We want to wish our entire Tennessee Titans fam a very happy, healthy and safe 4th of July on Sunday, and on this day we also remember the life of Titans great, Steve McNair, who will never be forgotten.
Before you go have fun in the sun and light off fireworks, check out some of the top headlines from around the AFC South from last week.
We start in Jacksonville, where head coach Urban Meyer and the Jaguars are already breaking the rules and costing themselves a ton of money, which one ESPN analyst believes is a sign that Meyer won’t last long.
While the honeymoon period between the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Carson Wentz continues, general manager Chris Ballard revealed he is quite high on his second-year receiver, Michael Pittman Jr.
Meanwhile, the Texans saw one of their former receivers retire this week, and our friends over at Texans Wire have suggested how Houston can still wear Oilers colors now that the NFL has changed the one-helmet rule.
Check out those stories and more as we take our latest trip around the AFC South.
Reports: Jags, Urban Meyer fined by NFL for violating non-contact rules in OTAs
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, have been fined by the NFL for OTA violations. Jacksonville violated the non-contact rule during its June 1 session, leading to the punishment. Jacksonville saw the heftiest fine of the three teams, as the Jags were penalized $200,000, while head coach Urban Meyer was fined $100,000. Jacksonville must also forfeit a pair of OTA practices in 2022. Read more here.
DJ Chark says the Jags are ready to shock the NFL
AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Jags wide receiver D.J. Chark told NFL Total Access that he believes his team is “gonna shock a lot of people” in 2021. Here’s why:
“The 1-15 season is somewhere that we don’t want to go back. Everyone that’s here understands that. The guys that came in came from a lot of winning programs so we’re trying to develop that winning culture and just that comradery here and I think we’re going to do really good. I think we’re gonna shock a lot of people. I’m not one of the people that’s huge on setting record goals or anything like that, or saying how many wins or losses we’re gonna have but we’re gonna be an exciting football team, for sure.”
Paul Finebaum doesn’t see Jags’ time with Urban Meyer lasting long
AP Photo/John Raoux
ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum doesn’t see the Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville lasting very long, as he revealed on “Get Up” recently.
“I’ll try not to sound like a broken record, but this is not going to work,” Finebaum said. “It may work short-term because he has Trevor Lawrence and you can build a team, but ultimately, Urban Meyer is going to flame out. “You laid it out very eloquently there. It’s already happening. This guy does not get along with rules. He does not like to be told what to do. It didn’t work at Florida when he fled, it didn’t work at Ohio State when he battled the administration and finally walked off, or was pushed out, and it’s not going to work here.”
Chris Ballard is betting on Michael Pittman Jr. to make a leap
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
Colts general manager Chris Ballard told The Athletic Football Show that he’s “betting on Michael Pittman” in 2021 and thinks the 2020 second-round pick has a chance to “be really good.”
“Yeah, well, I’m betting on Michael Pittman, who I think has got a chance to be really good,” Ballard said “I thought he ended the year strong. He had a big playoff game with over a hundred yards.”
1 burning question at each position entering Colts training camp
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Colts Wire’s Kevin Hickey listed one burning question for Indianapolis at each position going into training camp, giving us some good insight into some of the concerns the Colts have ahead of 2021. Read more here.
Carson Wentz has ‘new passion for the game’ after joining Colts
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
It has been a tough road for Carson Wentz the past few years, but he told Beth Hoole of Valley News Live that he “has a new passion for the game” ahead of the 2021 campaign.
“I really feel like I have a new passion for the game,” Wentz said. “I’ve been high, I’ve been injured, I’ve been, now, benched, I’ve been traded, I’ve kinda seen a lot in five years, so whatever the game throws at me I’m ready.”
Wentz also expressed his excitement for the culture the Colts have.
“I’m excited, I’m excited for it,” Wentz said. “Just being in the organization and being in the facility, it’s definitely a special place. It’s really got a family vibe and a family element … just to know there are some guys before me who had done incredible jobs and really are legends in that city is exciting.”
Former Texans receiver Demaryius Thomas officially retires
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Demaryius Thomas, who is better known for his days with the Denver Broncos but also spent time with the Texans and New York Jets, released a statement announcing his retirement last week.
“It was a tough decision, a real tough decision,” Thomas told DenverBroncos.com. “… Always as a kid or always when I did something, it was always [giving] my best to go and go and go. And football was my go. Every year I tried to get better and better, and I knew I was aging, of course. It was something tough, but I’m grateful I did 10, 11 years. I’m so grateful for that and now I can move on. I’m happy, I’m healthy. And now I can try to find my next itch.”
3 ways Texans can take advantage of new throwback helmet rules
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
With the NFL changing its one-helmet rule, Texans Wire’s Mark Lane suggested three ways Houston could take advantage, one of which includes the team using colors similar to the Houston Oilers’, much like the NBA’s Houston Rockets have done in the past.
No, no, these wouldn’t be the Oilers throwbacks fans and even J.J. Watt clamored for over the years. These are merely going along with the theme the Houston Rockets established in the 2020-21 NBA season when they unveiled their “City Edition” jerseys. The similarity to the Houston Oilers jerseys, which are owned by the Tennessee Titans franchise, are merely coincidental. The Adams family doesn’t own the rights to colors, let alone the Houston Texans logo going over said colors. If the Rockets can use those colors, the Texans can, too.
What are realistic expectations for Texans coach David Culley?
AP Photo
Texans Wire’s Mark Lane believes that as long as Culley can build a culture that Houston’s players believe in, he’ll be on the right track and wins and losses won’t matter for the first-year head coach. Read more here.
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