My Preseason Predictions:
1.Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
2.Houston Texans (9-7)
3.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Actual Standings:
1.Houston Texans (9-7)
2.Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
3.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Houston Texans:
1.Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
2.Houston Texans (9-7)
3.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Actual Standings:
1.Houston Texans (9-7)
2.Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
3.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Houston Texans:
Team MVP's: DE J.J. Watt, WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Jonathan Joseph, OLB Whitney Mercilus, T Duane Brown
-I never thought I'd say this, but the Texans should've never gotten rid of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Every single sad quarterback they trotted out this season (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden) has no business starting in the NFL. The Texans may have been able to make the playoffs with this conglomerate of below average QB's leading the charge, but they won't be serious contenders until they find a competent quarterback.
-After two solid seasons to start his career, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins became a superstar in 2015. Hopkins put together a ridiculous season (111 receptions, 1,521 yards, 11 TD) with a revolving door of quarterbacks and went onto secure the first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections of his career. Hopkins is the type of player you build an offense around and if the Texans can bring in a legitimate starting quarterback, he could end up being the best receiver of his generation.
-2015 further confirmed that the Texans do not have a viable replacement in place for injury-prone star running back Arian Foster. Once Foster went down for the year with a ruptured achilles in their Week 7 loss against the Dolphins, the Texans rushing game officially went out the window. Aside from the occasional splash play or short-yardage touchdown run, the combination of Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk failed to provide a consistent spark in the running game and made the Texans already talent-strapped offense almost completely one-dimensional. Foster's extensive injury history, age (he'll be 30 in August) and huge cap hit ($7 million) make him a prime contender to be cut before the start of the new league year, so it'll be imperative for the Texans to find a new starting running back in the draft or free agency this offseason.
-Romeo Crennel deserves a ton of credit for what he was able to do this with his defense this season. I was highly critical of him and the effectiveness of his scheme in the beginning of the year after they allowed 40+ points to the Falcons and Dolphins, but he was able to fix a majority of the issues after the Dolphins game in Week 7 and turn this defense into one of the most productive and stout units in the league for second half of the season. Crennel is still one of the best defensive coordinators in the league and this defense will perennially be among the league's best as long as he's around.
-The Texans front seven might be the most underrated in the league. The cyborg otherwise known as three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Player J.J. Watt may be the undisputed face of this defense with all of the accolades and media attention he receives, but he's hardly the only difference maker the Texans have up front. Whitney Mercilus continued his trend of steadily improving every single season by picking up a career-high 12 sacks and 2014 number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney made a remarkable recovery from microfracture surgery to become one of the team's most consistent run-stuffers. They still lack a true nose tackle (Vince Wilfork did not work out nearly as well as they had hoped) and the inside linebacker duo of Brian Cushing and Beanrdrick McKinney is a bit inconsistent, but this is a productive, young unit that hasn't even come close to reaching their full potential.
-I never thought I'd say this, but the Texans should've never gotten rid of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Every single sad quarterback they trotted out this season (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden) has no business starting in the NFL. The Texans may have been able to make the playoffs with this conglomerate of below average QB's leading the charge, but they won't be serious contenders until they find a competent quarterback.
-After two solid seasons to start his career, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins became a superstar in 2015. Hopkins put together a ridiculous season (111 receptions, 1,521 yards, 11 TD) with a revolving door of quarterbacks and went onto secure the first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections of his career. Hopkins is the type of player you build an offense around and if the Texans can bring in a legitimate starting quarterback, he could end up being the best receiver of his generation.
-2015 further confirmed that the Texans do not have a viable replacement in place for injury-prone star running back Arian Foster. Once Foster went down for the year with a ruptured achilles in their Week 7 loss against the Dolphins, the Texans rushing game officially went out the window. Aside from the occasional splash play or short-yardage touchdown run, the combination of Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk failed to provide a consistent spark in the running game and made the Texans already talent-strapped offense almost completely one-dimensional. Foster's extensive injury history, age (he'll be 30 in August) and huge cap hit ($7 million) make him a prime contender to be cut before the start of the new league year, so it'll be imperative for the Texans to find a new starting running back in the draft or free agency this offseason.
-Romeo Crennel deserves a ton of credit for what he was able to do this with his defense this season. I was highly critical of him and the effectiveness of his scheme in the beginning of the year after they allowed 40+ points to the Falcons and Dolphins, but he was able to fix a majority of the issues after the Dolphins game in Week 7 and turn this defense into one of the most productive and stout units in the league for second half of the season. Crennel is still one of the best defensive coordinators in the league and this defense will perennially be among the league's best as long as he's around.
