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Matt Schaub said he hasn't really considered it. But he can place most of his injury troubles in 2007 at the feet of the Titans.

On Oct. 21 at Reliant Stadium, he left the game late in the first quarter with a knee injury.

On Dec. 2 at LP Field, he left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury, which cost him the last four games of the season.

"I don't want to say they're bad luck or something to do with that team," Schaub said. "It was just part of the game and things that happened and were incurred in that game, it just so happened that both of them were in the Tennessee game. That's part of this game and you just have to keep battling through things and keep fighting."

Albert Haynesworth, who has helped knock Schaub around, talked this week about the Titans fear of backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who posted an 82.8 passer rating in his relief efforts in two losses last year, as compared to Schaub's 36.9 before the injuries.

Haynesworth has gone out of his way in the past to pump up Rosenfels and take jabs at Schaub.

This week he's been relatively mild. This was his exchange with a large group on Wednesday.

Should Schaub be nervous?

Albert Haynesworth: I would be, honestly. A team that is as physical as we are and know that we go after the quarterback, he'd have to think about it. But I guess every quarterback has to think about it. Not just him.

Do you want to be sure not to knock Schaub out this time?

AH: We don't want to see Rosenfels, man. If anything, that guy could go to almost any team and play. He is a really good quarterback. They definitely have the best backup in the NFL, at least against us. He kills us every time.

So you're not worried about Schaub?

AH: Yeah, but Rosenfels, he is the one who has done all the damage to us. He brought them back (last year) in Houston and scored what -- 21, 28 points in the fourth quarter. That's ridiculous. We don't have to worry about anyone else doing that. We don't have to worry about Peyton doing that, but Rosenfels is different.

Two weeks is such a small sampling that NFL statistics feature all sorts of anomalies.

A couple of them crash into each other Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts and the Jaguars can't run.

	David Stluka/Getty Images
	Joseph Addai is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry in the first two games for the Colts.

Indianapolis has gained 78 yards on the ground through two games, worst in the NFL. Jacksonville has rushed for only 131, which ranks it 28th.

That's not how life is supposed to work in the NFL when you are handing the ball to Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.

Outside of slow starts in the AFC South, the rivals have another crucial commonality that's hurting their ability to run: The Colts could start four reserve offensive linemen Sunday afternoon and Jacksonville will have three starters who weren't part of the plan when it drew up its original starting lineup.

Ever remember tuning into a game where 70 percent of the offensive linemen were subs?

"I think in both situations we're doing the best we can to plug in guys and continuing to maintain expectations," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "We work at it. That's what we're doing. The guys that have been plugged in have done a nice job working hard and getting up to speed and giving us a chance."

"You see it in the stats, where you have four really, really quality backs who are averaging under three yards a carry," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I think you could have made a ton of money if you would have said at this point in time Joseph Addai, Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Taylor and Dominic Rhodes wouldn't be able to average three yards a carry. I think it definitely has to have something to do with that. But we have to find a way to get ours fixed and I'm sure they're the same way."

Those ugly averages: Taylor 2.9, Jones-Drew 2.5, Addai 2.4, Rhodes 1.8.

(Read full post)

ESPN.com's James Walker, Paul Kuharsky and Bill Williamson discuss the slow starts in Cleveland and Cincinnati, the Vince Young saga in Tennessee and Lane Kiffin watch in Oakland.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Join me this afternoon to discuss all things AFC South.

We'll be under way at 3 p.m.

Just head here.

Let's take a stroll around the division, shall we?

