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Filed under: Titans, AFC South, FanHouse Previews, NFL Analysis

FanHouse's 2010 NFL Season Preview features division-by-division predictions based on our tried and true "Heat Index" formula. Each team is graded on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) in five key categories: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching and Intangibles. The higher the score, the better we think the team will be this season. Coming Sept. 4: NFC South.

Last year was two seasons in one for the Tennessee Titans, who started out 0-6 and looked buried after a snowy 59-0 loss in New England in that sixth game. But after that game, they elevated Vince Young to the starting quarterback position and took off. Chris Johnson became a 2,000-yard running back. Young's spry legs and strong arm rejuvenated the offense. The Titans won 8 of their final 10 games and actually made a run at the playoffs in spite of their miserable start. So as long as they can figure out how to win a game or two in September, everything should be fine. Right?

Offense -- Nobody runs the ball like the Titans, and the main reason for that is Johnson. Only the Jets had more rushing yards but, and New York needed 100 more carries to amass just 150 more yards than the Titans did on 5.2 yards per carry. Johnson is back and still motivated after failing to get the contract extension he sought, and having Young behind center from Week 1 should help Johnson in his quest to break the league's single-season rushing record. The questions here is whether Young has matured enough as a person and a passer -- and whether he has enough options at receiver -- to become a playoff-caliber quarterback. Heat Index: 7

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More AFC South Previews: Colts | Texans | Jaguars
Complete 2010 NFL Season Preview

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Filed under: Texans, AFC South, NFL Predictions, NFL Analysis

FanHouse's 2010 NFL Season Preview features division-by-division predictions based on our tried and true "Heat Index" formula. Each team is graded on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) in five key categories: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching and Intangibles. The higher the score, the better we think the team will be this season. Coming Sept. 6: NFC South

Make the playoffs. It's the standard goal of any NFL franchise -- once you're in the tournament, anything can happen -- but for the Houston Texans it would be a monumental milestone. The Texans, who joined the league as an expansion club in 2002, have yet to experience postseason play, but entering Coach Gary Kubiak's fifth season they're inching in the right direction. The 9-7 record of 2009 was the first winning mark in the club's eight-year history, though achieving it took four straight victories to end the season (three against losing teams, the last against a New England squad that had clinched its division). Baby steps, baby. Now it's time for one big giant step into January, but it will likely take a winning record in the AFC West. Whoops! The Texans have never done that either, finishing 1-5 vs division foes in '09.

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Offense: Moving the ball for the Texans isn't the problem; doing it with balance is. Quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson have become as dangerous a combination as there is in the league. In his first completely healthy season, Schaub completed 68 percent of his passes for 4,770 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Johnson, meanwhile, has blossomed into one of the game's most explosive wideouts. In '09, he caught 101 passes for a league-high 1,569 yards and nine TDs. Kevin Walters isn't nearly as explosive on the other side, but he's reliable when healthy, and tight end Owen Daniel, coming off a season-ending knee injury, is another rising star. Daniel had 40 catches and five TDs through eight games when he got hurt. Given their passing game, imagine if the Texans could run the ball. Last season, Houston finished 30th in rushing offense (92.2 yards per game), with Steve Slaton leading all ball carriers with a measly 437 yards. Rookie second-round pick Ben Tate could have made a difference, but the former Auburn star was lost for the season during training camp with an ankle injury. New offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who replaced Kyle Shannon (now with his father in Washington), has to keep the passing game lethal and jumpstart Slaton and the running game to keep defenses on their toes. Heat Index: 7

 

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Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, FanHouse Previews, NFL Predictions, NFL Analysis

FanHouse's 2010 NFL Season Preview features division-by-division predictions based on our tried and true "Heat Index" formula. Each team is graded on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) in five key categories: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching and Intangibles. The higher the score, the better we think the team will be this season. Coming Sept. 6: NFC South.