-The Texans front seven might be the most underrated in the league. The cyborg otherwise known as three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Player J.J. Watt may be the undisputed face of this defense with all of the accolades and media attention he receives, but he's hardly the only difference maker the Texans have up front. Whitney Mercilus continued his trend of steadily improving every single season by picking up a career-high 12 sacks and 2014 number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney made a remarkable recovery from microfracture surgery to become one of the team's most consistent run-stuffers. They still lack a true nose tackle (Vince Wilfork did not work out nearly as well as they had hoped) and the inside linebacker duo of Brian Cushing and Beanrdrick McKinney is a bit inconsistent, but this is a productive, young unit that hasn't even come close to reaching their full potential.
Indianapolis Colts:
Team MVP's: G Jack Mewhort, ILB Jerrell Freeman, DE Henry Anderson, ILB D'Qwell Jackson, T Anthony Castonzo
-Everyone and their brother was quick to criticize the Colts for their mediocre 2015 season. While some of the criticism is undeniably justifiable as the team failed to make the playoffs a year after reaching the AFC Championship game, it's actually kind of a miracle that the Colts were even able to finish .500 given all of the adversity they faced this season. Starting quarterback and offensive catalyst Andrew Luck missed nine games with assorted injuries, the team switched offensive coordinators halfway through the season and a parade of injuries and an uncharacteristically subpar play from cornerback Vontae Davis made their already weak pass defense even more vulnerable. Some blame needs to be handed out to the coaching staff for the play-calling and utilization (or lack there of) of certain players on both sides of the ball and general manager Ryan Grigson for interfering with head coach Chuck Pagano's on-field personnel decisions, but the Colts under-performance in 2015 can mainly be tied to key injuries and lack of continuity.
-Speaking of Grigson, the Colts made a HORRIBLE decision keeping him on board. This is a man who over the course of the past 12 months has made the following moves: 1. Used a first-round pick on a position (wide receiver) that's already a strength on his team when his defense and offensive line are riddled with holes. 2. Handed out numerous massive free agent deals to well past their prime veterans including wide receiver Andre Johnson, outside linebacker Trent Cole and guard Todd Herremans (who got cut in December). 3.Regularly prevented Pagano from setting the roster/starting lineup he wanted. Retaining a toxic presence and terrible personnel guy like Grigson doesn't make sense for a team that isn't that far away from being a serious title contender.
-Anyone that said Andrew Luck is finished and that his "first three years were a fluke" during the 2015 season needs to have their head examined. If you watched the Colts play for more than a few minutes in 2015 and/or aren't a sadistic Patriots fan that goes to extreme lengths to make fun of the Colts and their misfortunes, you would know that Luck wasn't healthy from the jump this season. Luck's shoulder issues prevented him from being able to make the throws he's accustomed to making and it ended up causing an uptick in the accuracy and turnover issues that have been Luck's Achilles' heel since he entered the league. It's nothing short of ridiculous to doubting Luck's status as a franchise quarterback because of one injury-plagued season and I'll be flabbergasted if he doesn't return to the dominant form he displayed in 2012-14 next year.
-Amidst all of the miscues in the secondary and poor performances against just about every high-powered offense they faced, the Colts can at least take solace in the fact that their front seven looks likes it's finally starting to come together. Inside linebackers Jerell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level all season long, ex St. Louis Ram-defensive end Kendall Langford proved a lot of doubters wrong by emerging as the Colts most consistent pass-rusher in 2015 and rookie defensive end Henry Anderson was a highly disruptive presence before going down with a torn ACL in Week 9 against the Broncos. They still need to add a pass-rusher or two, but for the first time since the start of the Freeney/Mathis-era in 2004, the Colts seem to have the foundation for a productive front seven in place.
-Everyone and their brother was quick to criticize the Colts for their mediocre 2015 season. While some of the criticism is undeniably justifiable as the team failed to make the playoffs a year after reaching the AFC Championship game, it's actually kind of a miracle that the Colts were even able to finish .500 given all of the adversity they faced this season. Starting quarterback and offensive catalyst Andrew Luck missed nine games with assorted injuries, the team switched offensive coordinators halfway through the season and a parade of injuries and an uncharacteristically subpar play from cornerback Vontae Davis made their already weak pass defense even more vulnerable. Some blame needs to be handed out to the coaching staff for the play-calling and utilization (or lack there of) of certain players on both sides of the ball and general manager Ryan Grigson for interfering with head coach Chuck Pagano's on-field personnel decisions, but the Colts under-performance in 2015 can mainly be tied to key injuries and lack of continuity.
