Grading Each 2012 NFL Team: AFC South Edition

Since it's a little too early to look forward--and don't let all this combine and draft talk fool you--let's look back at how all 32 teams did in 2012.  These grades are quite obviously subjective, but I assessed a few things in my mind: 1) Did this team improve, maintain or decline in performance from previous years?; 2) Did this team maximize the talent level on its roster?; and 3) What does the quality of wins and losses say about these guys?

We now continue our series with the AFC South:

Indianapolis Colts, 11 - 5

Overall Grade:A+
Against all odds and statistical anomalies that would have made the 2012 Indianapolis Colts middle-of-the-pack at best, this team more than rose to the occasion for an ailing coach and became an overnight Wild Card sensation.  Astoundingly, Indy was the only team with a negative point differential to make the playoffs.

High Points: This whole season gave Indianapolis fans plenty of hope with exclamation point wins against the Packers in a dramatic Week 5 comeback and against the Texans when Chuck Pagano returned to the sidelines in Week 17.  A season's worth of last minute game-winning drives on Andrew Luck's arm was well worth going 2 - 14 with the likes of Curtis Painter last year.

Low Points: The Colts had a few setbacks losing to the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars in the first part of the season and suffering through some rough interceptions from Andrew Luck, but growing pains are part of the game when you're rebuilding a team from scratch.  I thought about putting Chuck Pagano's illness here too, but it just doesn't seem fitting given the resilient attitude he's exemplified and transferred to his locker room.

Homework for 2013: Coach Andrew Luck to throw what's there and nothing else.  Shore up weaknesses on the Indy defensive roster so that the Colts aren't so tied to luck (or Luck) this time next year.

Jacksonville Jaguars, 2 - 14

Overall Grade: F
We knew this was going to be a bad year in all likelihood for the Jaguars and new [now also ex-] head coach Mike Mularkey, but things looked no better at the end of 2012 than they did at the beginning, which is a very low bar, mind you.

High Points: Jacksonville doesn't have much to cheer about other than benching Blaine Gabbert for good since they have the worst record in the NFL without even the top draft pick.  Nevertheless, the Jaguars played their best opponents this year surprisingly close (Patriots, Packers, Texans), so maybe there's still a little fight that can be built upon in a less mistake-prone 2013.  And there's also solid WR Cecil Shorts.

Low Points: 95% of this Jacksonville season could be considered a low point in truth.  Given that the season started with a nasty contract holdout and inevitable injury to Maurice Jones-Drew, who was one of the few diamonds in a rough roster, Jacksonville never had much of a prayer or ticket sales.

Homework for 2013: Stop at nothing to get a better option at quarterback and resist the urge to make Tim Tebow anything but a fullback or team chaplain.

Houston Texans, 12 - 4

Overall Grade: B
After looking dominant on both sides of the ball for the first half of the season and quite poised for a Super Bowl run, the Texans came quickly crashing back to Earth.  Matt Schaub's passing game got way out of sync, and the perpetually double-teamed J.J. Watt exposed deficiencies elsewhere on Wade Phillip's defense, especially in the secondary.

High Points: A 12 - 1 start alongside one of the best defensive performances I've ever seen from game-changing DE J.J. Watt made the Texans a new team worth cheering for in the humdrum AFC.  Houston had dominant games against the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens long before those teams were a thing.

Low Points: If what goes up must come down, the Texans' 1 - 3 slide to close out the season and weak postseason showing are physical proof.  There were early signs of danger when Aaron Rodgers put up an ungodly 6 TDs against one of the supposedly elite defenses in the league in Week 6.  Then Houston put on the cursed letterman jackets in Foxboro, marking the beginning of the end-- the first of two 42-point Patriot routs that would dash the Texans' hopes of postseason greatness again.

Homework for 2013: Diversify the offensive plan of attack, especially in the play-calling.  The Texans struggled mightily in the last four weeks of the season during which they averaged less than 14 points a game.  Stuffing Arian Foster proved to be Houston's Achilles Heel, and many a defense exploited this to a tee with the Texans' far-too-obvious game plan.  Matt Schaub clearly struggles to carry his team on his own, so Houston needs to study up on Adrian Peterson's monster success in Minnesota and find Schaub another steady-handed receiver.

Tennessee Titans, 6 - 10

Overall Grade: C-
Coach Mike Munchak survived Black Monday alright but succumbed to quite a sophomore slump.  In 2011, the Titans went 9 - 7 and barely missed the playoffs; in 2012, they went 6 - 10 and allowed more points per game than any other defense this season, even the woeful Saints.  Jake Locker still has a lot to learn as a young QB, Chris Johnson is still an inconsistent money suck, and well, we already talked about that defense.

High Points: The Titans had an unexpected blowout win against the streaking Miami Dolphins that fooled many into thinking they'd finally turned the corner this year, but the big win also showed the potential this team has when firing on all cylinders.  Tennessee's special teams play has also been a bright spot in a "meh" year, with the Titans leading the league in return TDs including this encore of the Music City Miracle in Week 3 against the Lions.

Low Points: Sure, the matchup was never favorable for Tennessee, but this team still has a bad taste in its mouth after that 7 - 55 loss to Green Bay that my local network affiliate nevertheless refused to flex from because Bud Adams sucks.  In fact, he's just a less-publicized version of overbearing and unaware Jerry Jones.

Homework for 2013: Make the real coaching change needed at Defensive Coordinator and see what the younger players on this side of the ball (Klug, McCarthy, Brown) can do for you.  Find a backup QB under 40 for Jake Locker.