The Carolina Panthers will be rolling out backup QB Sam Darnold this week, which usually means fewer pass attempts and more rushing.
Opposing teams have averaged 38.6 pass attempts per game vs. the Detroit Lions defense this year: 3rd-most in football.
The Carolina Panthers offensive line profiles as the 4th-best in football this year in protecting the passer, which has a strong impact on all pass attack stats across the board.
Sam Darnold’s throwing precision has gotten a boost this year, with his Completion% jumping from 59.9% to 63.1%.
Sam Darnold’s passing effectiveness has improved this season, averaging 7.92 yards-per-target compared to a mere 6.16 figure last season.
Cons
The Carolina Panthers will have a new play-caller this year in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to tilt 6.1% more towards rushing than it did last year (adjusted for context).
THE BLITZ projects the Carolina Panthers as the 6th-least pass-centric offense on the slate this week with a 49.3% pass rate, given their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects the Panthers to call the 5th-least offensive plays on the slate this week with 62.0 plays, accounting for their underlying tendencies and game dynamics.
The Carolina Panthers have run the least plays in the NFL this year, averaging a mere 52.9 plays per game.
THE BLITZ projects Sam Darnold to attempt 28.6 passes in this contest, on average: the 9th-least of all quarterbacks.