The Patriots have one of their best Super Bowl performances by DVOA, and one of the top defensive Super Bowls we've tracked. As you can imagine, all that defense also means the Quick Reads totals are pretty negative, unless you happened to win Super Bowl MVP.

Big games for the No. 2 seeds mean our weighted DVOA ratings are now grouped very close together going into the conference championships.

Indianapolis moves up to No. 2 in weighted DVOA, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Saturday's divisional game against Kansas City. Plus, updated DVOA ratings for the other six remaining teams.

Just when it seems as if every team in the league is spreading the field and putting the quarterback in shotgun, the Patriots are winning with an old-school attack. Derrik Klassen shows how fullbacks, tight ends, pre-snap motion, and play-action passing have been so effective for New England -- and why the Rams seem ill-prepared for such a scheme.

The New England Patriots used disguised blitzes and coverage schemes to pressure Philip Rivers and Patrick Mahomes and blanket all their receivers in their first two playoff wins. That could be bad news for the L.A. Rams and their quarterback, who struggled with blitz reads against the Saints.

New England doesn't have the fantasy superstars or explosive playmakers that Kansas City has -- but they do have the kind of versatile pieces and deceptive schemes that will give the Chiefs headaches on Sunday.

The L.A. Rams are headed to the Super Bowl, thanks in part to an offensive line that had a great night protecting Jared Goff. But it wasn't perfect. What did the Saints do that gave the Rams trouble, and will similar tactics work for New England in Atlanta?

The Colts may wear a lucky charm on their helmets, but their offensive line suffered ill fortune against the Chiefs, being undone by teammate's mistakes and badly timed (and badly called) penalties. Still, Ben Muth finds plenty to like about their chances in 2019.

The Indianapolis offensive line played exceptionally well in a win over the Houston Texans and their star-studded defensive front -- but you might be surprised at who their best and worst blockers were.

Our analysis of the Patriots' worst games in 2018 makes one thing clear for the Rams: beat New England early, or you're not likely to beat them at all.

The L.A. Rams are a great team, but they're not perfect. What weaknesses were exposed in their worst games this year, and how will New England be able to attack those flaws in the Super Bowl?

The Patriots' path to the Super Bowl was paved by a trio of running backs -- none of whom was particularly good when you account for the terrible quality of Kansas City's defense. Plus, updated weighted DVOA points to the closest Super Bowl matchup we've ever seen.

The NFL's highest-scoring season ever ends with a whimper, not a bang. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick win their sixth rings, Julian Edelman wins the MVP, and Wade Phillips wins respect, but the Rams offense fails to show up.

For the first time in history, both conference championship games go to overtime. The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl, as they once again play an explosive Rams offense, led by an offensive genius head coach, in an NFC South dome. And, uh, how about that officiating?

A very tame divisional round again ends in a quartet of home-team victories. Only one of those road teams could even be truly described as competitive, but even Old Saint Nick was stopped late against the Saints.

After a THRILLING Super Bowl, Bryan and Andrew revisit their preseason projections to take their lumps and receive their proper glory. Le'Veon Bell was the MVP, right?

Bryan and Andrew go through the worst of the worst to compile their Keep Choppin' Wood team for the 2018 season! Overpaid free-agent signings, draft busts, and unqualified starters beware; the KCW team sees all.

A tradition like a number of others! Bryan and Andrew return to figure out if the Rams will ride Todd Gurley, if the Patriots are over the Gatorade dunking tradition, and whether or not we'll see a SpongeBob SquarePants shoutout at halftime.

Guest columnist Spencer Harrison looks at which plays are most and least successful at the goal line. Yes, the fade route is as bad as you think.

Guest columnist Ben Baldwin returns for another look at play-action passing in the NFL. Does a team's effectiveness on standard passes have an effect on play-action success? Do teams that run the ball a lot use play-action more often? Do teams that run well use play-action more? And finally, is play-action more effective when it's used sparingly?

Guest columnist Ajit Kirpekar applies machine learning techniques to pressure rates from a dozen NFL seasons and comes up with some interesting conclusions -- most notably, that quarterbacks might be even more responsible than we thought for the pressure they do or do not face.