Things were looking surprisingly good in Jacksonville through Week 12 of the 2009 season. The Jaguars stood at 7-5 and were poised to make the playoffs with a strong finish. Unfortunately, they lost their last four games and blew the opportunity. Not that anybody was paying much attention. All but one of Jacksonville's home games were blacked out locally and their average home attendance was a mere 49,652. It's hard to imagine what, if anything, can save the Jaguars from having to leave mid-market Jacksonville in the coming years. The question is whether the few fans they do have there will have anything fun to watch before that happens.

Offense -- The Jaguars do exactly one thing very well -- run the ball with Maurice Jones-Drew. With Fred Taylor having left for New England, the offense became Jones-Drew's entirely last year, and he quite literally took the ball and ran with it. He rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns and continued to build on his reputation as one of the top running backs in the NFL. Jacksonville's offensive line woes didn't seem to bother him, and neither did the inconsistent and inefficient passing game run by QB David Garrard. The Jaguars are at their very best when they can get Jones-Drew the ball and watch him work his magic. Unfortunately, no team can live on rushing alone.

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Filed under: Colts, AFC South, NFL Predictions, NFL Analysis

FanHouse's 2010 NFL Season Preview features division-by-division predictions based on our tried and true "Heat Index" formula. Each team is graded on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) in five key categories: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching and Intangibles. The higher the score, the better we think the team will be this season. Coming Sept. 6: NFC South.

If you believe Peyton Manning, the only thing standing between the Indianapolis Colts and their third trip to the Super Bowl in five seasons is ...

The umpire.

At least that's the way it seemed during the preseason, when the Colts stumbled their way to an 0-4 record, allowing an average of 40 points a game. They never do well in pretend games anyway -- remember that they started 14-0 last season, then sat Manning after cameo appearances in the last two games and lost them both. In fact, their 31-17 loss to New Orleans for the NFL title was the only REAL defeat they suffered all season.

Back to that umpire thing.

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Patrick Crayton has been traded to the San Diego Chargers, Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reported Friday afternoon.

As soon as Dallas drafted Dez Bryant in the first round in April, fellow receiver Crayton figured his days with the Cowboys were numbered. Miles Austin, a revelation in 2009, wasn't going anywhere. Bryant was the shiny new toy. Roy Williams had the big name. Sam Hurd plays on kick coverage teams. And despite Crayton's career-best year returning punts in 2009, the Cowboys want Bryant and fourth-rounder Akwasi Owusu-Ansah to fill that role even though both have missed major time with injuries since being drafted.

All Crayton does is catch the ball (37 catches, 622 yards, five touchdowns while starting just four games last year compared to Williams' totals of 38, 596 and seven while starting 13 games) and return punts better than anyone other than Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and New England's Wes Welker. Crayton's 12.1-yard average ranked third in the NFL in 2009 while his two touchdowns tied Jackson for the league lead.

After two years as the fourth receiver and one at No. 3, Crayton became a starter in 2007. He caught as many touchdowns (11) as quarterback Tony Romo's favorite target, tight end Jason Witten, but the Cowboys still traded for Williams in October 2008 and soon gave him Crayton's job.

Now, with Bryant seemingly recovered from his sprained ankle -- and Hurd having led Dallas with 12 catches for 175 yards in preseason to Crayton's lone 10-yard catch and absence from Thursday night's finale against Miami -- Crayton's "human insurance policy" self-description and spring prediction that he wouldn't be a Cowboy this fall seems to have been fulfilled.

Agent Fred Lyles wanted the Cowboys to make the move Friday to give his client an extra day to find a new team.

"It seems he doesn't figure in their plans," Lyles told The Dallas Morning News. "We don't see the use in prolonging it."

 

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Filed under: Chargers, Jets

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- He has the hands of an elite wide receiver and the feet of a basketball player.

So why is Antonio Gates, the great tight end for the San Diego Chargers, vowing to open his mouth more this year?

"I'm trying to become somewhat of a leader," Gates told FanHouse.

If words were needed in recent years, Gates left the talking to others. Teammates had only to watch him prepare and perform to see what mattered to Gates, named to six Pro Bowls in his seven NFL seasons.

"He's been one of those guys who shows people by example, which is fine by us," said outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, a teammate for the last six years.

