Around the NFL: AFC South

[MTK]

2004 AFC South Standings:

Colts 12-4: The Colts have this guy named Manning, and he's pretty damn good I heard.

Jaguars 9-7: The Jags took a step forward in 2004, but not the huge leap some were expecting.

Texans 7-9: The Texans were one of those trendy preseason picks that didn't pan out.

Titans 5-11: My how far the mighty have fallen. With a team gutted by the salary cap, they look like a team in rebuilding mode.

My predictions for 2005:

Colts 13-3: There's just no stopping the Colts in this division. They're an easy lock for a 12 or 13 win season.

Jaguars 10-6: I think the Jags will take another step forward and challenge for the wild card. But they really need Leftwich to step up his game and become that franchise QB they envisioned him being when they drafted him 7th overall in 2003.

Texans 8-8: Similar to the Jags, the Texans need Carr to step up his game and start playing like a true franchise QB. He's shown gradual improvement over the course of his career thus far, but it's time for him to take the team on his shoulders.

Titans 7-9: Last year was a disaster for the Titans, but I think they can show a modest rebound in 2005. They still have some talent, but they are definitely a team in transition and they lost some key guys this offseason.