Houston Texans

• Houston's quarterbacks aren't concerned with Albert Haynesworth's commentary on them, says Dale Robertson. Great line by Sage Rosenfels in response to Big Al's quip about how the backup QB deserves the big contract Schaub got: "When Albert becomes a general manager, I hope I'm a free agent."
• Ahman Green is doubtful, according to John McClain.
• Steve Campbell: "What the Texans can do -- if they're resilient and resourceful and resolute enough -- is give meaning to the franchise's heretofore dreary existence.
  The region is hurting and will continue to do so for some time. The Texans can be a part of the healing process. They have the opportunity to uplift, even inspire, a region by rising above their circumstances."
• The Astros have offered the Texans use of Minute Maid Park if they need it, writes Jose De Jesus Ortiz.
• Alex Marvez looks at how the Texans have dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

Indianapolis Colts

• Mike Chappell examines The Sanders Effect: "When he's been out of the lineup during his five-year NFL career, Colts opponents have rushed for 142.8 yards per game, 5.0 per attempt. When he's been in, the numbers fall to 120.4 and 4.3,"
• Could Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark be back for the Colts against the Jags? Phil Richards considers.
• Video: Phillip B. Wilson and Bob Kravitz talk Colts.
• Colts.com talks with Bill Polian.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Chris Naeole is back. Vito Stellino has details.
• With Bob Sanders out, will the Jags be able to run? Michael C. Wright considers it.

Tennessee Titans

• Kerry Collins on whether the Titans are his team: "I really plan on making it mine." Here is Jim Wyatt's story.
• Haynesworth on the Houston QBs from a Nashville perspective.
• Video of Collins' chat with the media, courtesy of Titansonline.com.
• If you missed it, I looked back at the Titans-Texans 2004 draft day trade that involved picks used on Jason Babin and Ben Troupe, both cut by other teams this week.

The Seattle Seahawks cut Jason Babin Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut Ben Troupe Tuesday.

Fans of the AFC South know the two are connected by a draft-day trade on April 25, 2004.

So it seems appropriate to look at how Houston and Tennessee did in that deal. Interestingly, Jacksonville was also tied in. Five seasons later, you wouldn't necessarily expect many of the eight picks involved to still be around.

The Texans got the 27th pick of the first round to get Babin, a defensive end from Western Michigan who Houston envisioned as the kind of tweener who could fit on the outside in its 3-4. The Titans moved down to the second round, 40th overall and got a super-athletic tight end.

Both turned out to be busts in terms of securing and stabilizing roles and making consistent long-term contributions. Babin just never found his niche and Troupe just never figured out how to be in the right place at the right time.

The Texans traded the fifth-rounder they got in the trade with the Titans to Jacksonville for two later picks. (Status notes a players' current team, team he was cut by this year or that he's been out of the league for a while.)

Eight picks, two guys left in the league five years later. Tennessee got the most out of it as Bell was a solid starter for three years.

Starks (five years, $21 million with $7 million guaranteed) and Bell (six years, $36 million with $13 million guaranteed) got free agent deals well beyond what the Titans felt they were worth. They might have kept Bell at a reasonable price. They were finished with the disinterested Starks.

The lesson in this whole deal?

The only way to win is probably not to play.

I know there is a complex formula at the root of Page 2's Ultimate NFL Power Rankings, a list that puts all 32 teams in context since the 1970 merger.

In virtually any list that factors in longevity or tradition, the AFC South doesn't stand out.

Two expansion teams and two relocated teams don't usually score high in criteria that put you in the top 10 of such things. You either haven't been around long enough, or things were bad enough that you skipped town.

Still, it's a little tough to see the Colts (16) ranked a spot behind the Ravens, who replaced them in Baltimore.

The AFC South's rankings:

16) Colts
17) Titans
20) Jaguars
30) Texans

Some interesting stuff on the Jags:

Jacksonville ranks ninth in the NFL in winning percentage since 1970, and its five postseason wins in 13 seasons trump the totals of five teams (Browns, Chiefs, Cardinals, Lions and Saints) that have been in the league since 1970.

Find some interesting numbers that fed into the overall rankings here.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

NASHVILLE -- Albert Haynesworth's not the first person to think it. But he is the one Titan who said it out loud: Once Vince Young is healthy, Haynesworth would like to see the Titans use both their quarterbacks.

