THE BLITZ projects this game to have the 2nd-most plays run among all games this week at 131.4 plays, given the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
The Carolina Panthers have called the 10th-most plays in football since the start of last season, averaging a whopping 63.6 plays per game.
THE BLITZ projects Christian McCaffrey to total 17.9 rush attempts in this contest, on average, ranking in the 96th percentile among running backs.
Christian McCaffrey has received 62.1% of his team’s carries since the start of last season, putting him in the 93rd percentile among running backs.
Christian McCaffrey has grinded out 61.0 yards per game on the ground since the start of last season, one of the biggest figures in the league among RBs (92nd percentile).
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 lean 1.8% more towards passing than it did last year (adjusted for context).
The Carolina Panthers O-line ranks as the 7th-worst in football since the start of last season at blocking for the run game.
The Carolina Panthers have been faced with a stacked the box on 19.7% of their plays since the start of last season, 6th-most in the NFL. Keeping an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.