(My Sportsbook) - Locally-based fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to watch the team play a game on television this past Sunday, something that isn't likely to be a possibility when the Jags are working in their home stadium this year.

The NFL's blackout policy has long been a problem in Jacksonville, a small- market city with a fan base that turns from generally ambivalent to largely absent when things are not going well for the home team.

And the team's 0-2 start, which included a disastrous blowout by the Arizona Cardinals in the Jaguars' home opener, did little to get the club's ticket hotlines buzzing.

But, perhaps some were inspired by Sunday's 31-24 road win against a Houston Texans team still being billed by many as a potential playoff unit.

Maurice Jones-Drew had his best day of the season, rushing 23 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns as the Jags rolled up 184 rushing yards on the day.

Perhaps more importantly, David Garrard fended off the critics that had come out in force in recent weeks, not suffering a sack or turnover and completing an efficient 18-of-30 passes for 214 yards on the day.

"You can't worry about the criticism, that's just fans being fans," said Garrard, who threw half of his completions downfield to wideouts Mike Sims- Walker (6 receptions, 81 yards) and Torry Holt (3 receptions, 57 yards). "You have to deal with that, it is part of the game. If you can't handle criticism then you shouldn't be playing."

Head coach Jack Del Rio, who had undoubtedly begun to hear whispers about his own job status, was also relieved to pick up the win and perhaps change the direction of the season

"There's a good group of men in there who've been working hard," said Del Rio. "Nice to get the win today. I don't think there's any question about our desire, our willingness to work, our wanting very badly to win. Today, we were able to execute well enough to win the ballgame, a divisional game on the road. I'm really proud of the guys. I'm really proud of the guys for fighting hard, staying together and continuing to work. I thought we got better during the course of the game. This football team, we've got to continue to improve. I was very pleased we were able to pull out a win on the road."

Yes, but now that a trip to the win column has arrived, will a sizeable amount of patrons show up to watch the Jaguars battle Tennessee in another key division game this week?

Has Jacksonville put a suitably watchable product on the field to appeal to those more interested in watching the Tim Tebows of the world run up and down the field on fall Saturdays?

According to Garrard, the only thing the Jags should have to provide as an incentive to fans is the correct result on the scoreboard.

"If you win you are entertaining, and if you go back to [the playoff year of] '07 we did the same things that we did [Sunday] and I think they were pretty happy with us then. When you are losing ball games it's just a dark cloud over the city. If we can just continue to win then they will be very happy and very entertained."

COLTS: No one in NFL history has ever won four league Most Valuable Player awards. That is a sentence you might not be able to write again once the 2009 season is in the books.

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, who took home the hardware in 2003, 2004, and again last season, probably won't end the year with as many passing yards as Drew Brees or have as many highlight-reel-worthy plays as Adrian Peterson. But anyone who has watched Manning's work in the team's last two nationally-televised wins would have trouble arguing against the quarterback's immense value.

Just six days after going to Miami and using only 35 plays to set up 27 Indianapolis points, Manning was at it again in Arizona on Sunday night. Manning made the defending NFC champs look like...well...the Cardinals, when he completed 24-of-35 passes for 379 yards, four touchdowns, and one pick in a 31-10 runaway.

And he did it, once again, with perhaps the weakest supporting cast of his 12- year-career, one that includes Reggie Wayne (7 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD), tight end Dallas Clark (7 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD), and little else of note.

Some had wondered aloud when the 33-year-old Manning, who underwent two knee surgeries prior to last season, would begin to decline. Better check back next year. Manning is completing 68.8 percent of his passes, has seven touchdown passes to just two picks in his first three games, and has logged an AFC-best 117.7 passer rating. And oh yeah, the Colts are 3-0.

"There is a difference between last year and this year because he started the (2008) season after (knee) surgery," said head coach Jim Caldwell of his quarterback "In years past, he's been pretty productive around here. His preparation and dedication is always the same. He is never satisfied with a performance. Every single snap he takes in practice, he exhibits the same type of effort and enthusiasm.

"He plays it as if it's the most important play in the Super Bowl. That's how he prepares in the meeting room and in everything he does. That's the reason why he's so consistent. He does it week-in, week-out, day after day, meeting after meeting. He's a real professional."

TEXANS: No one was expecting the Houston Texans' defense to be dominant in 2009. The thinking was, with pass rusher Mario Williams, emerging linebacker DeMeco Ryans and a few other promising defenders, that the Texans could be passable enough on that side of the ball to keep some of the pressure off the high-octane offense.

Think again.

Houston has allowed 24, 31, and 31 points in its first three games of 2009, the latest showing a 31-24 loss to the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, and doesn't look close to becoming a credit to the cause.

Williams is the only Texan with a sack - and he has only one - the tackling has been poor and the big plays allowed have been many, reinforcing the views of those who objected when Frank Bush was elevated to coordinator from senior defensive assistant after the unit struggled under Richard Smith a year ago.

The Jaguars, who could scarcely get out of their own way offensively the first two weeks of the season (29 points scored), rolled up 31 points, nearly 400 yards of total offense, and 24 first downs in the win.

Head coach Gary Kubiak acknowledged the group's mistakes after the loss while defending the coordinator he hired.

"I see some mistakes, some assignment issues, those type of things," said Kubiak. "They are giving up big plays. That's where the yardage is coming from. I don't think it has anything to do with the calls or what's being called. I go back and watch the game and I think Frank called a good game. I don't think we executed some things very well, but the yards are what they are. They're there and obviously we've been giving up a bunch of them and we have to dig our way out of a real deep hole. I think we're doing the right thing. I just don't think we're doing it very well."

Under particular scrutiny has been the play of a secondary that has done a poor job in coverage, particularly starting safeties Eugene Wilson and John Busing.

"We're just not consistent back there," said Kubiak. "We're searching for some answers. We're playing a lot of people back there. We're going to continue to do that. We're going to give some more guys some opportunities. We've got to find some consistency throughout the back end for us to be successful."

TITANS: Walk through the locker rooms of some NFL teams that are currently 0-3, and you'll undoubtedly feel a sense of resignation. Walk through the Tennessee Titans locker room, however, and you'll feel an air of defiance.

The Titans' surprisingly poor start was extended to 0-3 after this past Sunday's 24-17 loss at the New York Jets, just one year after Tennessee blazed through 2008 at an NFL-best 13-3. The team's three losses have come by a combined 13 points, results that have elicited some anger among the team's veterans.

"Let them write us off, that is fine," said Bulluck of those who would dismiss the defending AFC South champs after their disappointing start. "We don't need to spend our time worrying about the stories in the newspapers. We need to worry about ourselves. At a time like this, the team needs to get tighter."

Naturally, scrutiny has been focused largely on the quarterback position, where veteran journeyman Kerry Collins has posted a poor 69.9 passer rating through three games. Collins' worst outing of the young season came Sunday, when he completed just 15-of-37 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

The Titans don't have a legitimate backup option at the moment, which means Collins will get a chance to lead the team's charge out of the basement until further notice.

"We're in a tough spot, we put ourselves in it," said Collins. "It's a long season, a lot can happen. We need to keep believing in what we're doing and get this thing turned around and get headed in the right direction. It's frustrating, but by no means do we start pointing fingers and start pushing panic buttons. We have to stay together and keep believing in what we're doing and we'll get it turned around."

Head coach Jeff Fisher echoed the sentiments of his quarterback.

"No panic stage," said Fisher. "We're going to keep working. When you look back at the three games, we had a chance in all of them, but we didn't win so we're going to keep learning. Our goal right now is to just win a ball game."