The Carolina Panthers will have a new play-caller this season in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to lean 2.8% more towards passing than it did last season (context-neutralized).
THE BLITZ projects this game to have the 2nd-largest volume of plays run out of all the games this week at 127.7 plays, given the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
The New Orleans Saints pass rush has gotten pressure on opposing quarterbacks 2.55 seconds after the snap (on average), grading out as the 4th-worst in the NFL since the start of last season.
The Carolina Panthers have gone up against a stacked the box on 19.7% of their plays since the start of last season, 6th-most in football. Bringing an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.
Cons
THE BLITZ projects the Carolina Panthers to be the 6th-least pass-centric offense among all teams this week with a 55.8% pass rate, given their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects Baker Mayfield to attempt 30.3 passes this week, on average: the 5th-least of all quarterbacks.
The Carolina Panthers O-line ranks as the worst in the league since the start of last season in protecting the QB, which has a harmful effect on all pass game stats across the board.
Baker Mayfield’s passing precision has tailed off this season, with his Completion% decreasing from 61.9% to 51.1%.
Baker Mayfield’s passing effectiveness has diminished this season, compiling a mere 5.69 yards-per-target compared to a 7.12 figure last season.