-Speaking of Grigson, the Colts made a HORRIBLE decision keeping him on board. This is a man who over the course of the past 12 months has made the following moves: 1. Used a first-round pick on a position (wide receiver) that's already a strength on his team when his defense and offensive line are riddled with holes. 2. Handed out numerous massive free agent deals to well past their prime veterans including wide receiver Andre Johnson, outside linebacker Trent Cole and guard Todd Herremans (who got cut in December). 3.Regularly prevented Pagano from setting the roster/starting lineup he wanted. Retaining a toxic presence and terrible personnel guy like Grigson doesn't make sense for a team that isn't that far away from being a serious title contender.
-Anyone that said Andrew Luck is finished and that his "first three years were a fluke" during the 2015 season needs to have their head examined. If you watched the Colts play for more than a few minutes in 2015 and/or aren't a sadistic Patriots fan that goes to extreme lengths to make fun of the Colts and their misfortunes, you would know that Luck wasn't healthy from the jump this season. Luck's shoulder issues prevented him from being able to make the throws he's accustomed to making and it ended up causing an uptick in the accuracy and turnover issues that have been Luck's Achilles' heel since he entered the league. It's nothing short of ridiculous to doubting Luck's status as a franchise quarterback because of one injury-plagued season and I'll be flabbergasted if he doesn't return to the dominant form he displayed in 2012-14 next year.
-Amidst all of the miscues in the secondary and poor performances against just about every high-powered offense they faced, the Colts can at least take solace in the fact that their front seven looks likes it's finally starting to come together. Inside linebackers Jerell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level all season long, ex St. Louis Ram-defensive end Kendall Langford proved a lot of doubters wrong by emerging as the Colts most consistent pass-rusher in 2015 and rookie defensive end Henry Anderson was a highly disruptive presence before going down with a torn ACL in Week 9 against the Broncos. They still need to add a pass-rusher or two, but for the first time since the start of the Freeney/Mathis-era in 2004, the Colts seem to have the foundation for a productive front seven in place.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Team MVP's: WR Allen Robinson, WR Allen Hurns, QB Blake Bortles, RB T.J. Yeldon, C Stefen Wisnewski
-Don't look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be becoming a legitimate offensive force. Behind the combination of quarterback Blake Bortles, rookie running back T.J Yeldon and the absolutely lethal receiver tandem of Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, the Jaguars were able to go from the league's bottom ranked scoring offense (15.6 points per game) in 2014 to 14th (23.5 points per game) in 2015. The scariest part about this QB/RB/WR combo is that none of them have more than two years experience in the league. If all of these guys continue to make steady year-to-year progress, the Jaguars should be one of the most explosive offenses in the league for a LONG time.
-Blake Bortles' 2015 season is one of the more interesting ones I've seen in all my years of following football. If you were to simply look at his numbers (4,428 YDS, 35 TD, 7.31 YDS per attempt), you would conclude that he had a sensational season. However, due to the Jaguars bad habit of playing from behind, Bortles did a fair amount of his damage through the air in garbage time situations. Along with his somewhat inflated stats, the combination of bad offensive line play and his gunslinger mentality forced him to throw a league-high 18 interceptions. While his numbers weren't as impressive as they appear to be on paper, it's not to say that Bortles didn't have an impressive season. His throwing mechanics and poise in the pocket were greatly improved from 2014 and that allowed him to hit the intermediate and deep throws he missed in his rookie campaign at a much higher rate. His game is still very much a work in progress, but Bortles is starting to look like the polished, rocket-armed, franchise quarterback he was touted to be when he came out of Central Florida University.
-While the offensive line wasn't as inept as it was the past two seasons, they still weren't particularity good in 2015. They surrendered 51 sacks (4th most in the league) and regularly forced Bortles to run for his life and/or make ill-advised throws downfield. Aside from center Stefen Wisnewski-who served as an effective, stabilizing presence in the middle of the line- this entire unit was well below average. Left tackle (and former top five overall pick) Luke Jockel further solidified his status as a catastrophic draft bust, free-agent pickup right tackle Jeremy Parnell struggled mightily in his first season as a full-time starter and a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Colts prevented second-year guard Brandon Linder from building on his impressive rookie campaign. If the Jaguars want their offense full of young, gifted skill-position players to reach their full potential, they're going to need to solve their offensive lines woes as soon as possible.
-The massive strides the Jaguars have made on offense in 2015 did not translate to the defensive side of the ball. Outside of a few standout performers (defensive tackle Roy Miller, outside linebacker Telvin Smith, cornerback Davon House), this defense was a grade-scale mess in 2015. Their pass-rush was below average (they were tied for 20th in the league with 36 sacks), they failed to create takeaways with any sort of regularity (18, tied for 26th in the league) and their lack of talent at cornerback and (especially) safety made them one of the most easily beatable secondaries in the league (their pass defense was ranked 29th in the league). The return of vastly underrated defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. from injury should help this unit improve in 2016, but they're still a long way away from even being a serviceable defense in this league.
