- (Sports Network) - The past two games -- matchups against Cleveland and Cincinnati -- were supposed to be easy victories for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but as college football analyst Lee Corso says, "Not so fast, my friend." Jacksonville was picked by many insiders to have at least six or seven wins at the midway point of this season, but instead sits at 3-5 and last in the AFC South division following tough losses to those above-mentioned teams. The Jaguars lost 23-17 to Cleveland in Week 8, then suffered through one of the worst defeats in team history in Sunday's 21-19 setback to the previously- winless Bengals. The Jags are the only team in the NFL to have had every one of their games decided by seven or fewer points.

Losses are tough to bear in the NFL. They can determine a lot about trust among players, team companionship and even a playoff spot. Nothing is worse than losing to a winless club by two points, however, and Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio certainly understands that.

"The only thing we can do now is stick together and fight through this thing," Del Rio said. "We're not functioning with a high level of confidence. We're missing a spark and we're trying to find it."

Against the Bengals, Jacksonville fell behind 14-3 at halftime and 21-3 following quarterback David Garrard's first interception after 166 passes without one. Garrard battled through one his worst outings of the season, passing for 229 yards with a lowly 66.7 quarterback rating, his third of this season below 70. He hadn't been picked off since a Week 3 win at Indianapolis and had a streak of four straight games with a touchdown pass come to an end.

Garrard was banged around Paul Brown Stadium like a rag doll most of the afternoon and was sacked three times in one game for the third time in four weeks. Jacksonville's patched-up offensive line is starting to unravel, and the team's best players are paying the price because of it. A few more hard hits on Garrard and Cleo Lemon may soon be taking snaps, and that's not fair for the team or the dedicated fans.

Losing Garrard would mean the season for the Jaguars, who can't even get anything going on the ground.

The line paved the way for just 68 total yards on the ground against Cincinnati, while the running back tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor combined for 45 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Jones-Drew recorded most of that total, netting 33 yards and a score on 10 touches. For the eighth time in the last 10 games, the two backs failed to combine for 100 yards rushing.

What was the bread and butter for this offense over the past few years has been churned into a mess. Jacksonville has the best chances of winning when it outgains the opposition in rushing yards. So far the ground attack has been chasing its tail over the past few weeks, and that may cause this team to miss the playoffs.

There is no reason to start blaming the health of the offensive line, because the reserves are also professionals and have the talent to fill in. But with no surge up front, as stated by Del Rio throughout the week, the offense will continue to experience trouble establishing the ground game.

Jacksonville's defense is another area of concern, as it allowed Chicago Bears castoff Cedric Benson to have a game similar to his days at the University of Texas on Sunday. Benson rumbled over the Jags for 104 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries to keep the defense off balance and set the table for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who passed for 162 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also drove the Bengals to touchdowns drives of 84 and 88 yards the first two times Cincinnati had possession, leaving many Jacksonville defenders scratching their heads.

"A lot of it is looking for our swagger. A lot of it is looking for momentum. It's about getting that groove," said linebacker Mike Peterson, who had five stops on Sunday. "The engine isn't running right."

NOTES: Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson and Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth were ejected for trading blows on a pass play during the game...Fullback Montell Owens scored his second touchdown of the season on an 18-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter...Garrard became the seventh player in franchise history with 1,000 career rushing yards after recording 18 yards on four carries. He also had 30 or more attempts in a season for the fourth straight year.

INJURIES: There were no key injuries for Jacksonville in Sunday's game. Center Brad Meester, who missed most of the season because of a biceps injury suffered in training camp, moved into fourth in team history with 121 games played during the loss. He moved past Kyle Brady and Mark Brunell.

WEEK 10: The Jaguars face their third straight opponent with a losing record this weekend, when the 0-8 Detroit Lions welcome them to Ford Field. Jacksonville must not let the hype of another winless team on its schedule have an impact on the outcome of the game. One could argue the Jags entered Cincinnati with too much confidence and came out with their tails between their legs. The Jaguars lead the all-time series with Detroit, 2-1, and previously posted a 23-17 overtime victory over the Lions during the 2004 season.

