Moving Trucks, Blackouts, and Miracles - History and Tradition of the AFC South

The history and tradition ratings continue, as the teams are evaluated on the first of several categories. For the AFC South, this gets a little dicey as two franchises have packed it up and moved to new cities in fairly recent years and the other two haven't been around long enough to even consider a move. Regardless, the division is by no means short on great plays or legendary players.

AFC South

Houston Texans - The youngest team in the NFL with their establishment in 2002, the Texans haven't had a lot to write home about to this point. With zero playoff appearances since that time, they're still looking for a season that most would deem successful. Most of their history involves David Carr picking himself up off the grass several times a game. They're yet to finish a season with a winning record, though they have finished the last two years at 8-8.

I don't want to be too hard on the Texans since they've only played seven full seasons, but how can you argue the history or tradition of a team established in 2002 with no winning seasons and no playoff appearances? The only thing working in their favor is their history is too short to fully establish themselves as "bad" franchise.

4/20

Indianapolis Colts - Despite what Johnny Unitas may say, the history of the current Colts technically goes back to their days in Baltimore (and technically back to the Dallas Texans franchise). In Baltimore, Unitas and his infamous crew-cut led the team to its first 2 NFL championships (he was injured for the third) and the team's first Super Bowl title

After moving to Indianapolis, the team was mediocre at best through the 80s and 90s. That started to change when the team wisely chose Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf in the 1998 Draft. After hiring Tony Dungy in 2002, the team was on its way, eventually winning the franchise's 2nd Super Bowl in 2006.

The Colts two legendary quarterbacks rank up there with any pair from any other franchise, and they have seen championships in 4 different decades. While the years in between Unitas and Manning were unfruitful, four NFL championships and two Super Bowl titles are a nice legacy.

14/20

Jacksonville Jaguars - Joining the league with the Panthers in 1995, the Jaguars are still looking for their first championship or Super Bowl appearance. Like the Panthers, they quickly became competitive, making the playoffs each year between 1996 and 1999. Since that time, they've struggled to maintain that type of consistency.

Since 2000, the team has established an identity as a tough defensive team but hasn't been able to get the pieces together offensively to remain competitive enough to maintain fan interest. Ticket sales have continually dropped and reached a new low this year, leading to the team's announcement that every home game is likely to be "blacked-out".

With a nice streak of playoff appearances between 1996 and 1999 the Jaguars have fielded some competitive teams. Unfortunately, they're yet to get over the hump as a legitimate contender and the fanbase seems to be growing weary.

5/20

Tennessee Titans - Before their move to Nashville, the Houston Oilers were an early powerhouse in the AFL of the 1960s, appearing in the league championship in the first three years and winning titles in two of those. However, the 70s and 80s were less than kind to the franchise, eventually resulting in the team's move to the Music City.

While establishing itself as a competitive team under Coach Jeff Fisher and the likes of Steve McNair and Eddie George, Tennessee has had its ups and downs since moving to Nashville. However, its best season was a memorable one. In 1999, the team finished with a 13-3 record, but looked to be headed home in the first round of the playoffs against the Bills. Trailing by 1 with 16 seconds left, the Titans pulled off one of the greatest plays in NFL history in the Music City Miracle. The team went on on battle the Rams in what is normally regarded as one of the Greatest Super Bowls of all time. As time expired and trailing by a touchdown, Kevin Dyson was tackled just one yard short of the end zone, keeping the franchise from its only Super Bowl Title.

While the Titans are still looking for their first Super Bowl title, they have established an identity during their time in Nashville as a gritty, physical team and are not short on memorable moments.

10/20

Have a great weekend and the search continues as we head into Week 4.