The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Last Wednesday, I asked PFR readers which team will emerge victorious in the NFC East. The Cowboys are viewed as the favorite both by statistical models and by our voters, and their position got even stronger following a surprising victory over the Saints on Thursday night. The Redskins and Eagles aren’t completely out of the divisional race, however, and they’ll face each other in a critical Monday night matchup.
- Using ESPN’s playoff probability leverage, I asked PFR readers which Week 13 game was the most important. ESPN’s metric pointed to Redskins/Eagles as Week 13’s most important contest, and our respondents agreed, although Chargers/Steelers finished in a very close second.
- Zach Links looked at the free agent case of Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers, who is projected to hit the open market next spring. Flowers be part of a stacked edge defender class that also includes Jadeveon Clowney, Frank Clark, Dee Ford and Demarcus Lawrence. New England head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t typically pay up front seven defenders, but the Pats could make an exception for Flowers.
- While the AFC playoffs are largely set aside from the No. 6 seed, there is still jockeying to be done at the top of standings. With that in mind, Sam Robinson asked PFR readers which club should be considered the favorite for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. The Chiefs took the top spot with roughly 44% of the vote, while the Patriots came in second at 36%.