This week, JD Allen took a look at how three teams that entered the season with championship hopes have dealt with key injuries along their offensive or defensive line.

For the Ravens, losing Nnamdi Madubuike has dealt a massive blow to their defense, with it being 22 points worse in EPA with Madubuike off the field.

His absence can be further felt by taking a look at opposing teams’ run tendencies with him on the field versus off, with teams running inside 30 percentage points less and outside 20 percentage points more when he is manning the middle of the line. Case in point, the Lions had a field day rushing against the Ravens defense without him, running Duo 15 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bills have also had to deal with losing their star defensive tackle Ed Oliver. While they have been faring much better than the Ravens, they have also struggled against the run, ranking in the bottom five in both total rushing yards given up (728) and opposing average yards per carry (5.6).

On the other side of the ball, the Packers have had to patchwork their offensive line with the losses of right tackle Zach Tom, left guard Aaron Banks, and backup lineman Anthony Belton.

The passing game has been dramatically impacted, with them dropping from first in average depth of target (12.8) to 31st (3.9) since they have been out. Even with the shorter depth of target, Jordan Love has taken more sacks, going from sixth in sack percentage (3.5%) to 23rd (7.8%), indicating just how important the line is to a team’s offense.

In this week’s episode, Bryce Rossler and Alex Vigderman reviewed interesting decisions made by the Broncos before previewing a key Week 6 matchup between the Lions and Chiefs and taking a look at how the Ravens and Patriots fits in the AFC Wild Card picture.

Bryce Rossler, on the Bronco’s decision, being down 14 points, to go for one after their first touchdown but then go for two after their second touchdown:

“I would wager, given the preceding decision, that this was not necessarily an analytically driven decision.”

Bryce and Alex Vigderman go on to make the case that this was more just an aggressive decision made by a coach who has shown aggressive decision-making tendencies in the past.

Alex makes the case for the Ravens, assuming health the rest of the way, still having a shot to make the playoffs:

“After the Rams, their schedule for the next two months are the Bears, Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, Jets, Bengals, Steelers, Bengals, and Patriots… At full strength, you would expect them to lose at most two games before Week 17.“

Bryce makes the case for the Patriots:

“This could be a fringe wild card team, just off the back of Drake Maye, who is probably already a top 10 quarterback, and a pretty stingy run defense that ranks top 10 in EPA per play this season.“

For more great analysis, listen to the full podcast!

Stat of the Week: Fielding Bible Awards Preview Part I

Mark Simon previews the Fielding Bible Awards for catchers and infielders. He takes a look at some of the favorites, including Patrick Bailey at catcher, as well as a tight race at shortstop, with Mookie Betts, Taylor Walls, and Corey Seager all within one Defensive Run Saved of each other.

SIS Statpack: Week 6

Looking to find statistical leaders, team rankings, and matchup info for this week’s game? Check out (and subscribe for free to) the NFL Statpack. This includes our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, as well as leaders in such things as yards after contact, deep passes and receptions, pressure percentage, and more.

A clear upgrade to one of the weakest positions on the Colts’ roster

Destin Adams and Justin Churchill of A to Z Sports make the case for the Colts to sign recently released linebacker Germaine Pratt:

“According to Sports Info Solutions, Pratt has allowed five completions on nine targets for 59 yards while in coverage, but no touchdowns allowed, and he also has one dropped interception.”

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs: Chemistry with Drake Maye has ‘a lot of room for growth’

“Across the NFL, Diggs has the second-highest catch rate among wide receivers who have seen at least 20 targets this season, per Sports Info. Solutions.”

Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald

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On Off the Charts, Bryce Rossler, members of the R&D team, and special guests dig into statistical insights, tactical analysis, and personal opinions, aimed at providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the week's key matchups and the intricacies of the sport.

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