subject: Nfl Tickets - Midseason Report: Afc South [print this page] Here is a midseason look at the AFC South.
Indianapolis Colts (8-0): The Colts certainly have not suffered any setbacks in making the transition from Tony Dungy to Jim Caldwell at the head coaching spot. Peyton Manning is playing the best football of his career - even better than the year he broke Dan Marino's passing touchdowns record. Through eight games, Manning is completing better than 70 percent of his passes, which is an astounding number. Fans who get NFL tickets to see Manning play are seeing a master at work, as he picks apart defenses play by play, driving his team all the way down the field with pinpoint precision on their way to the end zone.
Manning has turned what most people thought was a decent group of receivers into a dangerous one. Wide receiver Reggie Wayne is having the best season of his career, as is tight end Dallas Clark. One could argue that both players are having the best seasons of any player at their respective positions. Austin Collie has emerged as a reliable slot receiver with Anthony Gonzalez out with an injury for most of the first half. Joseph Addai has not wowed anyone at running back, but he's doing enough to keep defenses honest for the most part. I wouldn't be surprised to see Donald Brown get an increased workload in the second half, though.
The Colts' defense has been good, but they suffered two huge injuries going into Week 8, losing both Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson for the season. Kelvin Hayden has also been hurt; that's three-quarters of the team's starting secondary. If anything ends up becoming the Colts' Achilles heel this season, it will probably be the secondary.
Houston Texans (5-4): Houston has the look of a playoff team and they nearly stole one from the Colts in Week 9. Matt Schaub is finally having the season that the organization thought he could when they acquired him from Atlanta a few years back. Owen Daniels was enjoying a career year before going down with a season-ending injury, but I still think this team has what it takes to make the playoffs. If they can figure out what's going on with their running game, then they'll have a good shot at the postseason, as the defense is adequate to support an explosive offense like this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4): This team is a bit up and down, but they'd be smart to run Maurice Jones-Drew more often. Jones-Drew is shining in his first season as a feature back and the team has not given him the ball enough. The passing game and defense are average, so they need to play to their strength early and more often. I don't think they can make the playoffs, but they can definitely build some momentum going into next season. In the NFL, though, you never know.
Tennessee Titans (2-6): The Titans started the season 0-6 before making the switch at quarterback to Vince Young. Young is 2-0 on the season and is playing within himself and the offense. He hasn't been making any big mistakes like in seasons past and is relying on running back Chris Johnson to carry the offensive load for the most part. I like how the team is easing him back into the offense, getting him comfortable before they start to unleash his full playmaking ability.