But Gates has resolved to speak up, even if it makes him feel awkward.

"I'm getting out of my comfort zone," Gates said. "I'm helping other guys. When you want to win, sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone. That was a path I headed to this offseason."

Why is Gates more apt to speak up now?

San Diego's mistake-filled loss to the New York Jets last January is a big part of it.

"What it does is motivate you to never want to come back to that feeling," he said. "Words really can't explain how it motivates you."

 

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

It seems a foregone conclusion that Sam Bradford will start at quarterback in the opener for the St. Louis Rams against the Arizona Cardinals a week from Sunday.

Even so, it's not official.

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo spoke with the media via conference call Friday and refused to commit to a starting quarterback.

Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the draft out of Oklahoma, is contending with A.J. Feeley for the gig. Feeley has been hurt, hasn't played in the last two games but is probably healthy enough to start Sept. 12 -- if that's Spagnuolo's desire.

Is it?

 

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Filed under: Seahawks, NFC West

Does the Seahawks' trade of Josh Wilson last week give a hint about Seattle's plans for T.J. Houshmandzadeh?

Wilson is a cornerback and Houshmandzadeh is a wide receiver, so their cases are far from identical.

But Wilson was a veteran starter who was expected to play all season with the Seahawks, and he was shipped out when Seattle decided they had enough young talent to cover the position.

The same could be true for Houshmandzadeh, who at the elevated (for the NFL) age of 33 is making $7 million after hauling in 79 passes last year.

 

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Filed under: Patriots, AFC East, NFL Training Camp

With the deadline to finalize the 53-man roster fast approaching, the New England Patriots got right down to business Friday morning by first releasing veteran defensive lineman Damione Lewis.

One school of thought is that New England might bring Lewis back after the season opener against Cincinnati because then they don't have to guarantee his contract, and Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com breaks that down here. The Patriots are thin along the defensive line right now and could use Lewis' experience and veteran leadership.

Reiss also reported within the last hour that tight ends' Rob Myers and Carson Butler have been told they were waived. This comes as no surprise with four-time Pro Bowler Alge Crumpler and celebrated rookies Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez already entrenched on the depth chart. Gronkowski scored his fourth touchdown in the last three preseason games in last night's 20-17 loss to the Giants.

 

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Filed under: 49ers, NFC West

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and wide receiver Michael Crabtree got into an extended verbal dust-up at practice Wednesday, the day before the 49ers played and won their final preseason game of the season 17-14 over San Diego.

Talking after the win over the Chargers, Davis told the media covering the 49ers he was talking to Crabtree in Davis' role as team captain.

He wasn't willing to go into specifics, but he did talk about his motivation.

"I hope he got the message; I think he did,'' Davis said. "I strongly believe that ... if anything that I see that I feel is wrong and needs to be addressed, I'm going to say something.''

 

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Filed under: NFL Video, NFL Analysis

The NFL is in serious discussions to expand its regular season to 18 games, and the debate on the topic has been hot. While the fans are certain to love more regular season action, the players may feel otherwise. Our former Pro Bowl player LeCharles Bentley hates the idea, and wasn't holding back with Pat McManamon on this edition of "NFL Two-A-Days" on FanHouse TV.

 

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Filed under: Dolphins, AFC East, NFL Training Camp

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When David Buehler's 31-yard field goal sailed through the uprights as time expired to give the Dallas Cowboys a 27-25 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium, it started the official clock counting down to the regular season. And there were plenty of intriguing developments from Miami's end to follow as the team boarded the plane bound for Fort Lauderdale, chronicled here by me on MiamiDolphins.com before we took off.

Normally, the attention is centered around those position battles that will help determine the last few spots on the final 53-man roster, and there were some good ones in the game. But it was something that happened early in the second quarter that had Dolphins beat reporters scrambling with deadline fast approaching. On the same play that starting quarterback Chad Henne was sandwiched by Cowboys' linebackers Victor Butler and Brandon Williams, turning the ball over on a fumble, Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long was shaken-up.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound pillar of the Dolphins offensive line was holding his left knee and first had it examined on the sideline before heading inside to the locker room for a closer examination. Dolphins' Head Coach Tony Sparano and the rest of the team and their fans held their collective breath, but when Long came back out for the second half still in uniform and with no visible protection on the knee, those fears were put to rest.

