Jets at Chargers

The New York Jets visit the Chargers Saturday. A key stat to watch at half time is the run/pass balance.

Jets' RB Curtis Martin, who has been doing his four-wheel drive, power-running act all year, will be playing an encore. And the San Diego Chargers' RB, LaDanian Tomlinson's high-torque leg action helped push the Chargers to divisional leadership adding 14.2 PPG to the Chargers' winning margin.

And re the running game: In the last 20 years the league has never seen a run/pass balance like that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. On offense the Steelers lead the league with a 1.8-to-1 balance (18 rushes per 10 pass attempts).

A difference in performance this great is totally awesome. It is, in fact, so large that a sports statistician could say odds are 100-to-1 against this huge change occurring again this century.

As a general rule years in which the run/pass ratio improves the winning margin follows in lock-step. This does not mean that teams win because they run the ball. That is one possibility. But it is also likely teams improve on several stats and run up a lead. Then, as a result, in the last half they stay on the ground to protect their lead.