Off The Charts Football Podcast

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders break down the Patriots vs. Falcons Super Bowl.  Given the Patriots' defensive advantage, should they be considered bigger favorites?  What has contributed to both teams' defensive improvements in the 2nd half, and can those factors make a difference in the Super Bowl?  Where did Chris Hogan come from?  How big a deal is Alex Mack's injury?  And can the Patriots shut down Julio Jones?

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the AFC and NFC championship matchups.  Is it normal for the final 4 quarterbacks to be so good?  Has Matt Ryan been even better than Aaron Rodgers in recent weeks?  Can either the Falcons or Packers defense at all stop what the other team is doing offensively?  Will the Patriots be able to disrupt Roethlisberger, and will they even try to?  Will the Steelers be able to get to Brady like how the Texans could?  And why is Dion Lewis so good?

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders lead off with a discussion of some of the NFL news, including some coaching hires and the Chargers moving to Los Angeles.  Then, they break down all of this weekend's playoff games.  Will the Seahawks continue to have success on the ground against the Falcons, and can the Falcons throw on the Seahawks?  Why is the Texans' Defensive DVOA rating much worse than their total yards allowed rating?  Have the Patriots become the one great team in the "Year of No Great Teams", and how often are the Patriots the No. 1 team in DVOA?  Why are the Steelers so good defensively, and what will happen in their matchup with the Chiefs given that both teams are so balanced?  Are the Packers all about Aaron Rodgers, or will losing Jordy Nelson hurt them?  And will the Packers be able to stop the Cowboys' excellent running game?

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the 4 playoff games this Wild Card weekend.  Were the Raiders overrated even before Derek Carr's injury, and are the less equipped to deal with his injury than other teams are with QB injuries?  Are the Texans the worst playoff team ever?  Are the Seahawks still strong enough with all of their injuries to handle Detroit?  Will the Dolphins' and Giants' pass rushes be major factors in their games against the Steelers and Packers, or are those opponents too hot?

Greg Thomas of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the playoff picture in both the AFC and NFC.  With all six teams settled in the AFC, they discuss New England's potential path to the Super Bowl as the number two overall team in DVOA.  They also preview the games that will determine the playoff teams in the NFC, as well as discuss which teams pose the biggest threat to the Dallas, the number one overall team in DVOA, making the Super Bowl.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders preview the Steelers vs. Ravens game that could determine the AFC North.  How have the Steelers become the hottest team in football, and are the Ravens built to stop them?  Then, they discuss the many scenarios that could play out for the 2nd NFC Wild Card.

Joe Rosales of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the two hot Bay teams, Green Bay and Tampa Bay.  Which one is better positioned to make the playoffs with their recent play?  Have either teams made clear improvements that would indicate their recent play is sustainable?  Then, they debate MVP candidates.  Do the lack of standouts quarterback candidates make a running back a potential winner?  What about an even more non-traditional candidate?  Finally, they go back and forth on Jeff Fisher, interim Rams coach John Fassel, and special teams coordinators.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders recap the important Chiefs win over the Raiders.  How does that game affect both teams' playoff and Super Bowl odds?  Has the Chiefs defense improved markedly since Justin Houston rejoined the team?  Then, they talk Lions, and how they've been the polar opposite of the Eagles this season.  Are they getting better?  And if so, which players are mostly responsible?  Finally, they close with a preview of the Ravens vs. Patriots game on Monday night.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the lack of elite teams in the NFL this season and break down the top 5 DVOA teams.  Do any of those teams have a chance to become even better?  Where do their playoff and Super Bowl odds stack up?  What do the recent injuries to Desmond Trufant and Rob Gronkowski do to their respective team's chances?  Then, they close with a preview of the Dolphins vs. Ravens game, in a matchup of one of the best rushing attacks against one of the best run defenses in DVOA history.

