Sportsnet's Jim Lang previews each of the NFL's divisions leading up to the opening kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 10. In this installment, he says remember the Titans and their 13-3 season in 2008.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars

(2008 record: 5-11)

As intense a head coach as there is in the NFL, Jack Del Rio was forced to suffer through a painful 2008 campaign. That way it's shaping up, 2009 isn't looking like it's going to be a whole lot better down in the heat and humidity of Jacksonville.

Let's start at quarterback. No disrespect to Cleo Lemon, but after David Garrard, Del Rio has no one else to turn to. Yes, Garrard is a serviceable NFL quarterback, but he isn't a superstar. Like most starting quarterbacks in the NFL, he can't be successful unless he gets some help from the other 10 guys on offence. The Jags have no real stars at the receiver position. Torry Holt joined Jacksonville this year, but he's way past his prime. Other than a cool name -- Mercedes Lewis -- the Jags have no real stars at tight end either.

Put another way, about the only star on the Jags offence is Maurice Jones-Drew. If there's one guy Garrard, Del Rio and all Jags fans can count on, it's their little dynamo of a running back. Proof once again that size does not always matter in football, the man they call MoJo had more than 1,500 yards combined rushing and receiving in 2008.

To give Garrard some added support this year, Del Rio drafted two, huge, blue-chip offensive linemen with their first two selections in the draft. Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton join grizzled old veteran Tra Thomas as the newcomers to the jags offensive line.

The Jags didn't go very far in their search for talent on defence. Two young studs from the University of Florida, Derrick Harvey and Reggie Nelson, represent the future of the Jaguars defence. Harvey is a defensive end with a ton of potential and Nelson is a hard-hitting safety that helps anchor the secondary.

For a team that is short of top-end talent, the Jags drew the short straw and will have to start the season on the road against the Colts, then back home against the Cardinals. That's bad, but their December schedule is even tougher. In a three week span in December, the Jags will face the Dolphins, Colts and the Patriots. It's looking like a long, tough year in Northern Florida.

Interesting fact: Even though he listed at a tiny five-foot-six, running back Maurice Jones Drew ranks as one of the fittest players in the NFL. MoJo's core training work out is the stuff of legend down in Jacksonville.

Indianapolis Colts

(2008 record: 12-4)

A great era in the NFC came to an end when the amazing Tony Dungy retired. During his tenure in Indy, Dungy went 85-27 and led his team to a win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI (in 2007). More than just mere numbers, the very essence of the man will be nearly impossible to replace. That's the kind of legacy facing long-time Colts assistant Jim Caldwell this year as he takes over the reigns as their new head coach.

Dungy carried immense respect. I remember talking to kicker Mike Vanderjagt about Dungy and he told me the man almost never raised his voice. He didn't have to. Caldwell's real litmus test will come when the Colts are scuffling and he has lay down the law with his players. Like or not, Caldwell will constantly be compared to Dungy, in just about everything he does. Peyton Manning is well aware of the inevitable comparisons but he isn't about to let it affect the way he does his job.

Said Manning: "I think Coach Caldwell will continue to preach some of the same principles that Coach Dungy coached us from. So, even though he won't be here I still think his coaching philosophies will be present in the building and on the practice field. Comparisons are always going to be a natural thing. I think Coach Caldwell is his own man, and he's going to establish his own identity and coach the way he wants to coach. But there is no question - and he's already said this - that Coach Dungy and some of the other coaches he's been with have all had a big influence on him."

Not only is Dungy gone, so is perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison. Then again, over the past two seasons, Reggie Wayne had more than taken over the mantle as the go-to receiver with the Colts. Helping out Wayne is the Colts glue-fingered tight end, Dallas Clark. Rounding out their aerial attack is a dynamic up and coming wide receiver in Anthony Gonzalez.

Ultimately, the departures of Dungy and Harrison really won't bother Manning; things like that never bother the guy. Last year, the Colts were a pedestrian 3-4 after Week 8. Manning got into a zone and the Colts reeled off nine consecutive wins to end the regular season. During that stretch, Manning tossed 17 touchdowns and only threw three interceptions. That's what Manning can do for a team and that's why Jim Caldwell's transition as the Colts new head coach should be smoother than most.

One of Jim Caldwell's main challenges was the same one that vexed Dungy, trying to keep safety Bob Sanders healthy. Sanders is a dynamic, game changing defensive player. However, Sanders is only five-foot-eight and weighs 205 pounds and he gets hurt on a regular basis. The Colts have a very talented defence. About their only Achilles heel on defence is their lack of size along the defensive line. As great as Dwight Freeney is, he's only 265 pounds. That means there's a lot of times that he's facing offensive linemen that outweigh him by nearly 100 pounds. The lack of size along the line was addressed by Bill Polian when he drafted two defensive tackles that weigh in well over 300 pounds.

Adam Vinatieri has been around a long time, but he still had enough leg to nail 80 per cent of his field goals. That's not awesome, but then again, it's not horrible either.

Amazing fact: Peyton Manning has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in nine of the past 11 seasons. One more "Manning like" season and Peyton will move into fourth place on the NFL's career passing yardage list, just behind John Elway.