After the game Long deflected all questions about the knee to Sparano and did say he'll be all right. Sparano said he did not know what Long's status is, but being as he was able to leave the stadium under his own power and was not wearing any protective brace, it appears that whatever the injury was it is minor and he should be ready for the opener at Buffalo a week from Sunday.

 

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Filed under: Chargers, AFC West

With many San Diego starters sitting out Thursday night's preseason finale at San Francisco, wide receiver Jeremy Williams was among the young Chargers' players trying to take advantage of the extended playing time to win a roster spot.

All NFL teams must reduce their rosters to the season-opening limit of 53 by Saturday.

Williams, an undrafted free agent, returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown and caught four passes in San Diego's 17-14 loss to the 49ers.

One of the receptions by Williams, a 29-yarder, set up the Chargers' only other touchdown, on a 2-yard run by Curtis Brinkley. However, Williams also fumbled at the end of another catch.

Still, Williams feels like he left it all out on the field in his bid to earn a roster spot.

"I felt like I needed to have a good game today to show that I can come back and that I am progressing gradually," Williams told Chargers.com. "After I came off the field, I looked up and I was like, 'You know, I put everything I could into it. Whatever happens, happens.' As of right now, it's out of my control.'"

Coach Norv Turner said he and his staff have some tough decisions ahead of them as they shape the final roster.

"It was good for our young players to play as much as they did," Turner said. "The biggest thing for us is we have some decisions to make at the bottom of our roster. We got a good look at a lot of our young players."

 

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Filed under: Texans, AFC South

The Houston Texans did more than cut ties with a veteran kicker Friday morning.

They cut ties with their roots, too.

Kicker Kris Brown, the last remaining player on the roster from the Texans' 2002 inaugural season, was released Friday morning, a day after the team's preseason finale. The team opted instead to keep free agent kicker Neil Rackers, brought in this past offseason to compete with Brown.

Brown told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle he was disappointed but not surprised.

"I did everything that I could do, and they had a difficult decision to make," Brown said Friday morning after being informed of the decision. "I'm disappointed, but I can't say it caught me off guard. I've said from Day 1 that I would focus on what I could control - competing and kicking."

 

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Filed under: Redskins, NFC East

Dallas raised eyebrows during the 2009 draft by selecting USC kicker David Buehler in the fifth round. After all, Nick Folk had enjoyed a fine 2008 season kicking for the Cowboys and was just 24. And after not winning a playoff game since 1996, Dallas wasn't so powerful that it could afford to waste a draft pick on a player who wouldn't contribute for years, maybe ever. Why keep two young kickers?

Buehler made the team as a kickoff specialist and the Cowboys looked prescient when Folk struggled and was cut in December. Shaun Suisham took over and when he faltered, too, Dallas was so bold as to promote Buehler during the offseason and not even bring a competitor to training camp to challenge him.

Thursday night, Buehler rewarded the Cowboys' faith by booting field goals of 40, 45 and 51 yards before hitting a 31-yarder as time expired that beat visiting Miami 27-25 to complete a 3-2 preseason for Dallas.

"I really would have played this game, would have staged it, put the air conditioning on, opened the door to create those circumstances for Buehler to get that opportunity," crowed Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones. "That was worth the ballgame for us to see him step up here and make those kicks. We've got us a kicker."

 

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Filed under: Eagles, NFC East

Michael Vick started an NFL game last night for the first time since New Year's Eve 2006. That was Vick's final game before he became embroiled in a dogfighting scandal that landed him a 23-month prison sentence and a two-year NFL suspension. Ironically, that game, which Vick, then Atlanta's star quarterback, departed after spraining his right ankle on the opening play of the second half, took place in the same stadium as last night's, Lincoln Financial Field.

