09-05-2021 Ravens Preview - Flipbook - Page 26
NFL2021
AFC South
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS (11-6)
Projected 2021 win
total: 10
LAST YEAR: Philip River’s arrival and
an improved defense helped the Colts
overcome an early injury rash and they
returned to the playoffs for second time
in coach Frank Reich’s three-year tenure.
Indianapolis played a solid game in the
wild-card round but lost at Buffalo.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: QB Carson
Wentz, LT Eric Fisher, OT Sam Tevi, DE
Kwity Paye, DL Dayo Odeyingbo, TE
Kylen Granson, OT Julien Davenport, DT
Antwaun Woods, DE Isaac Rochell, LB
Malik Jefferson.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: QB Philip Rivers,
LT Anthony Castonzo, LB Anthony Walker,
DL Denico Autry, DE Justin Houston, TE
Trey Burton, S Malik Hooker, OL Le’Raven
Clark, QB Jacoby Brissett, offensive
coordinator Nick Sirianni.
NOTES: Wentz is slated to become
Indy’s fourth opening-day starter in four
seasons and with only two weeks of
on-field work during the offseason, Reich
used July and August to help Wentz revive
his career. The biggest offensive question:
Who starts at left tackle following
Castonzo’s retirement? Fisher may not
play until October as he recovers from a
torn left Achilles tendon. Indy also needs
defensive replacements after losing last
season’s top two pass rushers, Autry
and Houston, and middle linebacker
Anthony Walker in free agency. Defensive
coordinator Matt Eberflus believes
Paye, Indy’s first-round draft pick, can fill
one void and hopes second-round pick
Odeyingbo can fill the other when he
returns from a torn Achilles tendon.
EXPECTATIONS: GM Chris Ballard
believes Reich’s reunion with Wentz
will help the once-promising franchise
quarterback reach his full potential —
behind one of the NFL’s top offensive
lines. If Wentz returns to his pre-2020
form, the Colts should be a viable playoff
team. And if the defense continues
making strides this season, the Colts
could emerge as the AFC’s strongest
contender to unseat two-time defending
conference champion Kansas City.
TENNESSEE
TITANS (11-6)
Projected 2021 win
total: 9.5
LAST YEAR: Derrick Henry carried
the Titans once again, this time to the
franchise’s first AFC South title since
2008. The AP and NFL Offensive Player
of the Year not only repeated as the NFL
rushing leader, Henry became the eighth
man to run for at least 2,000 yards in
league history with a total of 2,027 yards
that ranks fifth-most all-time. A defense
that struggled all season couldn’t stop
Lamar Jackson as the Titans lost in the
wild-card round at home.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: WR Julio
Jones, LB Bud Dupree, CB Janoris Jenkins,
DL Denico Autry, CB Caleb Farley, WR
Josh Reynolds, LB Rashad Weaver, OT
Dillon Radunz, LS Morgan Cox, OT Kendall
Lamm.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WR Corey Davis,
TE Jonnu Smith, K Stephen Gostkowski,
CB Adoree Jackson, CB Malcolm Butler,
S Kenny Vaccaro, RT Dennis Kelly, WR
Adam Humphries, DL DaQuan Jones, CB
Desmond King, TE MyCole Pruitt.
NOTES: The objective: get healthy with
Farley, Dupree, WR A.J. Brown and LT
Taylor Lewan all recovering from surgeries
that sidelined them during the offseason
program. Build chemistry on a revamped
defense that could feature six new
starters. Sync up the offense with new
coordinator Todd Downing.
EXPECTATIONS: Trading for Jones
made clear the Titans aren’t satisfied
just making the playoffs for the third
time in four seasons or even hosting one
playoff game as division champs. It’s now
Super Bowl or bust for a team that lost in
the AFC championship game in January
2020.
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS (1-15)
Projected 2021 win
total: 6
LAST YEAR: The worst season in
franchise history ended with a 15-game
losing streak and the firing of coach Doug
Marrone. General manager Dave Caldwell
was let go in late November, months after
he parted with several key veterans and
put Jacksonville in rebuilding mode long
before the opener. Owner Shad Khan
admittedly kept Caldwell and Marrone
in place longer than he should have, but
he wanted them to clean up salary cap
and locker room messes. They essentially
laid the foundation for new coach Urban
Meyer, a three-time national champion
coach who has revamped every aspect
of the floundering organization in his six
months on the job.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Meyer, QB
Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, RB
Carlos Hyde, WR Marvin Jones, TE Tim
Tebow, TE Chris Manhertz, LT Walker
Little, DE Roy Robertson-Harris, NT
Malcom Brown, LB Damien Wilson, CB
Shaquill Griffin, SS Rayshawn Jenkins, CB
Tyson Campbell, FS Andre Cisco.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WR Keelan Cole,
WR Chris Conley, TE Tyler Eifert.
NOTES: Jags looking to get Lawrence, the
No. 1 pick in the draft, more comfortable
with the offense and his new playmakers.
Lawrence was limited through much
of the offseason, first because he was
recovering from surgery to repair a torn
labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder,
then because of a hamstring injury.
EXPECTATIONS: Betting against Meyer
would be a risky move considering
he’s won at each of his previous stops:
Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio
State. Khan insists he finally“got it
right”after whiffing by hiring Marrone,
Tom Coughlin, Caldwell, Gus Bradley
and Mike Mularkey. Khan’s take on the
Meyer-Lawrence combination is“go with
winners and then let them build.” While
Meyer already is putting his stamp on the
organization, it’s still a team that won one
game last season and remains one of the
youngest in the league.
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Colts, Titans will battle
for top of division as
Texans, Jaguars look to
stabilize situations with
new leadership, but likely
will have a rough 2021.
HOUSTON
TEXANS (4-12)
Projected 2021 win
total: 5
LAST YEAR: The Texans stumbled to an
0-4 start that cost coach Bill O’Brien his
job. Romeo Crennel took over, but things
didn’t get much better and the Texans
finished 4-12 after winning the AFC South
the previous two seasons. QB Deshaun
Watson led the NFL with a career-high
4,823 yards passing, but his performance
wasn’t enough to overcome a terrible
running game and run defense.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach David
Culley, QB Tyrod Taylor, QB Davis Mills,
RB Mark Ingram, DL Shaq Lawson, RB
Phillip Lindsay, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB
Christian Kirksey, WR Donte Moncrief, C
Justin Britt, CB Desmond King, DT Maliek
Collins, LB Joe Thomas.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: DE J.J. Watt, WR
Will Fuller, ILB Benardrick McKinney, C
Nick Martin, RB Duke Johnson, P Bryan
Anger, TE Darren Fells.
NOTES: It has become increasingly likely
that Watson won’t play this season.
Watson’s future with the team is in
question after 22 women filed lawsuits
alleging that he sexually assaulted or
harassed them. His relationship with
the team was already tenuous before
his legal problems after he requested a
trade earlier this year, unhappy with the
direction of the team. Without Watt,
the face of the franchise for the last
decade, the defense must establish a
new identity. It will be up to young and
talented players such as safety Justin
Reid and linebacker Zach Cunningham,
who ranked second in the NFL in tackles
last season, to take ownership of the
unit as it tries to bounce back from last
season’s struggles.
EXPECTATIONS: It’s already shaping
up as a difficult first season for Culley, a
longtime NFL assistant in his first head
coaching job at 65. It’s tough to imagine
the Texans will be any better this season
if Watson doesn’t play and with Watt, the
three-time NFL Defensive Player of the
Year, gone to Arizona.
— Associated Press