Houston Texans

(2008 record: 8-8)

For the past few years, the Texans have been the media's darling to come up with a big season and make it into the post-season. The Texans have a state-of-the-art stadium and practice facility. They have gorgeous uniforms and a good fan base. All that's left for this organization is to finally get over the hump and get into the playoffs. That means head coach Gary Kubiak has to take this team to the next level. Either that, or owner Robert McNair has to go after a high-profile name in the off-season. "Almost" isn't going to cut it this year. It's the playoffs or bust for Kubiak and the Texans.

Matt Schaub is entering his third season as the Texans quarterback and knows the media, the fans and the rest of his teammates will be looking at him to get the franchise into the post season for the very first time. Schaub told reporters:

"We're definitely moving in the right direction. We've shown that for the past two years. It's just about starting off the way we finished last year, starting off fast and maintaining that high level of play consistently throughout the year. We gotta make the playoffs this year. This is our year to do it, and it's time to go out and do it."

Making Schaub's job easier is running back Steve Slaton and wide receiver Andre Johnson. Slaton and Johnson are two of the most sought after young offensive stars in the AFC, especially Johnson. Last year, playing against a rock solid Titans defence, Johnson had 11 catches for a ridiculous 207 yards. If Eric Winston and the Texans offensive line can give Schaub some time to operate, Johnson will once again put up huge numbers.

Over the past four or five years, the Texans have stockpiled a plethora of young and talented players on defence. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans, defensive End Mario Williams, cornerback Dunta Robinson and on and on it goes.

While the Texans took a ton of heat for drafting Williams over Reggie Bush, in hindsight, they sure look like they made the right call. While Bush battles injuries and inconsistency, Williams has become a terror at defensive end. A nasty linebacker, Ryans is annually one of the leading tacklers in the AFC. Robinson has become one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. Williams and the Texans defence will receive a severe test during the middle of the season. Beginning in Week 5, the Texans have to endure a grueling stretch where they play four road games in a five-week span, including in Arizona and Indianapolis.

The schedule isn't easy, their division is a beast and the pressure is huge. That's why they call it the N-F-L.

By the way, I have said it before and I will say it again: the Houston Texans might have the best looking cheerleaders in the entire NFL.

Interesting Fact: Gary Kubiak isn't the only Denver Broncos connection in Houston. His offensive co-ordinator is Kyle Shanahan, Mike's son. His assistant head coach is Alex Gibbs, the long time Broncos offensive line coach. His senior defensive assistant is Ray Rhodes, a one-time Broncos defensive assistant.

Tennessee Titans

(2008 record: 13-3)

Jeff Fisher is an amazing story and he is also the longest-serving head coach with one team in the NFL. In a league with so much turnover at the head coaching position, Fisher has been the top dog with the Titans/Oilers franchise since 1994. While he's not huge in stature, there are very few players on the Titans who would dare mess with their ultra-intense head coach.

No matter what Vince Young thinks, or what the fans or what the media think, if Jeff Fisher says Kerry Collins is his starter then that's the end of the story. Not that Vince Young should complain, because old man Collins is coming off of a solid season as the Titans starting quarterback. Young would be wise to listen to everything that Collins has to say, because the man has experienced so much in his career, both on and off the field. Collins isn't the kind of quarterback to put up Peyton Manning numbers. Then again, when you have two running backs like LenDale White and Chris Johnson, why throw the ball too much? White and Johnson combined to run for 2001 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2008. That's an incredible one-two punch for Fisher and the Titans offence to work with. My issue with the Titans offence is that they're dynamite with the lead, but they struggle when they have to come from behind. Offensively, the Titans are just not built to win a shootout. However, if they get the lead, the Titans can pound the ball and kill the clock as good as any team in the NFL.

Coached by Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, the Titans offensive line enjoyed a phenomenal regular season. Anchored by centre Kevin Mawae, the Titans only allowed 12 sacks in 2008. Part of that was due to the veteran savvy of Collins and the fact the Titans don't throw the ball too much. But the amazing Mawae, Michael Roos and the rest of the Titan hogs deserve all the kudos that come their way.

Fisher and his coaching staff have to convince Jason Jones that he is capable of replacing Albert Haynesworth at defensive tackle. Jones will have to learn what everyone on the Titans defence knows: if you don't hit with violent intent, you don't get to play for Jeff Fisher. Just ask Cortland Finnegan or Keith Bullock or Kyle Vanden Bosch. Finnegan, Bullock and Vanden Bosch spearhead a tremendous Titans defence. The undersized Finnegan might have been flagged for more personal fouls than any other player in the AFC.

Rounding out this top-notch Titans team is a top-notch kicker in Rod Bironas. Strong and accurate, Bironas went an impressive 29 of 33 kicking field goals in 2008.

Before their bye week, the Titans will have to play four road games in the first six weeks of the season, including stops in Pittsburgh and New England. If the Titans can survive that brutal stretch with at least a .500 record, then look out the rest of the way.

When it comes to playing mistake free football, the Titans don't fool around. Tennessee was second in the entire NFL with a plus-14 turnover ratio. In other words, Jeff Fisher believes in the philosophy of give the opposition nothing and taking everything they can. With their defence, with their running game, with their head coach, there's no reason why the Titans won't once again be one of the teams to beat in the AFC this year.

Neat fact: LenDale White came into Titans camp weighing a svelte 228 pounds, down 30 pounds from his playing weight last season. So how did White lose all that weight: stricter diet; core training; more cardio? How about none of the above. In a brutally honest admission, White said he lost his 30 pounds after he stopped drinking Patron tequila.