QB central: this division—which grows stronger every year—is defined by talented signalcallers like Peyton Manning

Football Digest, Sept, 2004 by Charean Williams

THE TENNESSEE TITANS' STEVE McNair was the third pick in the 1995 draft and earned co-MVP honors last season with the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning, the No. 1 choice in 1998. The Houston Texans used the No. 1 pick on David Carr in 2002, and Byron Leftwich went to the Jacksonville Jaguars as the seventh selection overall last year. In other words, the quarterbacks own this division.

"I don't know of a division with two guys who are proven and have been the most valuable players, and two young and up-and-coming guys," Houston coach Dom Capers says. "It makes it tough on the defenses in the division."

However, the Colts are favored to repeat as division champions not because of Manning, but because of all the players they have around him. The Titans can equal Manning with McNair, but they don't have an Edgerrin James, a Marvin Harrison, or even a Dwight Freeney. Indianapolis, which reached the ABC title game last season, has so much all-around talent that it's a serious Super Bowl contender.

Here's how the division lines up:

1. Indianapolis Colts

Where they left off: The Colts went to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, going 12-4 and winning the division by beating the Titans twice during the regular season. Indianapolis beat the Denver Broncos, 41-10, in a wild-card playoff game that marked Manning's first career playoff victory. The Colts then upset the Chiefs, 38-31, in Kansas City in the divisional round before falling to the New England Patriots, 24-14, in the AFC Championship Game.

New faces: The Colts spent all their money keeping their team intact. They resigned 12 of their own free agents, including Manning, who signed a $98 million contract that included an NFL-record $34.5 million signing bonus. The Colts had nine draft picks and used two of their top three on defenders, including Iowa safety Robert Sanders and Purdue linebacker Gilbert Gardner, who will have a chance to make an immediate impact.

X's and O's: Manning had the best season of his career in 2003, throwing for 4,267 yards and 29 touchdowns while being intercepted only 10 times. He should be just as good this year since his top weapons return, Harrison (94 receptions, 1,272 yards, 10 touchdowns) and James (1,259 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns). The defense remains a concern for the Colts, who ranked a respectable 11th in yards allowed during the regular season but gave up an average of 359.7 yards and 21.7 points in three playoff games.

Coaching/management. Tony Dungy, who joined the Colts in 2002 after a long tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has taken his teams to the playoffs in six of the past eight seasons. However, he has come up short in his two appearances in conference title games. Although he is 76-52 in the regular season, he is only 4-6 in the postseason. With Harrison and James both scheduled to become free agents at the end of the season, and with the Colts having invested so heavily in Manning, Dungy is feeling the pressure to finally get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl.

Why they'll finish first. An offense that averaged 27.9 points per game has all of its key components back and even has added Ohio State tight end Ben Hartstock. But Manning and company will have to get a lift from their defense in order to go all the way.

2. Tennessee Titans

Where they left off: The Titans went 12-4 and reached the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. But after squeaking by the Ravens in the first round, their Super Bowl dream died at the hands of the Patriots.

New faces: The Titans went into the February free-agent signing period with their top 11 players scheduled to count more than $70 million against their $80.6 salary cap. As a result, not only did Tennessee have no room to sign new veterans, but it also had to let some go, including defensive end Jevon Kearse, defensive tackle Robaire Smith, and wide receiver Justin McCareins. On the bright side, the Titans had 13 draft picks, the most general manager Floyd Reese has had in his 11 drafts with the team. They used the bulk of them to reload on the defensive line, selecting five linemen, including three on the first day.

X's and O's: McNair threw a career-high 24 touchdowns and helped the Titans score 30 or more points in six consecutive games. But he was not himself in the playoffs; he threw three interceptions in the victory over the Ravens and another one in the loss to the Patriots. After McNair had offseason surgery to repair a cracked bone spur in his left ankle, the Titans are hoping he'll be as good as new. Carlos Hall becomes the key to a defense that ranked 12th in the league last season. Hall, the likely replacement for Kearse at right defensive end, had eight sacks while filling in for Kearse in 2002. However, he remains something of an unknown commodity.

Coaching/management: Dave McGinnis had other opportunities after being fired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, but he chose the Titans. McGinnis takes over as assistant head coach and linebackers assistant. That strengthens a Titans staff that already was considered one of the best in the NFL. Head coach Jeff Fisher has guided the Titans to a 56-24 record over the past four seasons, tying the St. Louis Rams for the best record in the league during that stretch.