In the Thanksgiving Week edition of the Off the Charts Football Podcast, Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders recap the DVOA Bowl between the No. 1 and No. 2 DVOA teams from a week ago, the Eagles and Seahawks.  Then, they previous the exciting slate of Thanksgiving day games, touching on the playoff implications of each of the matchups.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders break down the Dolphins and Giants.  How have the Dolphins won 4 straight games and risen to 6th in DVOA?  How good is Jay Ajayi, and how much have their offensive and defensive lines factored into the resurgence?  Meanwhile, are the Giants really "peaking at the right time" or is that a myth?  How have the Giants been so successful on defense even though some traditional stats like sacks don't put them at the top of the league?  Finally, they discuss Rivers McCown's top 25 breakout players article that was published on ESPN Insider.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders try to make sense of suddenly tight NFC North.  Is the Vikings' offensive line going to be their undoing?  Are the Packers better than their record would indicate?  Will the Lions' remaining schedule allow them to potentially sneak into the playoffs?  Then, the pivot to the best division in football to talk about the Raiders, fresh off their resounding win over the Broncos.  Are the Broncos a good matchup for the Raiders?  And does that win create some separation from them and the rest of the division in the playoff standings?  Finally, they close by discussing the phenomenal slate of games in Week 10.  Which are the most important for the playoffs?

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders explain why the Patriots are the No. 4 team in DVOA and not the No. 1 team, and they try to figure out why the Patriots traded Jamie Collins.  Then, they discuss the Chiefs' rise up the DVOA boards, how good they would look if you removed their blowout loss to the Steelers in Week 4, and whether they can survive without their starting quarterback and running back.  Finally, they try to make sense of a crazy NFC Wild Card picture.

Greg Thomas of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the Eagles retaking the No. 1 DVOA position and what their Week 8 matchup with the No. 5 Cowboys will look like.  Despite the 32nd ranked Defensive DVOA, they also discuss how the Lions have maintained their win streak.  Last week's Bills vs. Dolphins game and each team's prospects going forward are then reviewed as well.  Finally, Aaron begins to discuss his research on the Field Goal kicking struggles so far this season.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders break down the AFC West race.  They explain their thoughts on Denver's recent losing streak and fading offense, the impact of the Chiefs' 2-0 division start on their playoff odds, and Oakland's and San Diego's front-loaded schedules.  Then, they discuss the rising playoff odds of the Washington Redskins and how they've become a more balanced team than in 2015.  Finally, they close with the Titans, who have followed the Seahawks formula to take control of the AFC South.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders break down how the Vikings have become the No. 1 DVOA team in football.  Will their inability to run the ball be a problem for them, and is there anything they can do about that weakness?  Then, they discuss whether they were too quick to write off the Bills and how good their defense can become.  Finally, Scott laments and Aaron explains that the NFC South race may already be over.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss how Seattle joined the top 4 in DVOA despite a soft schedule and a porous offensive line.  Then, they hit on a trio of offensive-skewing teams in the Raiders, Falcons, and Cowboys.  And, finally, they close talking the Jets, who are now 32nd in the league in DVOA--yes, they are behind the Browns.

Joe Rosales of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the Bengals' start to the season. Is the Bengals offense really one of the better offenses in the league? How much do they miss Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Tyler Eifert? Then, they move on to one of the more surprising games of Week 2, Philadelphia's blowout of Pittsburgh. How does Carson Wentz and the Eagles' 5th ranked offense in DVOA compare to Dak Prescot and the Cowboys' 4th ranked offensive DVOA? Should Steelers fans be worried? And they finish with some discussion about the how the trend of defense driving the overall success of teams over the last couple seasons.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss the Vikings win over the Packers on Sunday night.  Was Bradford impressive?  Is something wrong with Aaron Rodgers?  Then, they hit on a couple of surprising teams in the top 10 of overall DVOA in the Lions and Chargers.  Finally, they close with some other DVOA discussion, such as the DVOA-leading Eagles and the three 2-0 teams with negative DVOA totals.

Scott Spratt of Sports Info Solutions and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders discuss all of the major topics from Week 1 of the new NFL season.  They cover how Jimmy Garoppolo looked against the Cardinals, why the Patriots finished below the Cardinals in Week 1 DVOA, whether we should change our mind on the 49ers or Eagles, and whether Jameis Winson is ready to take the leap this season.