Each of the top four ranked defenses in the NFL play the 3-4 scheme.

Overall, seven of the 13 teams that play the 3-4 rank among the top 12 in fewest yards allowed

with three weeks to go in the season.

Nevertheless, the increase in teams moving from the 4-3 to the 3-4 this decade creates a

concern around the league that it's going to get increasingly tougher for 3-4 teams to find

ideal players in the draft to fit the system.

The stud nose tackle who dominates the middle of the line — the first prerequisite of

the 3-4 — is hard to find.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick voiced this concern on a conference call with Buffalo media on

Wednesday.

"Absolutely — I think that's one thing that's really come to note for us," Belichick

said. "When I came here in 2000, it was basically us and the Steelers (playing the 3-4). And

the competition for players — the nose tackles, the outside linebackers, some of the

two-gap defensive linemen — it wasn't very much.

"Players like Mike Vrabel, who didn't get a chance to play very much in Pittsburgh because of

the players that were ahead of him, signed here in a big part because of the opportunity that

he had to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense."

One could argue that it might be a bit easier to find outside linebackers who can rush the

passer — players like Pittsburgh's James Harrison and Denver's Elvis Dumervil —

than it is to find elite 4-3 defensive ends like Carolina's Julius Peppers and Houston's Mario

Williams.

Nevertheless, the prototypical 3-4 linemen and linebackers aren't going to fall nearly as far

in the draft this April as they did earlier this decade.

If the Bills switch to a 3-4 next year, expect a rocky transition. Green Bay switched to the

3-4 this year and ranks No. 2 on defense. But the Packers already had a strong core of

front-seven players. Kansas City switched to the 3-4 this year and ranks 30th overall. The

Chiefs have Bills castoff Ron Edwards playing nose tackle, and it's not pretty.

Rest up, Colts

In an on-line poll on The Buffalo News Web site this week, fans voted 74 percent in favor of

the Colts going all out to finish 16-0.

I disagree.

Despite setting a record for most wins in a decade, the Colts have gone one-and-done in the

playoffs three of the last four years. They have a great chance to get to the Super Bowl. They

need to make the most of it.

Furthermore, the Colts are not a juggernaut, their 14-0 record notwithstanding. This is a team

that is carried by a handful of great players, starting with Peyton Manning, who may be the

greatest quarterback of all time. The defense ranks 17th in the NFL. Their two defensive ends,

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, are the key to the unit. Without them, the Colts' defense

stinks, frankly. Since the release of troubled defensive tackle Ed Johnson in October, the

middle of the defense is woefully thin. At DT, they're starting Antonio Johnson and Dan Muir,

both third-year guys signed off the street last season. Their No. 4 DT is 265-pound Eric

Foster. If Freeney or Mathis get hurt in the final two games, the Colts are in deep trouble.

If tight end Dallas Clark went down, they could kiss the Super Bowl goodbye.

The Colts have lost to the Chargers the past two years in the playoffs. They need all their

stars healthy to beat San Diego in January this year.

JaMarcus sits

He is the lowest rated quarterback in the NFL. He's completing a league-worst 48 percent of

his passes. He has two TDs and 10 interceptions. Yet word out of Oakland is JaMarcus Russell

still doesn't understand how hard a starting quarterback in the NFL needs to work. He's

overweight. He's never the first one in the building or the last one out. He shows few strong

leadership skills.

In explaining the promotion of Charlie Frye over Russell at QB this week, Raiders coach Tom

Cable indirectly knocked the former No. 1 overall pick.

"Charlie is so much like a coach," Cable said. "In Charlie Frye's world, there is no off day.

He's always here. He's here early, he's here late."

Russell has earned $36 million over the past three seasons and he's guaranteed $3 million next

year. His base salary is $9.4 million next season. So the Raiders have paid him more than $2

million per touchdown pass (17) so far.

Viking OTs

The Vikings made a shrewd pick by drafting Oklahoma tackle Phil Loadholt in the second round

this year. He has started all season at right tackle. Meanwhile, Bryant McKinnie, in his

seventh year, has started 92 straight games at left tackle. Both Vike OTs are 6-foot-8.

Vikes QB Brett Favre on McKinnie: "He's been everything I thought he would be all of the years

playing against Bryant. Steady is an understatement. Obviously he is a quiet guy. Really the

only problems have had with Bryant is when I couldn't see over him."

"There have been a few times when the No. 1 read is right out in this area and I honestly

couldn't see," Favre said. "In fact, against Arizona there was a play late in the game that

Sidney (Rice) was the No. 1 read. I don't want to say that he was wide open, but he was open

enough. He was about 8 yards from me and I couldn't see him."

Onside kicks Titans back Chris Johnson has a shot to

break Marshall Faulk's single-season record for yards from scrimmage. Johnson has 2,017 yards

from scrimmage and is on pace for 2,482. Faulk's record is 2,429.

The Chiefs' home sellout streak of 156 straight games is expected to be snapped for

today's titanic struggle with the Browns. The game is the first since 1990 that will be

blacked out of local television in Kansas City.