TEXANS CAN'T GAIN GROUND IN AFC SOUTH, LOSE QB SCHAUB

The odds were against the Houston Texans to come out of Minnesota's Metrodome with a win on Sunday. The oddsmakers were on point as usual, and much like the Vikings, were not fooled by Houston's three-game winning streak.

Houston, trying to win four straight games in one season for the first time in team history, made a valiant effort to recover from a 21-7 halftime deficit only to suffer a 28-21 setback to the Vikings. It was a big change of scenery for the Texans, as they played on the road for the first time after four straight home games because of rescheduling due to Hurricane Ike's arrival in September.

The Texans fell to 12-40 all-time away from Reliant Stadium and own just four wins in 28 road games since the beginning of the 2005 campaign. To make matters worse, the Texans dipped to 3-5 on the season and sit tied with Jacksonville for last place in the AFC South standings.

"We knew we would have to come in here and play clean," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. "We talked last night about winning the turnover battle, that's something if our team does, we are pretty hard to beat."

Houston had three turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble, and quarterback Matt Schaub was credited with two of the mishaps. Schaub was picked off and also coughed up the football which resulted in a Minnesota score, a 49-yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte to Bernard Berrian, before sitting out the entire second half due to a knee injury.

Schaub reportedly suffered a torn MCL in his left knee, an injury which occurred in the first half after he was hit below the waist following a completion to tight end Owen Daniels. The injury is expected to sideline the starter at least a month.

Schaub enjoyed a great October and ended 11-of-16 for 139 yards and an interception against the Vikings. He entered the game having thrown five touchdown passes with no interceptions in the previous two weeks.

Sage Rosenfels has been a solid, reliable backup for the Texans and almost pulled off the comeback before getting sacked twice in the waning moments of the game. Minnesota's Jared Allen and Kevin Williams were the culprits, with the two linemen adding to the five total sacks Minnesota produced on the afternoon.

Rosenfels can get the job done and he has proven that in the past. The Texans will take all the precautionary elements in order to get Schaub healthy under center as soon as possible, since he was playing so well over the past month.

All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson, the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October, finished with 62 yards and a touchdown on four catches after four straight weeks with more than 100 yards receiving in a game. Johnson, who recorded 41 catches for 493 receiving yards in October, had just one reception in the first half and struggled against the Vikings' Cover 2 defense for his lowest output since he had 38 yards on three catches at Jacksonville on September 28.

Texans rookie Steve Slaton continued his impressive season with 62 yards on 16 carries in the loss, and owns no less than 53 yards rushing in his last five games.

There is no question Houston's offense is potent when it protects the football, but the defense sputtered mightily on Sunday. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson recorded 139 yards and a touchdown on 25 touches, helping Minnesota to 345 yards of offense. Houston, which had been defending the run rather well the past few weeks, was also burnt for three touchdowns by Frerotte.

Even though it was a hard loss to swallow, especially with a chance to move up in the AFC South, Kubiak still gave his guys credit for their hard work.

"Our effort was tremendous. Our guys played hard," Kubiak said. "They were ready to play, played for 60 minutes across the board."

NOTES: The Texans outgained Minnesota by a 327-168 margin in passing yards... Daniels led the team in receptions with 11 for 133 yards. It was the first 100-yard game of his career...Slaton had 118 total yards on 16 carries and eight catches...Houston's defense held Minnesota to a 6-of-13 clip on third downs...Defensive back Jacques Reeves intercepted a Frerotte pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter...Texans defensive end Mario Williams posted a sack on Sunday and has eight for the season. He is on pace to break his career-high of 14 set in 2007.

INJURIES: Besides the knee injury to Schaub, linebacker Chaun Thompson exited the game in the second half with a hamstring problem. Veteran running back Ahman Green was inactive for Sunday's game with a groin issue.

