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Conference Preview: AFC

By Aric Manthey

Feb 25, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of NFL Wilson football and NFL shield logo helmet at the peristyle end of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum will serve as the home of the Los Angeles Rams for the 2016 season after NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow Rams owner Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to relocate the franchise from St. Louis. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of NFL Wilson football and NFL shield logo helmet at the peristyle end of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum will serve as the home of the Los Angeles Rams for the 2016 season after NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow Rams owner Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to relocate the franchise from St. Louis. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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AFC SOUTH

4th Place: Tennessee Titans

2016 Record: 5-11

Explanation: Like the Browns, this team has a ways to go. Despite the fantastic off-season in

Jul 26, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of a Tennessee Titans helmet during training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; General view of a Tennessee Titans helmet during training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

which they replenished their roster with young talent, it will take time for them to gel and win big. They have their young QB and some good weapons around him on offense while they managed to coax one of the greatest minds in the history of pro football to run their defense.

Despite those developments, they still have too many question marks heading into 2016 to give them a respectable record.

If there’s one thing that this team will do well, it will be running the rock.  Between Mariota’s scrambling abilities and DeMarco Murray’s burst between the tackles,  I expect the Titans to be one of the best rushing teams in the NFL.

While they will win a few more games than they did in 2015, there’s still enough uncertainty for me to have caution about their prospects for 2016. First off, who is their owner? Secondly, is Mike Mularkey their real choice to be the Head Coach or is he this year’s Jim Tomsula?  As much as some want to get excited about this team, we have to remember that the situation at the very top of this organization is shaky(at best).

Until this team resolves their leadership conundrum and matures, I don’t see them being a playoff caliber team. Will they be better? Yes. How much better? Not much.

3rd Place: Houston Texans

2016 Record: 7-9

Explanation: Explain to me why so many “analysts” are high on this team again?  Is it because of

Oct 8, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Houston Texans helmet before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Houston Texans helmet before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

the optimism surrounding their 72 million dollar QB? Is it because they have the talent to be a top 5 Defense? Is it because they have a capable RB in Lamar Miller? All of those could be reasons for playoff optimism with this team but let’s face it, this team may have been the most overhyped in the entire conference this off-season.

While they bolstered their receiving core and have plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball, I just don’t trust the leadership on this team.  Like all Bill Belichick disciples, Bill O’Brien will eventually hit a wall and despite the status as reigning division champs, this team’s AFC South crown came as a result of a hot streak at the end of the season. The Texans of 2015 were as inconsistent as the QB they had behind center (pick your poison, as there were more than enough options).

I can understand the initial pre-season hype that is surrounding this team but let’s face it, anybody looking at this team objectively is going to have a hard time believing in its new QB and his  7 NFL starts.  It’s so easy for people to forget that Brock had one of the greatest defenses of all time to support him last year.  He has plenty of questions to answer with the Texans.

What will he look like in a new offense? Can the defense bail him out at times like the Broncos unit did? Can he really lead an NFL team for a whole season? To me, this team has too many question marks surrounding that 72 million dollar man and not enough talent around him to warrant serious playoff attention from me, at this juncture. Ask me again in a few months, Houston fan.

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