The
NFL's pre season takes off throughout
the weekend. There are questions about every team in the AFC South as the
Texans, Titans and Jaguars try to make the playoffs whilst the Colts try to
maintain their position as the team to beat in the division. I've picked the
most obvious ones for each team.
Jaguars
Where does their running game come from?
Dernard Robinson flashed talent in his first year as a full time running back
and scampered for 582 yards, Toby Gerhart was hailed as a huge addition but
struggled to a 3.2 yard average; the second leading rusher on the team was
rookie QB Blake Bortles. It wasn't an enviable situation and as a result the
team drafted T.J. Yeldon from Alabama in the second round (Yeldon has
officially been ruled out of the team's first pre-season game) . Someone needs
to take the lead, this applies to the O line too, who were abysmal in 2014!
Who steps up in the pass rush? Dante Fowler was
being counted on to boost the Jaguars pass rush but is injured for the year.
Sen'Derrick Marks is slowly recovering from a knee injury suffered late last
year. Although the Jaguars combined for 45 sacks last year there were numerous
missed opportunities and the team needs to hit their mark more frequently.
Colts
Can Gore bring back the running game? The Trent
Richardson reclamation was an unmitigated disaster as he averaged 3.3 yards on
159 carries and Ahmad Bradshaw was the main running threat. Gore continues to
defy his years and will look to boost the number one offence in the league
further.
How much difference can the old hands make?
Frank Gore, Trent Cole, Andre Johnson and even Todd Heremans have joined the
Colts in the offseason in a quest for a Super Bowl ring. Gore looks to be a
huge upgrade over Richardson and Andre Johnson is still one of the better
receivers and should be an upgrade over Reggie Wayne.
Texans
Will they cope with the loss of Arian Foster?
The oft injured workhorse back of the Texans has become something of a
liability having missed significant time in four of his six seasons. His
reputation wasn't helped when he went down early in camp and is expected to be
out for the year. Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk will look to pick
up the slack.
Is the quarterback situation resolved or a
black hole for another year? Ryan Fitzpatrick (now the quarterback of the New
York Jets after Geno Smith had his jaw broken) was not the answer last year,
nor was Ryan Mallet. How did the Texans improve? They grabbed Brian Hoyer who was
not the answer at the Browns last year. There's every chance that last year's
draft pick Tom Savage outplays both the veterans when they play the 49ers.
Titans
Is Marcus Mariota as good as billed? He's been
nearly flawless in training camp and the Titans have reportedly put several of
Oregon's plays into the offence to help his transition into the pro game. Harry
Douglas has already gone on record to say what makes Mariota so impressive “The intangibles that he has. Not many
people in this world have the skill set that he has. He's athletic as can be. I
watch him in the weight room when he's squatting, he squats heavy weight, he
cleans heavy weight. He can make every throw that an NFL quarterback has to
make. He can throw on the run. He's smart, knows defences and he's a gamer.
He's a player.”
Does the addition to the young offensive line,
coupled with the off season work, allow for a running game to flourish in
Tennessee? Stop me if you can see a theme developing but the Titans struggled
to rush the ball in 2014. Second round pick Bishop Sankey was not the saviour
many expected and only managed 569 yards on 152 carries and the team grabbed
David Cobb late in the draft. The addition of third round pick, Jeremiah
Poutasi, a guard in college who'll play at RT, and Byron Bell from Carolina may
help.
Of course there are many more questions about
each of the teams here. For example can Jedavon Clowney return to the player
that made him the number one overall pick? Can Blake Bortles build on an unspectacular
rookie season that started well but floundered? And how much impact does
promising but raw Titans wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham have in 2015?
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