coach Tony Dungy retired, and Jim Caldwell is now the man in charge. Caldwell was hand-picked by Dungy to be his successor, and time will tell how much Caldwell learned from Dungy. Also gone is wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who was always Peyton Manning's favorite target. It's certainly a transition period in Indy, but the Colts are still a force to be reckoned with. Manning is the steadying force for a franchise that has seen some turnover in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Tom Moore and line coach Howard Mudd both retired, but have decided to return to basically their old positions. There was much concern that the Colts would struggle with those two gone, and Indy is lucky to have them back for this season. Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is Harrison's replacement, and he will be counted on to produce early and often. Gonzalez was the team's third-leading receiver last year with 664 yards, but his numbers will need to improve dramatically this year. Manning and Harrison had a special connection and were a great quarterback-wide receiver tandem. While expecting that out of Gonzalez is unfair, he will need to have a 1,000 yard season with Harrison no longer in the fold. Where Indy can really improve is the running game, which was one of the worst in football last year. Joseph Addai is constantly injured, which is why the team drafted Donald Brown in the first round. Brown should improve the Colts running game and make things easier on Manning, last year's MVP. Indy's defense was very good last season, but not great. What can make the unit great this year is a healthy Bob Sanders, who played in just six games last season. When healthy, Sanders is arguably the best safety in the NFL. The problem is that the 5-8, 206 pound Sanders has trouble avoiding injuries, and the Colts defense takes a noticeable dip when he isn't playing. With an explosive offense and good defense, the Colts will be in the playoff hunt as usual. Houston Texans (8-8): Each of the last two seasons, the Texans have finished 8-8. The Texans had a great offense last year, but didn't have the kind of defense that can take a team to the postseason. The defense will need to greatly improve if the Texans want to make a playoff run in 2009. When discussing the league's best offenses, Houston has to be in the converstation. Last season, they were the third best offense in the league, and have a number of weapons to work with. For starters, Andre Johnson is, in my mind, the best receiver in the NFL. Johnson has the ability to beat defenders in multiple ways, and his size (6-3, 225) is tough to deal with. What has destroyed the Texans chances over the last two season, however, has been the health of quarterback Matt Schaub. Schaub has missed a total of 10 games since 2007, and that isn't what will get the Texans to the playoffs. Schaub is an excellent quarterback when he is healthy, but he just hasn't had the ability to avoid injuries since coming to Houston. If the Texans are going to make a run, though, Schaub must stay healthy all season long. Also necessary if the Texans want to make a run is strong play from the defense. Mario Williams has developed into a solid defensive end, but the play around him needs to improve. Bringing in defensive end Antonio Smith from the Arizona Cardinals was a smart move, because that could divert some attention away from Williams. The addition of linebacker Brian Cushing will also help the team, as he has the potential to be a solid player. And now that cornerback Dunta Robinson is with the team again, the Texans appear that have a group that will be much better than they were last year. In the short history of the franchise, the Texans have never made the playoffs. Of all the teams they have had, this one looks to have the greatest chance of playing into January. Houston has an offense that will be extremely tough for opposing defenses to stop. Not only is Johnson a weapon, tight end Owen Daniels and running back Steve Slaton are also dangerous. Look for the Texans to compete for a playoff spot in 2009. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Last season was an utter disappointment for the Jaguars. Coming off an incredible playoff run two seasons ago, much was expected. They returned much of their team that went to the playoffs, and anything less than a return trip to the playoffs was not going to be accepted. But from the opening kick, it seemed, nothing went right for the Jaguars in 2008. Quarterback David Garrard played nearly-flawless football two years ago, throwing 18 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. It was that steady played that led the Jaguars to give him a six-year contract extension worth over $60 million. Garrard didn't live up to that contract last season, though, as he struggled from the get-go. It wasn't all his fault, thanks to a poor offensive line that dealt with injuries all season long. Garrard didn't have the protection he needed to throw the football, and he also didn't have a serviceable receiving corps. Jerry Porter turned out to be a free agent bust, and Reggie Williams struggled all year long. Because of those struggles, the Jaguars spent much of the offseason trying to improve the offense. In the draft, two offensive tackles (Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton) were selected to make the offensive line better. They also drafted wide receiver Mike Thomas, who put up great numbers in college. Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the best running backs in the league, but he can't single-handedly carry the offense. The 2008 season was also a mess for the Jaguars defense. They gave up an average of 22.8 points per game last year, which was in the bottom half of the league. Stopping the pass was by far the Jags biggest issue, as they gave up nearly 225 yards per game. In a division that has explosive offenses, the Jags need to have a good defense in order to compete. Unfortunately for Jaguars fans, the unit still doesn't appear good enough to go up against the likes of the Texans and Colts offenses. With another bad season, coach Jack Del Rio could be fired by owner Wayne Weaver. The fans support in Jacksonville has been terrible, and a good season will be necessary to bring fans back to the stadium. Last week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the Jaguars are among 12 teams facing local television blackouts in 2009. It has since been reported that all eight home games are likely to not be sold out, meaning local fans will not see one game on T.V. this year. The only way for that to change will be to win football games, which will be a tough proposition for the Jaguars in 2009. Division winner: Tennessee. The Titans were a great team last season and have revenge on their minds after losing to the Ravens in the playoffs. Indy will be tough to beat, but the Titans are more than capable of doing it.