-In an era where it seems no head coach is given time to properly assemble and develop a team, I can not applaud Jaguars owner Shad Khan enough for keeping Gus Bradley around to see the rebuilding process through. The Jaguars have gotten better in each of Bradley's three seasons with the team and there's no denying that the development of their many young players are directly correlated to his presence. I have a feeling Khan's patience with Bradley is going to pay off in the very near future.
-Don't look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be becoming a legitimate offensive force. Behind the combination of quarterback Blake Bortles, rookie running back T.J Yeldon and the absolutely lethal receiver tandem of Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, the Jaguars were able to go from the league's bottom ranked scoring offense (15.6 points per game) in 2014 to 14th (23.5 points per game) in 2015. The scariest part about this QB/RB/WR combo is that none of them have more than two years experience in the league. If all of these guys continue to make steady year-to-year progress, the Jaguars should be one of the most explosive offenses in the league for a LONG time.
-Blake Bortles' 2015 season is one of the more interesting ones I've seen in all my years of following football. If you were to simply look at his numbers (4,428 YDS, 35 TD, 7.31 YDS per attempt), you would conclude that he had a sensational season. However, due to the Jaguars bad habit of playing from behind, Bortles did a fair amount of his damage through the air in garbage time situations. Along with his somewhat inflated stats, the combination of bad offensive line play and his gunslinger mentality forced him to throw a league-high 18 interceptions. While his numbers weren't as impressive as they appear to be on paper, it's not to say that Bortles didn't have an impressive season. His throwing mechanics and poise in the pocket were greatly improved from 2014 and that allowed him to hit the intermediate and deep throws he missed in his rookie campaign at a much higher rate. His game is still very much a work in progress, but Bortles is starting to look like the polished, rocket-armed, franchise quarterback he was touted to be when he came out of Central Florida University.
-While the offensive line wasn't as inept as it was the past two seasons, they still weren't particularity good in 2015. They surrendered 51 sacks (4th most in the league) and regularly forced Bortles to run for his life and/or make ill-advised throws downfield. Aside from center Stefen Wisnewski-who served as an effective, stabilizing presence in the middle of the line- this entire unit was well below average. Left tackle (and former top five overall pick) Luke Jockel further solidified his status as a catastrophic draft bust, free-agent pickup right tackle Jeremy Parnell struggled mightily in his first season as a full-time starter and a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Colts prevented second-year guard Brandon Linder from building on his impressive rookie campaign. If the Jaguars want their offense full of young, gifted skill-position players to reach their full potential, they're going to need to solve their offensive lines woes as soon as possible.
-The massive strides the Jaguars have made on offense in 2015 did not translate to the defensive side of the ball. Outside of a few standout performers (defensive tackle Roy Miller, outside linebacker Telvin Smith, cornerback Davon House), this defense was a grade-scale mess in 2015. Their pass-rush was below average (they were tied for 20th in the league with 36 sacks), they failed to create takeaways with any sort of regularity (18, tied for 26th in the league) and their lack of talent at cornerback and (especially) safety made them one of the most easily beatable secondaries in the league (their pass defense was ranked 29th in the league). The return of vastly underrated defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. from injury should help this unit improve in 2016, but they're still a long way away from even being a serviceable defense in this league.
-In an era where it seems no head coach is given time to properly assemble and develop a team, I can not applaud Jaguars owner Shad Khan enough for keeping Gus Bradley around to see the rebuilding process through. The Jaguars have gotten better in each of Bradley's three seasons with the team and there's no denying that the development of their many young players are directly correlated to his presence. I have a feeling Khan's patience with Bradley is going to pay off in the very near future.
Tennessee Titans:
Team MVP's: TE Delanie Walker, DT Jurrell Casey, S Da'Norris Searcy, OLB Brian Orakpo, T Taylor Lewan
-Quarterback Marcus Mariota's rookie season was a very mixed bag. On the positive end, he had a much smoother transition to running a pro-style offense from the spread he ran in college than most people expected and was able to put up decent numbers with a one-dimensional offense that has next-to-no weapons and a horrendous offensive line. On the other side of the coin, he was a little too desperate to prove that he wasn't just a running quarterback and often remained stationary in the pocket when he could've extended a play with his legs and regularly struggled with reading defenses and going through his progressions. It's still unclear whether or not Mariota will be a successful quarterback at the professional level, but Titans fans can at least be happy that he didn't set off any of the significant red flags that previous Heisman-winning, spread-system quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel did in their rookie years.
