The Washington Commanders boast a new play-caller this season in offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and the leading projections forecast their pass/run mix to skew 12.7% more towards passing than it did last season (in a neutral context).
Accounting for their underlying play style and matchup dynamics, the model projects the Washington Commanders to pass on 64.6% of their chances: the greatest frequency on the slate this week.
This game will be played in a dome—meaning zero wind, increased pass volume, increased TD potential, and increased passing efficiency.
The leading projections forecast Terry McLaurin to accumulate 7.5 targets in this contest, on average, ranking him in the 79th percentile among wide receivers.
As it relates to protecting the passer (and the strong effect it has on all pass game statistics), the offensive line of the Commanders ranks as the 7th-best in the NFL this year.
Cons
Accounting for their underlying propensities and game dynamics, the Commanders are anticipated by the predictive model to run just 62.6 plays on offense in this contest: the 4th-fewest among all teams this week.
Terry McLaurin has compiled quite a few less air yards this season (69.0 per game) than he did last season (88.0 per game).
Terry McLaurin’s 44.2 WOPR (Weighted Opportunity Rating—an advanced metric that measures high-value offensive usage) has been significantly lower this season than it was last season at 58.6.
Terry McLaurin’s 54.0 adjusted yards per game on passes this season shows a a substantial decrease in his pass-catching skills over last season’s 67.0 mark.
This year, the fierce Atlanta Falcons defense has allowed a mere 120.0 adjusted receiving yards per game versus opposing WRs: the 4th-best in the NFL.