Aaron Schatz's blog

This week, we look at offenses and defenses that have improved over the last few weeks, including Minnesota and the No. 1 defense in the league since Week 6. Plus, what would our Super Bowl odds look like if DVOA didn't have Kansas City rated so much better than other advanced metrics?

Close loss or not, DVOA is ready to ride or die with the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, Chiefs-Rams was one of a number of games this week where the losing team ended up with a higher rating than the winning team.

A special early Off The Charts podcast looks asks how much of a win the Le'Veon Bell situation has been for "running backs don't matter" Twitter. Then previews of this week's great prime-time games: Packers at Seahawks, Vikings at Bears, and Chiefs at Rams. (Click for audio link.)

A new column for ESPN+ Chalk with a review of teams where that Football Outsiders odds show value compared to consensus Las Vegas odds. Teams highlighted include Washington, Kansas City, and Chicago.

Big wins mean big movement in our DVOA ratings, with Pittsburgh jumping up from 11th to fifth and big moves for Green Bay, Tennessee, and Buffalo as well. We also explore the history of the DVOA Bowl as No. 1 prepares to meet No. 2, and jump into the workings of DVOA to try to figure out why New Orleans doesn't rank higher in our metric.

A good conversation starter here, as Trevor Sikkema puts together a list of possible head coaching candidates for next year. Obviously, the hot young offensive mind everyone in the NFL wants is Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma, but there's also Vikings OC John DeFilippo and Titans OC Matt LaFleur. There are some defensive minds on here, and some older retreads who may get new consideration. Norv Turner again? I suppose it's possible. Who's your favorite head coach candidate?

Special guest Mike Tanier joins Matt Manocherian and Aaron Schatz on this week's Off The Charts Podcast to talk about the current state of the Philadelphia Eagles; whether signing Dez Bryant will work for the New Orleans Saints; and whether the Miami Dolphins are now the blandest team in the National Football League. Plus, a big debate about how to value running backs. How much does Todd Gurley's rushing mean to his value if there's research showing that receiving is so much more important than rushing? And how much do we need to value Gurley's volume as opposed to just analyzing players with rate stats? (Click for audio link.)

Great, really must-read series here from our old friend Doug Farrar about how NFL defensive schemes have fallen so far behind NFL offensive schemes, and just what coaches might be able to do about it. Part I breaks down how so many passive NFL coverages are just not prepared for the schematic complexity of modern offenses.

On ESPN+, we look at our updated playoff odds for all 32 teams, with breakdowns including: why our numbers love the Chiefs so much, where Cincinnati may decline in the second half of the season, and why Washington's offensive line injuries may not stop them from winning the NFC East.

It's not a week of close games, as every line in the NFL this week is three points or more. Our Upset Watch pick looks at Monday Night Football, where expectations for Nick Mullens seem a bit too high based on just one game. Cover Watch analyzes Cincinnati hosting New Orleans.