WEEK 10: The Schaub-less Texans will finally get a chance to host the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. The matchup was originally slated for September 14 before Hurricane Ike ravaged the Houston area and damaged the retractable roof atop Reliant Stadium. Houston doesn't necessarily need Schaub to return for this week, since Rosenfels is capable of getting the job done. The Ravens (5-3) lead the all-time series with Houston, 2-0, and have won three straight in the set.



RETURN OF ADDAI, SANDERS LIFTS COLTS

Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy must have felt relieved to know that starting running back Joseph Addai and top safety Bob Sanders were making their returns versus rival New England this past Sunday after both went down with separate injuries.

Addai, who had missed the past two weeks with a hamstring injury, recorded 32 yards on 17 carries in Sunday's 18-15 victory over the Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. The third-year back did what he could against a veteran New England defense to help open the offense for quarterback Peyton Manning, who passed for 254 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Dominic Rhodes filled in nicely for Addai with three straight games with 70 or more rushing yards, but his four-carry, 15-yard effort on Sunday was proof that Dungy is glad to see Addai back in the fold.

Indy had been playing poorly and ended a two-game slide with the win over the Patriots. Now it is 4-4 and sits alone in second place in the AFC South behind the 8-0 Tennessee Titans. The defending division-champion Colts are still alive in the hunt for a playoff spot, but must build off of the latest win.

"It's a big win," said Manning. "It's important what we do with this. It sure would be nice to build off this, try to keep winning, get some kind of streak or some kind of rhythm established, but it doesn't get any easier from here on out."

Manning had a nice rhythm with slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez, completing four passes to the Ohio State product for 55 yards and two scores. While the Patriots clearly paid attention to Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, Gonzalez was able to slip through the secondary and find open spots.

Gonzalez, who entered the game with just three touchdown catches in 1 1/2 seasons of work, combined with Wayne and Harrison for a combined 13 receptions for 170 yards on Sunday. In losses to Tennessee and Green Bay the past two weeks, the trio combined for just 17 receptions for 175 yards.

The road ahead is a tough one for Indianapolis, with Pittsburgh, Houston, San Diego and Cleveland on the upcoming docket. Three of those four matchups will take place on the road, where the Colts are 2-2 this season.

According to Sanders, who missed five games with ankle and knee problems before returning on Sunday, the win gives the Colts momentum and encouragement for the weeks to come. Sanders, the 2007 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year, had eight tackles, a pass defensed and his first interception of the season against the Pats.

New England was able to run for 140 total yards on Sunday even with the run- stopping Sanders on the field. Luckily for the Indianapolis defense, the Patriots couldn't do much passing, with Matt Cassel going 25-of-34 for 204 yards and an interception.

Sanders and his teammates have a tough job this week against a gritty Steelers offense led by physical wide receiver Hines Ward and speedster Santonio Holmes. Pittsburgh running backs Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker will surely see a lot of Sanders' No. 21 jersey on Sunday.

NOTES: Wayne finished with five receptions for a team-high 65 yards and has not missed a game since 2001, his rookie season...Clark had four receptions for 63 yards, while Harrison added 50 yards on four receptions...Harrison also returned his first punt in the regular season since 2005.

INJURIES: The return of Addai and Sanders was a big lift for Dungy. Keiwan Ratliff started in place of injured cornerback Marlin Jackson against the Pats and ended with six tackles and a pass defensed. The door opened for Ratliff when Jackson went down for the season with a knee injury during a midweek practice. Cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Dante Hughes were inactive on Sunday, while Tyjuan Hagler started at linebacker in place of Freddy Keiaho.

WEEK 10: Indianapolis will put its recent success to the test with this Sunday's big AFC showdown against Pittsburgh in the Steel City. The Steelers lead the all-time series with Indy by an 18-5 count and have won 10 of the past 11 meetings. Indianapolis seems to have found its niche offensively and will give the host Steelers a hard time if they stick with what worked versus New England. It's also a good sign that Gonzalez was able to break out and contribute, giving Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin more to worry about.