"If I was going to put my head-coaching hat on, I would run, honestly, a two-quarterback system with Vince and Kerry [Collins]," he said. "Kerry is a pure passer, and Vince can create things with his legs and on the go. If it was me, I know it would be hard for them to get in sync, but I would do a two-quarterback system."

"I know this is not college, but you look at some of the college teams that have done it and they've done it all right. Vince still is young, 22, 23, and you've got Kerry, who's seen a whole lot of stuff and he can get the ball in there. You get down to crunch time when you need to throw the ball, I'd put Kerry in. You utilize both of them. You've got money in both, why not use them both?"

Young is actually 25.

I don't think Jeff Fisher would ever be so extreme. And I think he might send someone to Haynesworth's locker to dispose of that head-coaching hat.

But early in on Young's rookie season when Collins was starting, the Titans did put Young in for select series.

Once his knee is completely healed and his head is straight, I don't think it would be a terrible idea to work him back in with a similar plan that would force defenses to prepare for both of the quarterbacks and could spark the offense with an occasional changeup.

The downside, of course, would be the potential to create controversy. I think Fisher's desire to avoid that would probably trump the wildcard element unless Collins is having a bad stretch.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher talks to Mike and Mike about how his team has gotten off to a 2-0 start, the latest on Vince Young and why the recent situation could end up being a positive for the former first round draft pick.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

An unexpected bye weekend doesn't seem to have done much for Ahman Green's ankle.

Green

On a conference call today, Gary Kubiak did not sound optimistic about Green's status for Sunday's game at Tennessee.

"He's day to day right now," Kubiak said. "He did not practice yesterday, I don't think he'll practice today. So I think there still could be some time with him. You never know with an ankle. Sometimes they turn around real quick. So we keep our fingers crossed.

"Is he important? Yeah, he's very important to the football team. But we're preparing right now to go with these young backs, to go with [Steve] Slaton, to go with [Chris] Taylor, [Darius] Walker. We were in that mode last week before the situation occurred. We'll approach it the same way this week."

The Titans have played very well against the run through two games, ranking as the league's best with a 60.5-yard average.

This will be just the second game for the Texans' cut-block heavy run scheme, which could prove cause for fireworks.

Asked about the concept in the preseason, Albert Haynesworth was wary.

"They always talk about us being dirty, maybe they need to look at that, trying to hurt people and stuff, he said. "If they aren't man enough to stay up, shoot, they shouldn't be in the league then. The coach either."

The Titans' other starting defensive tackle, Tony Brown, concurred:

"I dislike it. I feel like that's the offensive lineman's cheap way out of it. We're all out there trying to fight and compete. If you want to be a man about it, try to block someone one-on-one, don't cut him... We're not going to like it, but at the same time that's what they are being coached to do. So we know they are not trying to be personal about it. That's their scheme.

"It's up to us as a defensive line to keep them from doing us like that. What you want to do is make sure you get your hands on them as much as you can, because if you come off the ball and don't have any hands, they're going to go at your feet quicker than you imagine. One mistake from you, you know you're going to be down, and there goes the ball cut into your gap."

UPDATE, 3:17: Spoke with Haynesworth a little while ago, and he's hardly up in arms or worried about Houston's tactics:

"We've got some things that are going to work out for us. We're not really going to worry about that. We're going to get off the ball and knock them back before they can get into us. They don't chop every play, there are only certain plays. So we know what we are doing, we've got a scheme for it. We're going to get off the ball and knock them back before they can get onto us, that's the main thing. If we can knock them back, we'll be fine."

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Right from the start of their game last week in Minnesota, the Indianapolis Colts conceded they needed to stack things up to have a chance to slow Adrian Peterson.

	Joe Robbins/Getty Images
	The Colts will miss Bob Sanders' physical presence on the field.

And so strong safety Bob Sanders crept forward, an eighth man in the box at the ready. It wasn't unusual. In Tony Dungy's Tampa Two, Sanders often looks like a fourth linebacker.