Only this time, Vick was starting because Philadelphia coach Andy Reid rested his regulars, including young quarterback Kevin Kolb. Vick, who signed with the Eagles when his suspension ended last year, played just two drives behind the second-string line before yielding early to rookie Mike Kafka.

"The guy's 30 years old," Reid said of Vick, who was 3-of-5 for 56 yards and ran twice for 11 yards. "He's been in this league a long time. I think he's ready to go."

 

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Filed under: Giants, NFC East

Last year, the Giants closed a 1-3 preseason with a 38-27 loss to the Patriots and proceeded to win their first five games by an average of 16 points. The point being that there's probably no point in trying to read too much into New York's 20-17 victory against New England that closed a 2-2 preseason last night. Except that it was a good night for Eli Manning, the only NFC East starting quarterback to play in his team's preseason finale.

Manning incurred a three-inch forehead gash in New York's preseason opener. He missed the next week and didn't look sharp when he returned against Baltimore on Aug. 28. But Thursday night against their Super Bowl XLII opponents, Manning led a nine-play, 86-yard opening drive that he finished with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss.

"It puts a team together when you can go down the field and be able to put the ball in (the end zone)," said Ahmad Bradshaw, who seemingly has supplanted Brandon Jacobs as the Giant's No. 1 back. "It gives us a lot of confidence and it helps us go further along the road."

Before donning a baseball cap, Manning was 7-for-9 for 91 yards and the touchdown.

 

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Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South

The NFL.com experts have weighed in with their predictions for the 2010 season and four of the seven pick the Falcons to win the NFC South.

Not me.

I am one of those guys who want to see the money first. I didn't see the money. Cornerback Dunta Robinson, the big free agent signee, was injured this preseason.

Can he play? Not sure. Is he the guy that this squad desperately needs to fix its secondary? Not sure.

I'm also looking at the early schedule. The Falcons can win at Pittsburgh in the opener, but then they play Arizona, New Orleans, and the 49ers.

 

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Filed under: Saints, NFC South

You know that spot on the Saints depth chart where it lists the third-string running back?

New Orleans needs to leave that blank. It's bad news, kiss of death, playing with fire, just ugly. Skip over it. Make believe the fourth-string guy is really the third-string guy.

Chris Ivory, the undrafted free agent, who was making room for himself in the Saints' backfield, suffered a knee injury Thursday night in the Saints' final preseason game.

He follows Lynell Hamilton and P.J. Hill to the sidelines. Hill is gone for good with a triceps injury. Hamilton hurt a knee.

Ivory slid into the spot behind Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush and now he is hurt.

Next?

 

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Filed under: Broncos, AFC West, NFL Training Camp

Here are some impressions from the Denver Broncos' 31-24 loss at Minnesota on Thursday night in a preseason finale:

Rookie quarterback Tim Tebow recovered nicely from a rough start against the Vikings and appears to have the edge over Brady Quinn for the No. 2 job behind starter Kyle Orton.

Tebow's fumbled snap on his first play was returned for a touchdown and he threw an interception that led to a Vikings field goal during his next series. But he pulled himself together and then went on a tear. He completed 12 of 13 passes at one point, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to Matt Willis and converted a third down with a 14-yard scramble.

Overall, Tebow was 12 of 16 for 167 yards for a 75 percent completion rate, a 10.4-yard average per completion and a passer rating of 102.9.

Quinn had his strongest outing of the preseason after struggling previously but Tebow may have too much momentum for him to win the backup job.

Almost lost in all the hype over "Tebowmania" has been the exceptional preseason play of Orton, the only one among the three with the benefit of a year in coach Josh McDaniels' complicated offensive system. Orton has turned that experience into a preseason that saw him go 38 of 57 for 397 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions and a 95.4 passer rating.

He led the Broncos to a touchdown on their opening series with LenDale White finishing the drive with a 2-yard run. In all, Orton led the Broncos to 52 points in his six quarters of preseason play.

"Hopefully, we can do that in the regular season," Orton told the Denver Post. "I think we got some confidence from the preseason. I think more than anything, we're excited."

 

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