The Titans and the Jags both dropped to 1-3 on the season, putting them behind first-place Houston at 4-0 and the Colts at 1-2.  The Colts had there bye week this week.  However, the team did not escape unscathed.  The Colts received news that head coach Chuck Pagano will be out indefinitely to battle Leukemia.  The Colts’ coach brings fire and much-needed personality to the squad and will be missed both in Indianapolis and in the AFC South.  He has been in the hospital and is receiving care while the running of the team shifts to offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

On the gridiron, the Titans struggled to score points as the Texans trounced them.  QB Jake Locker left the game with a shoulder injury and is getting an MRI done to see the extent of the injury.  Matt Hasselbeck could not lead the team to points against the tough Texans D either.  Chris Johnson and the run game picked an odd week to get back in working order and even with balance the team could not seem to find answers for Wade Phillips’ defense.

The Jaguars also could not put up points against an ailing Cincinnati secondary.  This speaks more to the Jaguars anemic offense rather than the skills of the Bengals’ defense (ranked 31st heading into the game).  Blaine Gabbert completed many more of his passes than usual in the game but still failed to move the ball and could not seem to get the ball in the hands of his wide receivers.  Maurice Jones-Drew was also limited and could hardly move the ball against a very strong front four for Cincinnati.  In contrast, the Bengals couldn’t be stopped and were able to find some big plays after a fake punt that electrified the team and got them going.

All in all, it’s a bad week for the AFC South – except for the Texans who continue to roll.

Your AFC South Scores:

Cincinnati Bengals @ Jacksonville Jaguars: 27-10

Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans: 38-14

- Luke N. Sims

Editor’s Note: Being a part of the Fansided Network, we have the opportunity to interact with the other NFL sites that can give us insight into their teams.  Before each game we will be providing you with a quick questionnaire that the opposition’s site editor has provided us.

This week we have the opportunity to talk to Naptown’s Finest editor, J.M. Nicholas who took the time to answer some questions for us here at B&T.  We also answered some questions for NF, you can find them here.

1) The Andrew Luck era has begun and the winning attitude he brings to the field seems to have permeated the team, how do you see the first season shaping up for the rookie?

The loss of Peyton Manning was hard for the franchise and for the city of Indianapolis, but the connections and comparisons to Manning and Andrew Luck are uncanny. It’s too early to really tell, but from jump street, it looks like we got lucky. Ha (excuse the pun).

2)  Chuck Pagano seems to be a colorful departure from Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell, how is his approach to the game affecting the legacy that Peyton Manning and company left behind?  Is there still a feeling of attachment to the old regime in Indy?

After an early offseason scrimmage in Lucas Oil Stadium, Chuck Pagano took the mic and announced to the fans that no one was going to come in our house and push us around. This was in June! I was hooked. Chuck is indeed a breath of fresh air, the type of coach that the Colts have never had. If I could have been able to, I would’ve packed Jim Caldwell’s bags, and drove him to the bus station myself.

3)  Donald Brown is beginning to show that he can be the kind of running back the Colts hoped he would be when they drafted him, how will his season shape up?  How do you think he’ll do against some of the better defenses in the AFC South?

I’m not sold on Donald Brown yet. He dropped some key passes against the Bears in week one, and he hasn’t shown much drive or durability. It’s not all his fault, as our offensive line is a beat-up mess right now. I’d keep an eye on rookie running back Vick Ballard on the goal line and late in the season.

4)  The new defense for the Colts seems to be a much stronger and deeper unit than last year, is this a key component to winning games for the team or will they be focusing more on a strong offensive performance going forward?

I could expect to see a lot of moves for this defense in upcoming seasons, including the possible trade of DE Dwight Freeney. Pagano brought in some key guys with him from Baltimore, including DT Cory Redding and S Tom Zibikowski. I like the direction this defense is going, and I would expect the Colts to draft heavy on defense in 2013.

5)  The Colts/Jags games have historically been pretty good and have often affected the fate of the AFC South (frequently in the favor of the Colts), how will the Blaine Gabbert and Andrew Luck era begin to unfold on Sunday?

I’d like to see these guys (and Jake Locker from the Tennessee Titans) go at it for a long time. I’m not sure if the Jaguars are all on the same page just yet, with the new managment, staff, and missing Mojo Drew for so long. Lucas Oil Stadium will be rocking onSunday, but I’ve seen Josh Scobee kick it from the parking lot to beat the Colts, so anything is possible.

Now let’s get to the game!

So, when they were all talking about how long the starters would be playing in the last preseason game, it came as no shock that the new coaches wanted to see more of what their players could do.  Kubiak’s response: “There may be a couple [starters] that play. Maybe a few, but for the most part, no.”  Knowing your own players front and back is a big benefit heading into the season.  While not the best head coach the world has ever seen, Kubiak understands his players and his team.  He knows how it’s going to work and can put it all together in his head with just a few new pieces each year.

The new coaches don’t have that luxury.

When speaking about how long the starters would play, Munchak and Pagano both seemed unsure of their plans.  ”I think we’ll play the offensive guys more than the defensive guys, I would think,” said Munchak.  Pagano stated, “We haven’t haven’t made a decision on that yet…looking at the health of our football team to try and make that decision.”  You can almost imagine hesitation and on their faces as they speak.  You can practically see the second guessing in their heads as they contemplate what to do in the final preseason game.

Mularkey wasn’t much better, but probably should be more relaxed since he used to lead training camp and the preseason as the head coach of the Bills.  He wants to see a good drive.  It all depends on the drives for him. “If it’s a 10-, 12-play drive I may consider taking them out. If it’s not and we have a three-, four-, five-play drive you’ll probably see them again,” he said while referring to both the offense and the defense.  But at least he has a plan.

Maybe it’s just being coy with reporters or not wanting to display confidence, but the less experienced AFC South coaches just aren’t displaying the kind of decisive decision making your really look in the man leading your team.  The man making decisions.

I’m not a Gark Kubiak fan, but you’ve got to hand it to him – he looks mighty prepared in comparison to his competition.  When you are able to sit back and watch the opposition squabble and attempt to plan, you’ve got an advantage….confidence.

- Luke N. Sims

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