Even with Sanders, the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Year, it was a struggle against Peterson. Then Sanders went down in the second half with an ankle injury.

The Colts still found a way to win.

But doing so in the next month got a lot harder when president Bill Polian revealed a high ankle sprain will hold Sanders out four to six weeks.

That's a disastrous development for a defense that's struggled to stop the run and that, when it's at its best, gains a good dose of its personality from Sanders.

Melvin Bullitt got a lot of work in training camp while Sanders was on PUP awaiting clearance to return from a shoulder injury. But Bullitt was dealing with a thumb injury. (I wrote about him in mid-July.)

A small defense will actually gain some height with Bullitt, but it loses a major physical presence who sets the tone. Dungy will surely talk of plugging the next man in and moving on, and he'll likely use these numbers to support his case: The Colts are 39-9 in the regular season when Sanders plays and 20-5 without him. Still, outside of Peyton Manning there is no player the team can less afford to lose.

While opponents worry about Dwight Freeney, Sanders is the player offensive coordinators game plan around.

An optimist might ask how much worse things can be for a team that's given up 181.5 rushing yards a game so far. But rebuilding the run defense was going to be a big project with Sanders. It's a massive undertaking without him and the offense isn't currently equipped to but up huge points to buy the defense elbow room.

At 0-2, Jacksonville is desperate to establish its identity as a running team.

The Jaguars, who've got serious offensive line issues of their own, could be heading for Lucas Oil Stadium at just the right time.

Meanwhile, things are getting worse, not better, for the Colts on offense too.

Left tackle Tony Ugoh went out of the Minnesota game early with a groin injury. If he doesn't play, the Colts could have an offensive line that includes just one starter from the group the team intended to field -- right tackle Ryan Diem. Tight end Dallas Clark (knee) could miss his second game in a row.

Win or lose, the Colts will have a chance to regroup after playing the Jaguars. They have a bye after the Jacksonville game, then play at Houston and against Baltimore.

It's a brutal four pack after that, and if the Colts aren't healthy they'll struggle at Green Bay, at Tennessee, against New England and at Pittsburgh.

I've been reluctant to forecast a slip for Indianapolis and it's incredibly early. But if Indy's injuries continue to be an issue and the Titans can keep things going, we may see the best shot in six years for a team to overtake Indy at the top of the AFC South.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen talks about the injury to Sanders.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Naeole

The Jaguars continue to give themselves options at guard after losing both Maurice Williams and Vince Manuwai for the season as a result of injuries they suffered against the Titans on opening day.

Today they brought back veteran guard Chris Naeole. The 12th-year veteran had spent the past six seasons in Jacksonville after signing as an unrestricted free agent on April 8, 2002. He was released on March 3 of this year. Naeole spent his first five NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

Naeole, 33, missed the final eight regular-season games last season after suffering a quadriceps injury at New Orleans Nov. 4 and being placed on injured reserve on Nov. 6. He had started all eight games before the injury at right guard and had started all 87 games played for the Jaguars. The former first-round pick out of Colorado in 1997 has started 150 of his 154 career games.

They had a roster spot for Naeole after cutting receiver D'Juan Woods who's now back on the practice squad. The team also added linebacker Lamar Myles to the practice squad, releasing offensive tackle Andrew Carnahan.

Last week the Jaguars added veteran Todd Wade but said he was a few weeks away in his recovery from an ankle injury. He is listed as the backup to Milford Brown, who started at right guard in the Week 2 loss against Buffalo after joining the team early in the week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Did I miss something good while surfing around the division? Please point me to it.

Houston Texans

• Details of the property damage the Texans' Travis Johnson suffered from Hurricane Ike and a look at the team's mindset moving forward, from Dale Robertson.
• If they can't play at Reliant Stadium, Rice Stadium is a possibility, writes John McClain.
• The team is in contact with the Saints for post-hurricane advice, according to Robertson and McClain.
• Videos from the Chronicle as the Texans got back to work.

