IMPACT ROOKIES FOR 2013 NFL SEASON-AFC SOUTH

The AFC South is going to be very interesting to watch this year.

There is a distinct favorite (the Texans), which a strong contender that everyone has their eye on (the Colts), and 2 teams who are trying to remake themselves.

If the Texans fan find a second receiver, they might run away with this division.

If the Colts can fill a few more gaps, they might be an 11 win team again.

If the Titans can find balance and consistency on offense, they can be a real thorn for the leaders.

The Jags, well the Jags need playmakers outside of MJD.

Let's see who found what they needed.

NFL Playoffs Week One Wrap Up: AFC Edition

By: Rich Bergeron

The sunken, battle-weary eyes of Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano said it all Sunday as the Baltimore Ravens cruised to a 24-9 victory over the Colts in the last home game ever for Ravens' Linebacker Ray Lewis.

Pagano missed 12 games this season due to a bout with Leukemia, and he came into this game without the benefit of the coach who took the reins in his absence. Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians (who was hospitalized this morning due to an unknown illness) posted a 9-3 record in relief of the cancer-stricken head coach. Pagano inspired a huge outpouring of support and encouragement from NFL fans across the country as he fought to get back to the sidelines again. Though there wasn't the kind of storybook ending to the Colts season that Pagano was hoping for, their impressive turnaround from a 2-14 season last year to making the playoffs this year is extremely encouraging. This team should be a formidable threat in the 2013-2014 season. 

Baltimore relied on a well-balanced attack on defense and a hometown crowd heartily cheering on the retiring 17-year-veteran Lewis, who amassed 13 tackles in his final game at home. The offense also shined thanks to the efforts of Veteran Receiver Anquan Boldin, who chalked up 145 yards and a touchdown on just 5 total catches in the game. Quarterback Joe Flacco was also at his best, completing another touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta on the way to putting up 282 yards through the air on just 12 completions.

The Colts had few bright spots in the game as Rookie Quarterback Andrew Luck (28-54, 288 yards, INT) couldn't seem to maintain any positive rhythm in the game despite connecting with Reggie Wayne for 114 total yards on nine catches.  Adam Vinatieri kicked field goals of 47, 52 and 26 yards, but it was all too little and too late for the Colts.

Baltimore will now travel to Denver to face a well-rested Broncos squad led by Legendary Quarterback Peyton Manning. Three weeks ago the Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17, so the Baltimore defense will have to perform much better in this rematch to come out with the win and live to see another week of football.

Houston Texans clinch division title with win over Colts

For years, the Houston Texans strove to unseat the Indianapolis Colts who were the sole possessors of the AFC South title season after season in the early 2000s. Behind quarterback Peyton Manning and coach Tony Dungy, the Colts seemingly locked up their division midway through the season each year.

As irony would have it the roles have changed.

The Texans, now the perennial powerhouse of the AFC South and arguably one of the best teams in the NFL, are sitting on the throne of the division champion for the second-straight year and do not look to be surrendering that seat anytime soon.

Behind superstars Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and J.J. Watt, Houston has climbed the ranks and entered into elite status, much like the Colts of old.

Houston Texans clinch playoff berth with win over Titans

The Houston Texans improved to 11-1 on Sunday and clinched their second consecutive playoff berth as they defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-10 at LP Field in Nashville.

Houston remains atop the NFL, tied with Atlanta, for the best record in the league.

All things considered, it was a rather quiet day on the field for the Texans who scored all three of their touchdowns in the first half, and managed only a field goal throughout the second half.

It wasn’t dramatic but Houston controlled the game as they’ve managed to do in almost every game this year and earned another spot in the NFL postseason. While the details haven’t officially been figured out, meaning that technically the Texans haven’t secured the AFC South title, the Texans will definitely be a part of the AFC playoff picture.

Have Opponents Figured Out the Houston Texans?

The Houston Texans currently hold the AFC’s best record at 10-1, also tied for the top record in the NFL. However, as the Texans continue to pile up wins, their opponents continue to bring their “A” game in hopes of playing spoiler and knocking off a legit Super Bowl contender. The past two weeks, the Texans have put together a pair of thrilling, hard fought, close overtime victories, but against poor competition in the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions. This begs the question, are the Texans simply going through a bit of a midseason slump, or have opponents figured out the formula to defeat them?

The answer to this question might be a little bit of both. Coming down the home stretch of the regular season, the Texans are virtually a lock to simply make the playoffs (were one Dolphins loss away from actually clinching Sunday), the AFC South divisional crown seems in hand baring a complete late season collapse, and the Texans are still in great position to take the AFC’s top seed with a one game lead over the second place Baltimore Ravens and tiebreakers with those Ravens and AFC West division leading Denver Broncos.

Is Arian Foster a Legit MVP Candidate?

With his team at 8-1, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster has put forth another exceptional season to date. The Pro Bowler has rushed for 872 yards and a league leading 10 TDs while hauling in 17 passes for 92 yards and another two touchdowns. In the past, the league leader in TDs playing on the best team in the NFL was almost always a surefire front-runner in MVP discussions. Then how come Foster is seldom mentioned with the league’s elite and overlooked as a serious contender for MVP?

Foster has been overshadowed in 2012 as an MVP candidate largely because of the position he plays. As recent as five years ago, running backs were very important pieces to a team’s offense and served as the focal point of many offensive attacks. However, due to slew of rule changes that favor the passing game, quarterbacks are putting up astronomical stats and have virtually taken over the bill of postseason awards. With records falling and points being scored as a furious pace, QBs have further solidified their place as the most important position in all of sports.

If the MVP ballots were cast today, occupying the top of most lists would be QBs Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Matt Ryan. The next tier of candidates would probably include the likes of QB Drew Brees and RB Adrian Peterson and maybe somebody like WR Calvin Johnson or QB Tom Brady.

Ranking the AFC Division Leaders: Who has what it takes to make it to the Super Bowl?

     The New England Patriots (5-3) and the Denver Broncos (4-3) are the only two teams in the NFL's AFC who lead their respective divisions while carrying three losses on their records going into week nine of the season. Both teams are dealing with some growing pains and adjustment issues, and both are led by legendary quarterbacks. If they can manage to keep their latest momentum in full swing they will surely make the playoffs. Whether they make the Super Bowl or not will likely depend on the AFC's other two division leaders: The Baltimore Ravens (5-2) and the Houston Texans (6-1). The Texans and Ravens are each having phenomenal years so far, but the Texans dominated when the two teams met in week seven. It all adds up to an exciting race to the playoffs where any of these teams could enjoy continued success or end up as epic failures. 

Here's my ranking for these teams and the reasoning behind the numbers:

Houston Texans bounce back; Steamroll Ravens

It was all about the Texans in Reliant Stadium on Sunday, as Houston dominated the banged up Baltimore Ravens in a 43-13 rout.

Only one week after losing their first game of the year, at the hands of Green Bay, the big question coming into this game was how the Texans would respond.

The week leading up to this game was full of talk about how Houston may not have been the team everyone thought they were at the beginning of the year and that maybe they hadn’t reached elite status in the NFL.

The Texans may not have changed everyone’s minds this week, but they certainly made a strong case that they will not be fazed by bad games.

Baltimore’s defense came into this game down several starters and were not expected to be the usually dominant force, but even in light of that there can’t be many who predicted the Texans would put up 43 points— a franchise record for the most points in a single game.