Pros
- The projections expect the Arizona Cardinals as the 8th-most run-heavy team among all teams this week with a 44.2% run rate, accounting for their underlying play style and matchup dynamics.
- The leading projections forecast James Conner to total 13.9 rush attempts in this week’s game, on average, ranking him in the 78th percentile when it comes to running backs.
- Out of all RBs, James Conner grades out in the 90th percentile for rush attempts this year, making up 55.2% of the workload in his offense’s running game.
- James Conner’s 73.0 adjusted rushing yards per game this year shows a material gain in his rushing prowess over last year’s 61.0 mark.
- James Conner’s rushing efficiency has gotten better this year, totaling 5.12 adjusted yards-per-carry compared to a measly 4.33 mark last year.
Cons
- At a -4.5-point disadvantage, the Cardinals are underdogs this week, implying more of a reliance on moving the ball through the air than their usual approach.
- Accounting for their underlying tendencies and game dynamics, the Cardinals are forecasted by the projections to run only 63.3 total plays in this contest: the 9th-lowest number among all teams this week.
- When it comes to blocking for ball-carriers (and the importance it has on all run game metrics), the O-line of the Cardinals grades out as the 6th-worst in the league last year.
- This year, the formidable Bears run defense has conceded a mere 81.0 adjusted yards per game on the ground to opposing teams: the best in the league.
- The Chicago Bears linebackers profile as the 5th-best group of LBs in the league this year in regard to run defense.
Projection
THE BLITZ
65
Rushing Yards