Indianapolis Colts

• Bob Sanders is out four to six weeks with a high ankle sprain, dealing a big blow to the Colts, writes Mike Chappell. Sanders may have a knee scoped while he is out.
• Gary Brackett and Freddy Keiaho are having a tackling competition, according to Phillip B. Wilson.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Among perceptions that have already been blown up: The Jaguars can run against anyone. Don Banks examines that and more.
• Khalif Barnes believes the Jags can turn it around, writes Michael C. Wright.

Tennessee Titans

• David Climer hopes Vince Young is getting the message.
• Former Oilers-Titans iron man Bruce Matthews suffered a quad injury during hurricane clean up near Houston and needed surgery.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Apologies for the length of time that's passed since I've done a mailbag. You chime in, I'll do my best to answer you with an email or a post, maybe both.

Jeff from parts unknown writes: Okay Paul, I usually write about the fans that are about to jump off the bridge due to a lost, but now I am one of them. Our team is 0-2, our QB has gone back to his turnover prone self which kept him as a back-up for 6yrs and our defense can't stop the run or pass and couldnt tackle a defender if he was running with both shoes untied. Is there anything positive that you see in the Jags that would make me want to believe that A) they can beat the colts, and B) that I shouldnt just start reading Mel Kiper and Todd Mcshay's Big Board for the top OL in next years draft since from the looks of it we will probably have a Top 10 or Top 5 pick.

Paul Kuharsky: Maybe it's payback for things falling right last year and David Garrard's crazy TD:INT ratio.

To me, all the problems stem from the O-line injuries. Maybe Brad Meester comes back and things can settle down, maybe they are too much to overcome. The defense is middle of the pack. Hasn't been horrible, but has missed on two crucial third downs.

I'd certainly suggest you wait a few more weeks before giving up hope.

Mad Mike in Houston writes: Paul: Our schedule out of the gate was hard enough, now this makes it much harder with no bye week. The roof is missing 5 of 9 sections and it will be very hard for the Stadium to be ready for the first weekend in October. This will really effect things to a further extent. there is still no power in most of Houston including our house> Hopefully, we will have power in the next few days. Thanks.......MM

Paul Kuharsky: Good luck getting your power back. I hope you and everybody in Houston get up and running soon.

Certainly enduring the hurricane and the damage to Reliant makes things tougher on the Texans. Baltimore was the most winnable of their first five, I thought. But perhaps the team rallies to give you and other fans a top-flight distraction. It worked that way for the Saints post-Katrina, right?

Jeff from parts unknown writes: Is it even slightly possible that you could hide your Titan-favoritism?

Paul Kuharsky: Happy to. Might you please offer examples of it? If the mailbag overflows with Titans questions, I answer them. I picked the Titans ahead of Jacksonville for second in the division. I said Cortland Finnegan would be the division's breakout player. Two weeks in, do those qualify as favoritism or foresight? I can point you to some people with the Titans who will tell you that, because I am more familiar with them, they actually get tougher treatment.

Steve in Hendersonville, TN, writes: I know it is early, and the combined record of the Titans' 2 opponents is 0-4, but with the quick start, is this a team that can resume its perch atop the AFC South? I have to think that Tennessee's defense is close to the best, and they are running the ball well. Kerry Collins played a game with Steve McNair stats (14-21-0 / 128 yeds / 1 TD / 0 int), Johnson and White got lots of carries, and no turnovers.

Paul Kuharsky: Resume its perch? Tennessee won the division as currently constructed all of once, all the way back in 2002.

A Minnesota win over Indy sure would have helped the cause. But the Titans are off to a good start, and the early schedule looks favorable. I still think it will be difficult to win the division if the Colts get healthy. But it should be fun to watch and see if they can.

Corey from parts unknown writes: I know its early in the season, but is Tennessee the team to beat in the AFC South?

Paul Kuharsky: If I had to choose a team to beat in the AFC South, I'd still pick the Colts.