TITANS WINNING IN ALL POLLS AS TOP TEAM

My ballot has been cast for the NFLs best team, and the winner by a landslide are the Tennessee Titans. Much to the dismay of the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee wins this election by popular vote.

While presidential elections are decided by the Electoral College, players, coaches and perfect records determine which team deserves NFL supremacy. It starts from the top down, and head coach Jeff Fisher is a class act all the way, and perhaps a pretty good politician, too.

Fisher, who was once passed up for the putrid Rich Kotite as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1990's, has won over the state of Tennessee with his calm, cool, and collected persona that perfect for this day and age in the NFL. Fisher, the longest tenured active head coach, has been the sideline boss of the Titans since November of 1994, when former President Bill Clinton was still in office. Fisher took over for Jack Pardee on an interim basis at that time and opened his first full season as head coach the following season.

Fisher and the 8-0 Titans will bring their campaign to the road for five of the final eight games of the regular season, including back-to-back tests at Chicago and AFC South-rival Jacksonville . Tennessee has won five straight games as the guest dating back to last season.

"They understand how to play on the road and how to take a professional approach," said Fisher, a former Bear who earned a Super Bowl ring with the team back in 1985. "I'm not concerned about it. Obviously, five out of our next eight are on the road, so we've got a big challenge ahead of us from that standpoint, and it'll be a couple weeks before we come back."

Tennessee has won 11 straight regular-season games since last year, but needed overtime to beat the Green Bay Packers, 19-16, this past Sunday at LP Field. Kicker Rob Bironas watched one of his attempts in the waning moments of regulation clang off the upright before lifting Tennessee to victory on a 41- yarder with less than 10 seconds remaining in the extra session.

The running back tandem of LenDale White and rookie Chris Johnson was on point once again, as the Titans duo helped rack up 178 yards on the ground. Johnson led the way with 89 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, while White added 77 yards on eight touches. White has had a carry for more than 50 yards in two of the last three games, while Johnson hurt the Packers some more by hauling in six passes for 72 yards.

Tennessee's defense has been one of the league's best through the first eight games of the season. It is 12th against the pass (198.1 ypg), 10th in defending the run (91.6 ypg) and seventh in total yards allowed (289.8 ypg). The Titans' stop unit may be without Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who played the first two series against Green Bay before leaving the game for good. Vanden Bosch noted that he had trouble going full speed and felt pain making lateral movements.

"Personally, it's a frustrating day, but it's hard to be down," said Vanden Bosch, who has three sacks this season after recording 12 in 2007. "This team came through. The defensive line played well and I'm excited."

Vanden Bosch has been nursing a groin injury since early October. His pass rush could have been useful, since Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was able to pass for 314 yards and a touchdown. Defensive end Jacob Ford did record a pair of sacks, end Dave Ball had one and safety Chris Hope added another in the win. All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth still leads the team with six sacks on the season.

NOTES: Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck had five tackles and a pass defensed on Sunday in his 105th consecutive game starting...Tennessee has won six in a row at home...Fisher moved ahead of Mike Ditka (127 career wins) for 22nd place in NFL history in career wins by a head coach...Hope had two interceptions in a Monday night win over Indianapolis in Week 8, then recorded another versus Green Bay...Quarterback Kerry Collins was sacked twice on Sunday, ending a streak of five straight games in which he hadn't been sacked. Collins was previously sacked on September 14 at Cincinnati .

INJURIES: Bulluck left the game with an apparent abdomen injury, but was able to return. Defensive end Jevon Kearse was hurt after taking down Rodgers with an illegal horse-collar tackle. Kearse returned to the game and is also expected to appeal an impending fine for the tackle in which he was penalized for.

WEEK 10: The Bears lead the all-time series with Tennessee by a 5-4 record and have won the past three matchups, including a 19-17 overtime victory on November 14, 2004. The last time the Titans' franchise defeated Chicago was a 24-7 triumph by the Houston Oilers on December 7, 1992.

















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