-Delanie Walker is the latest example of an excellent player not getting the credit he deserves because he plays on a terrible team. Walker was nothing short of sensational in 2015, putting up 1,088 yards and 6 TD's on 94 receptions and emerging as the only player Mariota could trust on the entire offense to deliver every week. It's nothing short of a travesty that he was snubbed from the AP All-Pro and initial Pro Bowl squad.
-While the Titans defense is still a long way away from being good, it was clear that the pairing of defensive coordinator Ray Horton and defensive assistant Dick LaBeau got through to them. Even though the talent was suspect, they played with a lot more aggression and heart than they did during their disastrous 2014 campaign. Even though Horton just left the team on January 22nd to take the defensive coordinator position with the Browns, I expect their improvement to continue in 2016 with LaBeau running the show by himself .
-The Titans quietly had one of the best free agent hauls of 2015. Every single one of their major signings (Da'Norris Searcy, Brian Orakpo, Wesley Woodyard) came out and made an impact this season. While 2015 was another thoroughly underwhelming season for the Titans, at least recently-fired general manager Ruston Webster was able to formerly apologize for four years of bad drafts with one solid free-agent class.
-The decision to get rid of head coach Ken Wisenhunt in the middle of the season was the right one. Outside of improbable blowout victories in both of his season openers, he had won just one game in his two years with the team and it became clear that he just wasn't the right guy to turn this team around. However, I'm baffled by the team's choice to promote interim head coach/tight ends coach Mike Mularkey to full-time head coach. The Titans performed only marginally better under his watch than they did with Wisenhunt as head coach and it didn't seem like the team really bought into whatever he was selling. I understand that their ownership didn't want to completely shake up the culture of the team in the middle of a major rebuilding phase, but tapping a man whose two previous NFL head coaching gigs have gone horribly wrong to try and turn things around seems like a decision that will keep the Titans in the basement for at least the next couple of years.
-Quarterback Marcus Mariota's rookie season was a very mixed bag. On the positive end, he had a much smoother transition to running a pro-style offense from the spread he ran in college than most people expected and was able to put up decent numbers with a one-dimensional offense that has next-to-no weapons and a horrendous offensive line. On the other side of the coin, he was a little too desperate to prove that he wasn't just a running quarterback and often remained stationary in the pocket when he could've extended a play with his legs and regularly struggled with reading defenses and going through his progressions. It's still unclear whether or not Mariota will be a successful quarterback at the professional level, but Titans fans can at least be happy that he didn't set off any of the significant red flags that previous Heisman-winning, spread-system quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel did in their rookie years.
-Delanie Walker is the latest example of an excellent player not getting the credit he deserves because he plays on a terrible team. Walker was nothing short of sensational in 2015, putting up 1,088 yards and 6 TD's on 94 receptions and emerging as the only player Mariota could trust on the entire offense to deliver every week. It's nothing short of a travesty that he was snubbed from the AP All-Pro and initial Pro Bowl squad.
-While the Titans defense is still a long way away from being good, it was clear that the pairing of defensive coordinator Ray Horton and defensive assistant Dick LaBeau got through to them. Even though the talent was suspect, they played with a lot more aggression and heart than they did during their disastrous 2014 campaign. Even though Horton just left the team on January 22nd to take the defensive coordinator position with the Browns, I expect their improvement to continue in 2016 with LaBeau running the show by himself .
-The Titans quietly had one of the best free agent hauls of 2015. Every single one of their major signings (Da'Norris Searcy, Brian Orakpo, Wesley Woodyard) came out and made an impact this season. While 2015 was another thoroughly underwhelming season for the Titans, at least recently-fired general manager Ruston Webster was able to formerly apologize for four years of bad drafts with one solid free-agent class.
-The decision to get rid of head coach Ken Wisenhunt in the middle of the season was the right one. Outside of improbable blowout victories in both of his season openers, he had won just one game in his two years with the team and it became clear that he just wasn't the right guy to turn this team around. However, I'm baffled by the team's choice to promote interim head coach/tight ends coach Mike Mularkey to full-time head coach. The Titans performed only marginally better under his watch than they did with Wisenhunt as head coach and it didn't seem like the team really bought into whatever he was selling. I understand that their ownership didn't want to completely shake up the culture of the team in the middle of a major rebuilding phase, but tapping a man whose two previous NFL head coaching gigs have gone horribly wrong to try and turn things around seems like a decision that will keep the Titans in the basement for at least the next couple of years.
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