If you want to read some more in-depth previews for the NFL, you can go check out UKEndZone, where I will once again be contributing this season in addition to my duties here. You can also pick the results of NFL games against the spread with me and Adam in our annual ESPN Pigskin Pick 'Em contest. It's free to join, and while I can't offer anything tangible in the way of reward, bragging rights are fun, too.
Let's take a look at the AFC South.
AFC South
Common opponents on schedule: AFC East, NFC South
2014: 11-5 (1st), lost in AFC Championship Game
The Colts have just gotten better and better since Andrew Luck came to town. In each of the last three seasons, they have improved their position and gotten a step further than the year before. This year, Luck has a definite #2 receiver in Andre Johnson to take pressure off of last year's breakout star in T.Y. Hilton. Adding Frank Gore is a definite improvement on the ground as well, so the Colts will score plenty of points. I think their defense is good enough as well to hold their own. We're looking at a team on the verge of elite status if not already there, and one who will be in contention to play in February.
2015 Prediction: 12-4
2014: 9-7 (2nd), missed playoffs
Houston's offense is a bit of a question mark. Brian Hoyer is who he is at this point: an average quarterback, though he's got some decent weapons. DeAndre Hopkins and Cecil Shorts are okay at wideout, and I'm not sure what's going to happen at running back with Arian Foster rehabbing from surgery. This defense though... holy crap. I'm interested to see what will happen with Jadeveon Clowney now that he's healthy again, Vince Wilfork is a phenomenal nose tackle, the secondary is pretty good... and they have the best defensive player in the game in J.J. Watt. We'll see this team in January, and they might surprise some people if Hoyer can play well enough.
2015 Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card
2014: 2-14 (4th), missed playoffs
Full disclosure: I think I like Marcus Mariota more than I do Jameis Winston. Winston has the better weapons, but I think I prefer Mariota's raw talent. He's going to have a rough go of it during his rookie year, though. His best weapon might be Bishop Sankey, and when that's the case, it's not good. Their defense is decent though, with a healthy Brian Orakpo leading the way. I just don't think they have enough talent yet to compete, though Mariota is a good start.
2015 Prediction: 4-12
2014:3-13 (3rd), missed playoffs
I think Blake Bortles will probably be a decent long-term answer at quarterback for the struggling Jaguars, but he's only going into his sophomore season and doesn't have the best of weapons. The run game is decent, but not great, and even if he's healthy, Julius Thomas will see a downgrade after catching passes from Peyton Manning the last couple years. I'm also not really sold on their defense as a whole. This is a team that has been in flux and near the bottom for quite a while, and I really don't see anything that will change that for 2015.
2015 Prediction: 3-13
This is it for NFL previews for a day or so. Tuesday is the designated day to look at college football schedules, so I will take a break for a day to look at those, and I will be back on Wednesday with a look at the NFC West.
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