Alabama was the best team all year, but Clemson was the best team in the postseason. The SEC was the best conference, but were its second-tier teams really that much better than everyone else? It was a screwy season in college football, and it's sending Brian Fremeau back to the drawing board.

Jerry Jeudy and Alabama were very good this year, just like we all expected. Same goes for their Playoff competitors in Clemson, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame, and other top teams like Ohio State and Washington. Brian Fremeau looks back at a year filled with boring predictability and tries to find out why good teams don't play each other anymore.

Not long ago, Benny Snell and the Kentucky Wildcats were riding high at 7-1, but then back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee brought them back to earth. Brian Fremeau looks at which other teams have declined throughout this season, and which have made the biggest improvements.

Even though Alabama was more efficient on a per play basis, Clemson stalled Alabama's drives in the red zone, converted third downs, and made more explosive plays to create a game that looks lopsided on the scoreboard.

It seemed etched in stone that Alabama and Clemson, the preseason two top teams in the F/+ projections, would meet in the national title game following dominant wins over Oklahoma and Notre Dame in the semifinals. But there's still a lot to enjoy about that upcoming game (including Tigers receiver Justyn Ross), and the season as a whole.

Georgia tried to bring a little chaos to the playoff race, but Jalen Hurts' comeback win ensured that all Power-5 conference favorites would win.

"We meet again at last." For the fourth year in a row, Hunter Renfrow and Clemson will face Alabama in the College Football Playoff. Which of the two undefeated teams will finish off their rival and take the trophy home?

At last we reach the main event(s) of bowl season, including big matchups between high-profile teams such as Texas vs. Jake Fromm and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Plus: Urban Meyer's last game as the head coach at Ohio State, and potentially another claimed national championship on the line when Central Florida takes on LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.

The bowl games of Friday and Saturday include the most important games of the postseason so far, the College Football Playoff semifinals. Clemson will play Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, while Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray leads Oklahoma against Alabama in the Orange Bowl.

Yes, the dramatic change at quarterback is a big part of the story of the 2018 Baltimore Ravens. But it's the secondary -- one of the best in the league -- that is really driving their playoff push.

The Sean McVay express has taken quite a turn over the last few weeks. Is it all good defenses, or are the Rams suddenly beatable?

Chris Boswell donates six points to the Oakland Raiders. Joshua Dobbs plays until Ben Roethlisberger's hero alert sensor goes off. We try to find nice things to say about Jon Gruden.

The Patriots won the Super Bowl on Sunday and have basically been partying non-stop ever since.

It's Media Week at the Super Bowl, including quotes about Tom Brady's decline (or lack thereof); potential retirements in New England's future; the fate of former Georgia running backs; and the problems besetting the Pittsburgh Steelers. Plus, questions on cats, math, and suites from a very special interviewer.

This week: the Saints and Rams disagree on a certain referee's judgement call; the Patriots celebrate another Super Bowl berth; controversy surrounds the Eagles and their quarterback; Derek Carr wants to fight ESPN reporters; the Cowboys and their meddling owner; and player-on-mascot violence.

After a dull postseason, Championship Sunday produced two overtime games and two road upsets. The Chiefs join a growing list of offensive juggernauts paired with poor defenses that fell short of a ring. Also: was that the worst non-call ever in New Orleans, and what should the NFL do about expanding replay and overtime?

The NFL will crown a new champion for the 14th year in a row. We look at how the Eagles went from all-time playoff upset to all-time playoff blunder. Also: Sean McVay needs two seasons to get to a round the Cowboys haven't seen since 1995. After a bland weekend, let's talk about whether teams down 15 points should wait on the two-point conversion like Dallas did.

Nick Foles adds to one of the most unexpectedly impressive resumes in NFL history. Also: Seattle forgets how good Russell Wilson is, and the Ravens get taken out of their comfort zone.

Lawyers representing unsigned quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid released the following statement on Friday afternoon concerning their clients' collusion lawsuit against the NFL:

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I took the week off from the podcast for some school meetings, so instead Matt Manocherian and Sports Info Solutions guest Nathan Cooper get together to discuss the upcoming SIS Rookie Handbook draft guide. They discuss this year's quarterback and defensive line prospects. (Click for audio link.)

Rob Weintraub picks the NFL's best player in 2018 from each school in the Pacific-12 Conference.