The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a new play-caller this year in head coach Doug Pederson, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to tilt 2.9% more towards passing than it did last year (context-neutralized).
THE BLITZ projects this game to have the 3rd-smallest volume of plays run on the slate this week at 131.1 plays, given the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects Evan Engram to earn 5.8 targets this week, on average, placing him in the 91st percentile among TEs.
Evan Engram has totaled significantly more air yards this season (44.0 per game) than he did last season (24.0 per game).
Evan Engram’s 33.8 WOPR (Weighted Opportunity Rating—a volume stat that measures high-value offensive involvement) has been notably higher this season than it was last season at 28.6.
Cons
Evan Engram has been among the least effective pass-catchers in football among tight ends, averaging a lowly 5.78 yards-per-target this year while grading out in the 24th percentile.
Evan Engram has been among the worst TEs in the NFL at picking up extra yardage, averaging a mere 3.84 yards-after-the-catch (YAC) this year while ranking in the 16th percentile.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have faced a stacked the box on a measly 11.1% of their plays since the start of last season, 3rd-least in the NFL. Bringing an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.
The Indianapolis Colts have stacked the box vs. opponents on just 13.1% of their plays since the start of last season, 8th-least in the league. Choosing not to position an extra defender close to the line of scrimmage improves pass defense at the expense of run-stopping.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have utilized motion in their offense on 33.0% of their plays since the start of last season (9th-least in football), which usually makes an offense more predictable and less effective.