AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

Colts’ assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier said he is excited to assume play-calling duties going forward and thinks taking the role allows their other coaches to continue functioning without drastic changes. 

“I just know how I prepared,” Frazier said, via ProFootballTalk. “I know where my mindset is. I know that we have a staff that I love and appreciate. These guys have stepped up to the plate and they’re already helping me so much. We have so many guys with such good experience. I think a lot of it was those guys have roles. Me stepping into this role allows everybody else to keep their same roles and a lot of those processes stay in place, which I think is a big part of it. For me, I’m confident in my abilities. I’m never going to say that I have all the answers because I don’t think anybody has all the answers and this is what I told the guys, ‘I’m going to work my tail off though to find them.’ That’s all that I can do, is say I’m going to give you my best. That’s what I bring to the table.”

Frazier feels he’s been prepared for the playcalling role through his time as Frank Reich‘s assistant in 2018-2019 and being assistant quarterback’s coach the last two years. 

“When you’re playing the game you constantly go through and think, ‘I’ve got to be ready to go even though it’s not my time.’ I think in coaching that’s kind of been my approach,” Frazier said. “Whatever role I was in — when I was Frank’s assistant, I was taking the approach to the job as if, ‘If I’m a head coach, what would I do?’ When I’m the assistant quarterbacks coach I’m watching Marcus and I’m watching [QBs coach] Scott [Milanovich], ‘What would I do if I was in this position?’”

• Colts’ interim HC Jeff Saturday said QB Matt Ryan will be their backup in Week 10: “He’s here to help us. Ryan will be the backup Sunday.” (Mike Chappell)

Jaguars

Jaguars WR Christian Kirk said the team has the utmost confidence in QB Trevor Lawrence and was excited to see him lead the team back in the fourth quarter last week.

“The guys who surround him on the front line, the tight ends, wide receivers, running backs, we’re all in this thing together,” Kirk said, via Jags Wire. “Whenever 16 [Trevor Lawrence] is rolling, we’re all rolling. To see him be able to bounce back, get us out of a hole, and lead us to a victory is great.”

Titans

The Titans receiving corps hit a low point in Sunday night’s loss to the Chiefs, failing to haul in any of their five targets. It exposed just how much Tennessee misses WR A.J. Brown. His replacement, first-round WR Treylon Burks, has been on injured reserve with a turf toe injury and while he’s eligible to come off the list, it’s not clear when he’ll be back. 

“We’ll see how he is feeling,” Titans HC Mike Vrabel said via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “He has worked extremely hard to stay in shape and condition, take care of his body, lift. … I think this is the best he has been from the standpoint of handling a distraction … Whenever he is ready, I’m excited for him to get back out there. We’ll see where that is this week because he has been in here, he has been on time and he has done everything that we asked him to do. We’ll just have to see where he is at physically.”

• Titans HC Mike Vrabel said DT Jeffery Simmons (ankle), S Amani Hooker (shoulder), OLB Bud Dupree (hip), LB Zach Cunningham (elbow), and CB Josh Thompson (knee) have been ruled out from Week 10. (Adam Schefter)