AFC Note South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

While the Colts have had an up and down start to the season and sit at 2-2, Jacoby Brissett has not been one of the team’s issues despite being thrust unexpectedly into starting quarterback job following the retirement of Andrew Luck. Brissett is the only passer in the NFL with multiple touchdown passes in each game so far, and is tied for the NFL lead with 10 on the season. The Colts expressed nothing but confidence in Brissett after Luck’s retirement and so far it looks like that was more than just putting on a brave face. 

“He prepares — he’s always prepared like the starter,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said via NFL Media. “And I remember saying this during Andrew’s (Luck’s) press conference when he retired that, look, Jacoby won’t flinch. And he hasn’t flinched. He’s played really good football — he’s played winning football for us each and every week.”

• According to 1070 The Fan’s Kevin Bowen, the Colts could be looking to beef up their starting lineup at defensive tackle. The team signed 310-pound DT Trevon Coley off of Baltimore’s practice squad this week and replaced Margus Hunt with 315-pound Grover Stewart in the starting lineup this week.
• Colts HC Frank Reich said the bye week coming up after this week would be a factor in deciding whether WR T.Y. Hilton will play Sunday against the Chiefs. He missed practice Wednesday with a quad injury and didn’t play last week. (Bowen)
• Colts S Malik Hooker says he expects to return to practice following the team’s bye week. (Zak Keefer)
• Ballard mentions he likes what he’s seen so far from second-round rookie WR Parris Campbell, though he’s still learning: “Most of the time in college he played inside, and he’s learning and having to play outside more, but we’ve seen some really good things with him.” (Bowen)
• Ballard has been blown away by fourth-round rookie S Khari Willis: “I think he’s just going to get better the more he plays and the more confident he gets within the defense.”

Jaguars

• ESPN’s Adam Schefter says if he has to make a prediction, he doesn’t think the Jaguars will end up trading CB Jalen Ramsey. 
• According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Ramsey missed practice again with his back injury, while Jaguars sixth-round rookie QB Gardner Minshew was limited with a knee injury. 
• Ramsey will be day-to-day this week, per Jaguars HC Doug Marrone. (Michael DiRocco)
• Backup Jaguars QB Joshua Dobbs will take some first-team reps this week in practice. (Phillip Heilman)

Titans

Titans’ third-round G Nate Davis said he was happy to play after missing the first three weeks of the season and receiving 40 snaps in Week 4 against the Falcons. 

“It was fun to be out there with the guys, and just to get my feet wet,” Davis said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. “Whatever coaches want me to do, I’m going to do what is asked. But overall, it was just great to be back out there on the field – it had been too long.”

Titans HC Mike Vrabel said Davis was “very composed” in Sunday’s game and praised his success in the silent cadence, blocking in the second level, while doing well against Falcons DL Grady Jarrett. 

“Just very composed,” Vrabel said. “We used him in the silent cadence, and him controlling the tap to Ben (Jones). I thought he got to the second level, I thought he finished, I thought he got on guys even if it wasn’t always the right guy, sometimes it’s not. There were times where he was matched up with (Grady) Jarrett and stepped out there, punched him. I thought he recovered well.”

• Titans signed DE Jamal Davis to their practice squad.