Pros
- THE BLITZ projects the Washington Commanders to be the 6th-most run-heavy team in the league (context-neutralized) at the present time with a 42.8% run rate.
- The Washington Commanders have run the 4th-most plays in the league this year, averaging a whopping 62.4 plays per game.
- The Washington Commanders have gone up against a stacked the box on a measly 12.2% of their plays since the start of last season, 6th-least in the NFL. Positioning an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the expense of better passing efficiency.
- The Washington Commanders have elected to go for it on 4th down 24.1% of the time since the start of last season (4th-most in the NFL), which usually means more offensive volume, more TD potential, and higher offensive metrics across the board.
- The Washington Commanders have utilized some form of misdirection on 57.2% of their plays since the start of last season (4th-most in football), which can keep the defense guessing and improve offensive efficiency.
Cons
- The Commanders are a 6.5-point underdog in this week’s game, which points towards a passing game script.
- THE BLITZ projects the Commanders to run the 5th-least offensive plays among all teams this week with 62.0 plays, given their underlying tendencies and game dynamics.
- The weatherman calls for 3-mph wind in this game. Low wind usually means increased pass volume, increased touchdown potential, and better passing efficiency.
- Antonio Gibson has run for quite a few less yards per game (37.0) this year than he did last year (65.0).
- Opposing squads have run for the least yards in football (just 74 per game) vs. the San Francisco 49ers defense this year.
Projection
THE BLITZ
29
Rushing Yards