Pros
- The Arizona Cardinals have run the most plays in the league this year, totaling a colossal 63.8 plays per game.
- THE BLITZ projects James Conner to accrue 16.5 rush attempts in this week’s contest, on average, ranking in the 89th percentile among running backs.
- THE BLITZ projects James Conner to be a more important option in his team’s rushing attack this week (72.8% projected Carry Share) than he has been this year (51.0% in games he has played).
- The Arizona Cardinals have been faced with a stacked the box on a mere 9.5% of their plays since the start of last season, 2nd-least in the league. Bringing an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.
- The Arizona Cardinals have gone no-huddle on 35.9% of their plays outside the two-minute warning since the start of last season (most in the league). This quickens the pace, leading to more volume and stat-padding.
Cons
- The Arizona Cardinals will be rolling with backup QB Colt McCoy in this week’s contest, which generally means fewer pass attempts and more rush attempts.
- The Cardinals are a 3.5-point underdog in this week’s contest, likely leading to a passing game script.
- THE BLITZ projects the Arizona Cardinals as the least run-heavy offense among all teams this week with a 36.6% run rate, accounting for their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
- James Conner has been among the weakest running backs in the league at generating extra running yardage, averaging just 2.60 yards-after-contact this year while grading out in the 17th percentile.
- Opposing squads have run for the least yards in the league (just 81 per game) vs. the San Francisco 49ers defense this year.
Projection
THE BLITZ
72
Rushing Yards