{"id":30,"date":"2022-07-14T21:09:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T21:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballgodfather.com\/?p=30"},"modified":"2022-07-19T22:08:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T22:08:11","slug":"afc-south-strengths-and-weaknesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballgodfather.com\/?p=30","title":{"rendered":"Strengths and Weaknesses for AFC South Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indianapolis Colts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strength<\/em>: Darius Leonard, the ILB on the Colts is a beast of a run defender.  Not only is he rated as one of the best run defenders, he had the most interceptions and forced fumbles in 2021.  On top of leading the league in interceptions and forced fumbles, he had 81 solo tackles and 41 assists.  He was a presence in the middle of the defense that had to be accounted for and schemed around if you were going to run on the Colts last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weakness<\/em>:  The one position that jumps out at me is their WR2.  Their WR1, Pittman, is not a concern, but it is hard to feel comfortable when your WR2 is projected to be rookie Alex Pierce.  He was drafted in the second round out of Cincinnati.  He was drafted higher than most people had him projected to be drafted.  The concern coming out of college is that he might be just a vertical threat.  Pre-draft it was pointed out that he is not a great route runner so I have some concern how his game will translate to the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jacksonville Jaguars<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strength<\/em>:  I like the growth that Josh Allen at DE showed last year.  The former Kentucky Wildcat was drafted 7th overall in 2019.  He made major strides during his 3rd year in the league and is trending in the right direction.  I expect his upward trajectory to continue this year since the Jags added Travon Walker on the side so offense can\u2019t scheme for just Josh Allen.  They will need to account for Walker, which should present a couple more opportunities for Allen next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weakness<\/em>: With the league turning into such a pass heavy league, the ability to defend against 3 WR sets is imperative.  The currently projected 3rd CB for the Jags is Tre Herndon.  PFF gave him a rating of 33 for 2021.  He was targeted 26 times last year and allowed 25 receptions.  I have not seen a rating that low\u2026ever.  The Jags are going to struggle to put up points and having a CB that struggles that much in coverage is not going to help them at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Houston Texans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strength<\/em>:  The Houston Texans do not have a lot of strengths on this roster.  The one player that has consistently performed is Brandin Cook.  The former Oregon Beaver ran a 4.33 coming out of college, so he has speed to spare.  Even without strong QB play while Watson has been benched dealing with his legal problems, Cook still put up respectable numbers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weakness<\/em>:  The Texans QB room at the moment is absolutely horrid.  The four QBs on the roster currently are Driskel, Hogan, Mills and Allen.  I have seen several reports stating they expect Mills to win the starting lineup.  Even if Mills wins the starting lineup I can not imagine a scenario where he starts the whole season.  I would expect very erratic play out of the QB position on this team.  In the pass happy NFL it is hard to envision a team with such a weak QB having much success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tennessee Titans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strength<\/em>:  The Titans safeties are legit.  The tandem of Byard and Hooker might be the best Safety tandem in football.  Byard is the #1 ranked Safety by PFF and Hooker is the 3rd.  It is a huge advantage to take away the deep options from opposing teams and force them to try and beat you with short yardage plays.  This safety duo makes the OC\u2019s have to beat them by throwing underneath and hope they hit seams and collect yards after the catch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weakness<\/em>:  The current projected RT is Dillon Radunz.  He is a second year player out of North Dakota State who went in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft.  He finished the season last year with a pass blocking rating of 39.  While he faired a little better with his run blocking rating, in the current incarnation of the NFL you need to be able to throw.  With Henry in the backfield it is obvious the Titans are going to look to run first in most situations, but Henry has seen a lot of wear and tear over the last couple years.  They will not be able to continue to run him at that rate and expect to keep him healthy.  I think you will start seeing a shift to a more balanced offense, but in order to do that you need to be able to protect your QB.    <\/p>\n\n\n

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