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Who has the edge in key games? - Aaron Schatz (Insider)
Our advanced stats heavily favor Cincinnati, in part because the Ravens' performance broken down by play by play doesn't match the team's 8-7 record. The Bengals rank ninth in the league in DVOA, while the Ravens are just 23rd. Both teams have good defenses. And while the Bengals' offense has been average, the Ravens' has been horrific. Only Jacksonville has a lower offensive DVOA this season, and the Ravens will end up with one of the 10 poorest-rated running games in the 25 years for which we have play-by-play breakdowns.
Upset Watch for Week 17 - Aaron Schatz (Insider)
The Jets are even more likely to pull this off than an ordinary team, because they've been so inconsistent this year. We use a stat called variance to look at the game-to-game variation in each team's DVOA rating. This season, the Jets rank 30th in variance. Only Philadelphia and St. Louis have been less consistent, and for those teams it's less an issue of week-to-week inconsistency and more an issue of simply improving over the course of the year. The Jets really have been up and down all season, especially on offense.
Radio Interview wit Steve Wyche - Jay Mohr Sports
NFL Network Insider Steve Wyche tells Jay Mohr Sports who has the best chances to make the playoffs
3TFO: Chiefs @ Chargers, Week 17 - Scott Hanson
Unfortunately, both starting inside linebackers and defensive ends have struggled mightily against the run this year. Can they shore up this area with a playoff spot on the line? One thing they’ll need to do is get as many players to the football as possible. When facing a running back who has fumbled once every 20.7 touches, it becomes that much more important to attack the ball aggressively and capitalize off of poor ball security.
Double Coverage: Chiefs at Chargers - Eric Williams & Adam Teicher
Outside linebackers Jarret Johnson (hand) and Melvin Ingram (knee) played together for the first time this season against the New York Giants three weeks ago. And defensive coordinator John Pagano replaced a struggling Derek Cox at cornerback with eight-year veteran Richard Marshall a week earlier against Cincinnati.
The NFL All-Pro Team - Bill Barnwell
Weddle is a great player mired amid a pretty awful secondary. San Diego's lack of a pass rush has kept the team's defensive backs trapped in coverage for far too long this year, but Weddle has done an admirable job of holding up while chipping in with his fantastic instincts as a run defender. Now, if the Chargers can just work on the other 10 spots …