AFC Notes: Colts, Marlon Mack, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Colts

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says the Colts have gotten some trade calls regarding RB Marlon Mack but nothing has piqued their interest so far. If they don’t trade Mack, Rapoport expects them to continue sprinkling him into the offense like they have. 
• Rapoport mentions the 49ers were one of the teams that had interest but they’ve since gotten healthier in their backfield. 

Jaguars

• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports Jaguars S Rayshawn Jenkins was fined $10,300 for taunting.
• Jaguars HC Urban Meyer confirmed WR DJ Chark is out for the season with a fractured ankle. (Adam Schefter)

Texans

Texans HC David Culley announced that QB Tyrod Taylor will return to practice this week. However, he wants to make sure that his quarterback is able to be 100% before returning to the field.

Culley said that he wants to “make sure that when [Taylor is] running around back there that there’s nothing hampering him from being the kind of player that he is, using his legs. And if there’s nothing there, then we feel good about going and playing with him. But the only way we’re going to find that out is by practicing him.”

Culley has been adamant that Taylor is the team’s starter, but also admitted that they won’t just throw him back into a game situation.

“He will have to have some practice time and we’ll treat him that way just like the other guys who have been out,” Culley said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer gets the sense the Texans like third-round QB Davis Mills more than Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa as an option for the future. 
• Mills said the team’s locker room remains intact despite their 1-6 record: “What you don’t see after a loss like this is a locker room moving in different directions.” (Barshop)
• Texans HC David Culley said following the loss to the Cardinals that everything will be evaluated, including personnel. (Aaron Wilson)
• Culley is pleased with Mills’ performance thus far: “Davis has been fine … I’ve been happy with Davis. When he has protected the ball, he has done everything we have asked him to do.” (Sarah Barshop)
• Culley announced that Texans LB Christian Kirksey fractured his thumb. (Wilson)

Titans

The same Titans defense that allowed 27 points in a loss to the Jets just held the Chiefs to their worst offensive performance in the Patrick Mahomes era, limiting Kansas City to just three points in a win on Sunday. Since that unsightly loss, the Titans have toppled both supposed top dogs in the AFC by beating the Bills and Chiefs. The defense has been a big part of that with key big plays. 

“It’s one of those things—we play against the Jets and we give up big plays, and when you watch the film, you see, ‘Hey, if we stop doing this, we can be great,'” Titans S Kevin Byard said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “And it’s the same thing, when we’re going to use this film in this game as an example to say, ‘Hey, if we handle our keys, if we affect the quarterback, especially a quarterback like 15, if we eliminate the big ball, if we play physical at all positions from the front to the back-end, be physical, we can beat anybody.’ Like there’s no team in the NFL we feel like we can’t beat if we handle those keys, so it’s just another early reminder during the season and as we continue to progress throughout this year, that we have to handle these keys every single week to beat teams.”