2007 AFC South Picks & Predictions


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

A couple of Super Bowl contenders and a couple of teams still building are in our 2007 AFC South predictions. The Indianapolis Colts crossed the hump a year ago and captured the Super Bowl title. It’s going to be a tough road for them to do it again, and the challenges start with their own division. The Jags were a disappointment last year after gathering 12 wins in 2005. The problems they have start with quarterback, but if they get that situation under control the defense and running game will take care of itself. The Titans were one game away from the playoffs last year, can Vince Young take the next step this year? The Texans have nowhere to go but up, and with changes on the offense and a young defense that continues to grow you can’t expect them to sit in the basement for long.

First Place – 2007 Indianapolis Colts Predictions – It’s going to be a tough road this year for the Colts as they will have a very large target on their backs this year. Along with everyone gunning for them they have a lot of primetime games against big name competition, meaning that the emphasis is going to be taking care of everyone in the division to make sure they land in the playoffs. Teams have letdowns after Super Bowl, but Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy have been getting dogged on for so long you can bet they want to lead this team to the promise land yet again. The Colts lost a lot on defense, but added more weapons to an already potent offense.

Second Place – 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars Predictions – Jack Del Rio is right square on the hot seat and will need to make the playoffs this year to continue on as the coach of the Jags. The team went after defense in the draft and the offense should be set. A lot will depend on how Byron Leftwich responds to the adversity he has been facing, and if Fred Taylor has something left in the tank after turning 31. The receivers are tall and good threats in the red zone, so they went after a speedster in Dennis Northcutt. The defense is tough on the line and in the secondary, and if the linebackers stay healthy this team could make a run. We just don’t see the pieces fitting together as perfect as they would like.

Third Place – 2007 Tennessee Titans Predictions – After getting back on track last year at 8-8 and almost making the playoffs, the Titans decided to part ways with their top two receivers and leading rusher. It’s going to make things hard on Vince Young as they try to further along his development. On defense Pacman Jones is gone and since he was their best corner last year, he won’t be easy to replace. Keith Bullock is still a force in the middle of the defense, but this team isn’t going to have enough to make another miracle run like last season.

Fourth Place – 2007 Houston Texans Predictions – This team needs to get some wins fast after having struggled for so long since entering the league in 2002. Their 2006 draft blunders are much more apparent this season as they released David Carr and traded for Matt Schuab and picked up Ahman Greene. How much different would things have played out last year if they would have drafted Vince Young or Reggie Bush instead of Mario Williams? The offense should be improved with those two guys coming in, and the defense is young and developing. Things are heading in the right direction down in Texas, but it is going to take another year before Houston is ready to jump out of the cellar.

Related Articles You May Be Interested In:

Filed Under NFL