2007 NFL Division Ranking: #7 - AFC South
It is no small coincedence that my rankings have the divisions of the Superbowl loser and the Superbowl winner ranked as last and second to last. Their respective divisions were not extremely challenging last year and it helped them secure better positioning in the play-offs.
However, unlike the Bears, I don’t see much drop off with the Colts. They have been a serious contender for years and have consistently been a favorite in most play-off games. Peyton Manning seems to get better each year, if that is possible. I figured that the loss of Edgerrin James would hurt this team in 2006, but Joseph Addai has proven that he is an elite back in this league as well. The running back depth is a bit suspect however. On defense, there has been some losses in the secondary. But there is some quality depth that should fill in nicely. I have always liked Marlin Jackson and Bob Sanders has quietly become a stand out safety. Dwight Freeney is going to be out to prove that he should be the highest paid defense player in the league as well. I don’t think this is the best defense in the NFL, but I do feel it is very good and coupled with one of the top offenses, I feel that the Colts chances of repeating are quite good.
Beyond the Colts, I don’t see any serious challengers in this division. The next closest threat appears to be the Jaguars. However, after challenging in recent years, they seem to be in a bit of a decline. The unsettled situation at quarterback is certainly not going to help. Leftwich is a decent quarterback, but he doesn’t seem to have the confidence of the coach. The running game and the defense are stellar and will keep this team in many games. However, I don’t think that they can challenge the Colts. They may have an outside shot at a wild card spot.
Despite the hype around Vince Young, I just don’t see this team getting to .500 this year. They took a lot of teams by surprise at the end of the season to finish strong, but I think opposing teams will be a bit more ready to handle Vince Young and this team. They are definitely headed in the right direction, but Young needs a little more experience under his belt and they need a few more pieces in place to challenge.
Finally, the hapless Houston Texans are definitely the cellar in this division. And I can’t see any improvements in this team. I understand that it was time to move on from the David Carr era, but Matt Schuab is still somewhat of an unknown in this league. He currently carries a career quarterback rating of 69.2. He has always been the ever popular backup quarterback and has yet to feel the glaring heat of being the starter. In addition, he will soon find that the offensive line in Houston is still a work in process at best.
In short, Indianapolis should easily win this division and be a serious threat to repeat as superbowl champs. While Jacksonville will not challenge for the division, they possibly could sneak into the play-offs as a wild card. Meanwhile, the Titans will continue to experience growing pains and the Texans are not going anywhere — possibly ever.
