AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

A shaky start to the season for Colts K Adam Vinatieri led to buzz that the 46-year-old kicker could finally decide to hang up the cleats and retire. Vinatieri, however, pushed through and rebounded on Sunday. He made both of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra points, the latter of which had been particularly problematic. 

“Right, wrong or indifferent, you probably put a little more pressure on yourself,” Vinatieri said via the Athletic’s Bob Kravitz. “Coming off the week we did, I tried not to think about it and just focus in.”

• Colts HC Frank Reich says WR T.Y. Hilton re-aggravated his quad injury. (George Bremer)
• Colts signed DE Gerri Green to their practice squad. (NFLTR)
• Colts released DE Jamal Davis from their practice squad.

Jaguars

The Jaguars didn’t see much more in QB Gardner Minshew than the rest of the NFL did. They only talked to him once, a 15-minute interview during the NFL Combine which helped them feel comfortable enough to select him in the sixth round. Once they got him in their building, though, Jacksonville started to think they might have a steal. 

“When we first sat down and installed with him at the rookie minicamp, the way he really quickly grasped football, grasped protections, you knew he was further ahead,” Jaguars OC John DeFilippo said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I was shocked, because he was coming from an Air Raid system [at Washington State].  I don’t know how many protections they use, how much they do at the line of scrimmage. I don’t want to speak of something I don’t know. But from what you hear from other guys you’ve been around, he was really, really quick with the protection piece.”

• NBC Sports’ Peter King writes that he’s hearing Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey will play out his fifth-year option next year if he’s not traded, but after that, he plans on becoming a free agent. 
• The Jaguars tried out LB Joey Alfieri, LB Nate Hall, LB Sutton Smith and CB KeiVarae Russell. (Howard Balzer)

Texans

The Texans’ offensive line has limited time playing with another, but HC Bill O’Brien is happy with how the unit is coming together. 

“I think that they did a lot of good things,” O’Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. “I think we handled the blitz better. The ball came out a little bit quicker and the offensive line did  a good job with that, the line, the receivers, the backs picking up blitzes. I think our offensive did a good job of staying inside-out, meaning giving him space to read windows and throw balls.

“I think they block out a lot of things. You’ve got two rookies who are playing pretty well for rookies. You’re only as good as your next game We’ve got some veterans there. I think the addition of Laremy has been big.“

• Texans signed Tyron Johnson to their practice squad. (NFLTR)