2015 NFL Preview: AFC South

HOUSTON TEXANS

2015 Preview:
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien surprised a lot of people with his canning of offensive line coach Paul Dunn after last season—ex-Jets assistant Mike Devlin will oversee the unit this year. He has run a variety of schemes up front in the past, but he’ll surely stick primarily to a zone blocking scheme. The team could struggle to run until Arian Foster returns from his groin injury. Both Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are familiar with O’Brien’s system from their time in New England. It’s a system that uses a lot of spread concepts, stacks and bunches to open things up. Although Hopkins does his best work on the sideline, he’ll be asked to work a greater variety of routes in a feature role this year. Cecil Shorts will likely open the year as the complementary possession receiver, with rookie Jaelen Strong eventually supplanting him. The Texans tied for third in the NFL last season with 20 interceptions and tied for first with five defensive touchdowns. DE J.J. Watt anchors a group that should be better in 2015, provided that OLB Jadeveon Clowney, the 2014 draft’s top overall pick, is healthy after undergoing knee surgery.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

2015 Preview:
After stubbornly sticking to it two seasons ago, the Colts eventually just abandoned the run last year as they clearly had no capable running back on the roster after Ahmad Bradshaw went down. Indy ended up the sixth-most pass-happy team in the league, and the five in front of them all had losing records, throwing a lot because they often trailed. Perhaps that changes with Frank Gore’s arrival. Gore will run behind the same kind of ground-and-pound, power blocking scheme in which he spent the first part of his career with the 49ers. Last year the Colts used a lot more spread concepts and thrived when bunching receivers, creating clean releases for top receiver T.Y. Hilton. Hilton will again be used primarily to press downfield, with Andre Johnson playing more of a possession role on the other side of the field. Either could slide inside when Donte Moncrief is on the field, with Phillip Dorsett seemingly pegged for a situational deep threat role similar to Moncrief’s last season. Despite needing upgrades at safety and defensive tackle, the Colts used their first two picks of the ’14 draft on a backup receiver (Phillip Dorsett) and a backup corner (D’Joun Smith). They’d be ranked much lower here if they didn’t get to face so many bad offenses (including three such offenses twice each).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

2015 Preview:
The Jaguars will once again try to establish their power running game early, but will likely have to abandon it in the second half of games. Ex-Bills head coach Doug Marrone takes over the o-line. While he ran primarily a gap blocking scheme in Buffalo, he was part of an offense that ran a variety of schemes in New Orleans and will almost surely be running a zone blocking scheme with the Jags’ personnel. Rookie T.J. Yeldon is likely to take the backfield lead early. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson returns to Jacksonville after a strong year overseeing the impressive showing of Oakland’s Derek Carr, a rookie drafted one round after Bortles. Olson’s strength is developing young quarterbacks, especially when it comes to mechanics (Bortles’ biggest issue right now). Olson ran a version of a West Coast offense in Oakland last year and figures to do the same in Jacksonville. CB Davon House and S Sergio Brown were signed to improve a secondary that had just six picks in ’14. The loss of rookie DE Dante Fowler will hurt.

TENNESSEE TITANS

2015 Preview:
The Titans use a hybrid blocking scheme in the running game, and the maturation of some of their young blockers should lead to more success this season. Bishop Sankey overtook Shonn Greene last year and figures to be the lead in Tennessee’s committee. Sankey thrives on inside zone runs, something that is becoming a staple of the Titans’ offense. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s offense is QB-friendly; a lot of pre-snap reads. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was named the starter and shouldn't have too difficult of a time adjusting. Kendall Wright will continue to operate as more of a slot receiver, using his quickness to shake open on shorter routes in the middle of the field. Rookie Dorial Green-Beckham should overtake Justin Hunter as the primary deep threat; both are raw. Harry Douglas gives them a complementary receiver who can win some one-on-one matchups, but it should be tight end Delanie Walker, used on a wide variety of routes, who is the default No. 2 receiver again. The Titans made a big move by hiring Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator after he’d spent the past 11 seasons in the same position with the Steelers. He’ll be tasked with turning around a defense that gave up more rushing yards last season than any team aside from the Browns.