The Houston Texans might be able to play in a Reliant Stadium with a hurricane-damaged roof open, owner Bob McNair said Tuesday.

I will rarely take huge chunks of transcripts from interviews I was not part of and use them in this space. I understand how the reporters who asked the questions can feel like they get taken advantage of in such a situation.

But this seems to warrant an exception. So here is the text of McNair's interview from today, courtesy of the Texans public relations staff:

On Hurricane Ike:

"It's just such a tremendous tragedy. The breadth of the storm, it was as big as the state of Texas and we've never experienced anything like that. The people down in Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula really took the brunt of it, more than we. And our hearts go out to them because it's going to be very difficult and take them a lot longer to repair. All we have to do mainly is clean up the debris and remove trees and things of that nature. But many of them lost their houses and it's a real tragedy for them."

On how hard it is to get back to the business of football:

"Well it is difficult. This is a distraction and certainly one that should be a distraction because there is human loss involved. And we are very concerned about that. But everybody has come together and is working well. We appreciate the security, the police, the fire, the emergency personnel. All of those people have just been very responsive for everyone. But everybody is in the same boat. We are all experiencing the same situation with the loss of power; very few of us have any. And it's one of the things that; it's the old saying, "You don't appreciate the water until the well goes dry." And we don't appreciate the power until you flip the switch and nothing happens. And everybody takes it for granted, but there are a lot of people in this country that lived without power and without running water for a long time, and they did very well. So, I'm sure we'll work our way through it."

On if Reliant will be ready to play in by October 5:

"We've got engineers looking at it now and so far no one has noted any structural damage. But that's really what they're looking for. In terms of the roof panels, we don't know how long it will take to replace them. We'll just have to get further update on that."

On if it is an option to play in the stadium with an open roof:

"Well, I understand there's an issue with drainage; if it's open and you have a lot of rain, it's an issue. But if you have good weather like this, there's good possibility that you could just play with it open. Certainly that's what was anticipated. But I think the drainage is something that is a concern if you had a tropical deluge. Just two or three inches of rain in a very short period of time, that could create a problem."

On if he feels that getting back on the field is therapeutic for the team as well as the fans:

"It certainly is for me. I'm tired of sitting around the house and feeling sorry for myself, as we all do. And the fact that we don't have power and we have trees crashed across the front of the house and all that sort of thing. The good news is there was very little loss of human life and the trees and everything else can be replaced. We just have to get on with it and it's nice to get out here and start thinking about football and sort of get away from some of the other everyday problems. That's one of the benefits of sports."

On Reliant Stadium:

"As with anything, we build things to withstand hurricanes. Well, what level? One, two, three, four or five? Most things aren't built to withstand a level five. This one supposedly, the panels and all that were supposed to withstand winds up to 100, 110 miles per hour. And so that was border line."

On if he will ask them to rethink the design of the panels:

"No, I think we'll get the report from them and the likelihood that you have this sort of thing happen again, really, is somewhat remote. Even though we are in hurricane country, the fact that this one came in almost dead center on us, they just don't repeat that sort of occurrence. I think that the stadium is strong, structurally. I hope they don't find anything wrong with it. I'm not aware of it and we'll look at these panels of kevlar, that's a very strong material. I think it's probably going to work out alright."

On if the Texans would be able to play here if the panels had held up:

"Well, we have power now and the air conditioning is working and other things are working. So, we're not aware of anything else that would have created a serious problem. Again, the engineers are looking for any structural damage and they haven't found it at this point but we'll have to wait and see."

On if playing home games at Rice's stadium would be a possibility:

"Well that's something to consider and we have discussed that. We've discussed that as a possibility if we could not play here. We would have to talk to them at Rice. But certainly that's a large enough stadium that that is a possibility. We, right now, are optimistic; at least I am, speaking for myself, that we're not going to find any structural damage. The damage is just going to be to the roof and that's something that we're going to be able to deal with and we'll just have to figure out what the solution will be."

On how long it will take to fix the roof:

"I have no idea."