Manning Had Titans, Rest of the AFC South on the Run

For three straight years, the AFC South produced the NFL's rushing champion as division rivals tried to keep the ball out of Colts quarterback's hands.

David Boclair | May 19, 2020

Peyton Manning week at SI continues, and AllTitans does its part to contribute to the festivities. Today, a look at how the rest of the AFC South developed prolific running offenses in response to Manning's prowess as a passer.

It's Day 1 of Peyton Manning week at SI 🙌

Before Tom Brady left New England, Peyton's NFL free agency was one of the most discussed in decades. @Peter_King had the scoop in 2012 and came on 'The Record' to share how Manning to the Broncos came to be: https://t.co/rZ0x9JrXNB pic.twitter.com/NnCMr5bRM7
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 18, 2020

For the rest of the AFC South, there was no running from Peyton Manning.

Twice a year, every year from 2002 (when the division was created) until 2010 the record-setting quarterback and the Indianapolis Colts appeared on the schedule. Three times during that span Manning was named the NFL’s most valuable player. Twice, he led the league in touchdown passes and three times he finished first in passer rating.

So, the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars did what they could. They ran.

All three built run-heavy offenses with the idea (the hope?) that they could control the clock and keep the ball out of Manning’s hands when they faced Indianapolis.

Not coincidentally, all three eventually produced an NFL rushing champion – in succession. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson rushed for a league-high 2,006 yards in 2009. Houston’s Arian Foster topped the NFL 1,616 yards in 2010 and Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 yards in 2011.

It is the only time since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger that three different players from three different teams in the same division won the rushing title in consecutive years.

“I don't think there's been a team in the league that has really stopped them,'' Houston coach Dom Capers said of the Colts’ offense in 2004. “They're an efficient operation, as good as there is.''

That’s why those teams that knew Indianapolis best simply tried to maintain possession.

From 2005-11, at least one of the Titans, Texans and Jaguars ranked among the NFL’s top 10 rushing offenses. Four times in five years from 2006-10, two of them finished in the top 10.

Not that it made a difference.

None of those teams made the playoffs in the season they had the rushing champion. Combined, they notched seven postseason berths over the division’s first nine years (Tennessee 4, Jacksonville 2, Houston 1).

Conversely, the Colts played beyond the regular season in each of those nine years. From 2003 to 2008, they won at least 12 games every year and finished first in the division five times. With Manning in charge, they finished among the top three in total offense and the top five in scoring offense five straight years.

In 54 AFC South games, Manning and the Colts won 42. The Titans in 2002 were the only team to sweep the season series with Indianapolis during that time.

“You look at the last few years we’ve played Peyton Manning and we’ve played some good football, but it came too late,” Titans safety Chris Hope said following a 2010 defeat. “… It’s like as a team, we don’t realize we can play with him until the end, when it is almost over.

“It’s always the same recipe.”

And ultimately the Titans, Texans and Jaguars adopted the same formula to try to keep pace.