New York at Los Angeles

The San Diego Chargers are getting all the talk as a Super Bowl team, and they very well may achieve that goal. They have been on a tear, coming into the playoffs as the hottest team with 11 straight wins. Yes the Chargers have certainly looked great, and it is hard to argue with 11 straight wins, but taking a closer look, this team is not bullet-proof. Four of the last five wins have come by 7 points or less, and three of those were decided by a FG. So, is this line really correct? This is a great matchup for the Jets, who have struggled at times vs. the run, but won't have to worry here as San Diego is the second worst running team in the NFL. That will make a very strong Jets’ defense even stronger. This team played four games this season vs. teams in the bottom 12 in rushing yards per game. Those teams were Oakland, Indianapolis, Houston and Tampa Bay. Two good offensive teams and two suspect offensive teams. The Jets thrived versus the one-dimensional nature of all four of those offenses as they outscored the four teams 117-25! The Jets have the best shutdown corner in the NFL in Darrelle Revis, and Tito Sheppard adds more strength. If history holds, Vincent Jackson, who contributed 1167 yards and 9 touchdowns this season, will be held down by Revis. Without a running game, that will leave Rivers with Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd as weapons through the air. Gates is certainly a threat, but Floyd managed just one touchdown all season. This Jets' defense can really put a hurt on an offense. On the season, they were No. 1 in the league at 14.8 points per game allowed and No. 1 in yards allowed at 252.3 per game. In their last seven games, the Jets have held opponents to just 8.7 points per game. Combine that with the league's best running game and you wonder why the Jets didn't win more games this season. The answer is that they have a rookie QB. But, lately, Sanchez seems to have settled into his role and is reducing mistakes. If he plays like that, this team has a chance to beat any team in the league. The Chargers finished the season at 8-7-1 ATS. Here is a big eye-opener. When they faced teams that are ranked No. 13 or worse in passing yards allowed per game, they were 7-2 ATS. When they faced teams that were ranked in the top 10 pass efenses, they were 1-5-1 ATS! This is a bad matchup for the Chargers and a very good one for the Jets. I like New York here.