Inside AFC South: Impact Newcomers

The weekly series on AFC South Division developments with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans focuses on Week 1 efforts from new additions.

For openers, four AFC South Division newcomers made an impact, at least one for the wrong reason at times.

The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars won their openers while the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans lost. Here are four players who stood out with their new teams.

Running back David Johnson ran for a TD in his Texans debut :: Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans

Matthew Galatzan/Texans Daily

The Texans started with a 34-20 road loss against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, but one bright spot was running back David Johnson.

He was part of the controversial trade that sent All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, and fills a major hole for the Texans, who have struggled in the rushing game for much of head coach Bill O’Brien’s seven-year tenure. O’Brien also became general manager this year, and was criticized for acquiring Johnson, who has struggled to stay healthy since making the Pro Bowl in 2016.

Johnson impressed with a strong camp, then was one of the Texans’ best offensive performers with 77 rushing yards on just 11 carries and a touchdown in the loss to the Chiefs. He also had three catches for 32 yards.

Was it the most explosive performance? Certainly not. But Johnson provided encouraging numbers, which bodes well for the Texans, who have another tough matchup in a Week 2 visit from the Baltimore Ravens.

Colts rookie running back Jonathan Taylor had 89 total yards in his Sunday debut at Jacksonville :: Douglas DeFelice/USA TODAY Sports

Indianapolis Colts

Phillip B. Wilson/AllColts

Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor didn’t enter Sunday’s 27-20 opening loss at Jacksonville until the second quarter after Marlon Mack ruptured his right Achilles tendon, and because the Colts struggled to establish the run and relied on passing, the second-round selection’s rushing numbers of nine carries for 22 yards didn’t impress.

But Taylor caught six passes for 67 yards, including a 35-yard screen in which he showed his speed to run away from two tacklers, then his power by pushing defenders about 7 yards after contact. It was a glimpse of what the Colts hope to see more of and will need, now that Mack has been placed on injured reserve and Taylor is the Week 2 starter.

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and quarterback Philip Rivers were the splash offseason additions, and both had mixed results. As expected, Buckner saw a lot of double teams. He had six total tackles, one for a loss, but by his own All-Pro standards, Buckner conceded he needs to have more of an impact. Rivers passed for 363 yards, relying mostly on 17 completions to running backs, but he threw two bad interceptions that were reminiscent of many of his 20 picks with the L.A. Chargers last season.

Expect Buckner to be the No. 1 key addition to this team by season’s end, but after one game, Taylor’s importance has risen dramatically because of the loss of Mack. The Colts were seventh in rushing last season, but managed just 88 yards on 22 carries in Week 1. Head coach Frank Reich admitted that one of his mistakes was not calling more run plays and getting into a rushing rhythm. That means Taylor should get more carries on Sunday at home against Minnesota.

Jaguars rookie cornerback CJ Henderson shut down Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton in his pro debut :: Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars

John Shipley/JaguarReport

After the Jaguars drafted a franchise-record 12 rookies but only signed a handful of free agents, it was clear the most important new addition would be a rookie. This became even clearer after a Week 1 performance in which cornerback CJ Henderson, the No. 9 overall pick in April's NFL draft, became the difference between a Jaguars win or loss.

Henderson was unsurprisingly thrust into a starting role early on as a rookie and he faced a stiff test in his debut. It's hard for most cornerbacks to stick with T.Y. Hilton for four quarters, let alone a rookie in his first NFL game. But that's just what Henderson did in Sunday's 27-20 upset win with an interception and three pass break-ups.

Aside from Henderson's smoothness in coverage, he also came up big on two tackles in space on third down. He made big plays when Jacksonville's defense needed them the most, and frankly nobody really knew which defender would be providing those plays this year. Through one week, it’s been Henderson.

Henderson's rookie year is obviously far from complete, but he got off to a fast start. Without him, the Jaguars probably end up losing to the Colts. To be the deciding factor in your first NFL game is one thing, but to do it in the manner Henderson did is even more special.

After four missed kicks, Stephen Gostkowski delivered the game-winning field goal in the final minute for the Titans :: Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Titans

David Boclair/AllTitans

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski’s debut with the Titans certainly was a memorable one. Even if it was a night he would rather forget.

The four-time Pro Bowler’s 25-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play was the 10th game-winning kick of his career, his first in 23 months.

It was the difference in the Titans’ 16-14 victory at Denver. It also came after he missed four times – three field goals and an extra-point. According to Next Gen Stats, the odds that he would miss four kicks in a game were 1 in 1,804.

Gostkowski, who signed with the Titans just before the start of the regular season, was wide right from 47 yards in the first quarter, and Denver took a 7-0 lead on the ensuing possession. His 44-yard try in the final minute of the first half was blocked. His 42-yard kick missed left early in the third quarter. When his PAT early in the fourth quarter missed left, the Broncos scored on their next drive and took a 14-13 lead.

While it was an unprecedented performance for Gostkowski, the issues were nothing new for the Titans. They had four kickers combine to make eight of 18 field goal tries last season.

What’s notable is coach Mike Vrabel gave him the opportunity to attempt the last one with the game on the line. It speaks to the trust he has in his one-time teammate with the New England Patriots and – prior to Monday, at least – one of the NFL’s five most accurate field goal kickers. At a point last year, Vrabel likely would have decided the only way to win that game was with a touchdown.

“We'll get this stuff fixed,” Vrabel said. “We've got a lot of faith in our players.”

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(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)