THE BLITZ projects the Carolina Panthers to be the 8th-most run-heavy team among all teams this week with a 44.2% run rate, given their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects this game to have the 2nd-largest volume of plays run out of all the games this week at 127.7 plays, given the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects Christian McCaffrey to accumulate 16.2 carries in this contest, on average, placing him in the 92nd percentile among RBs.
Christian McCaffrey has been given 71.4% of his offense’s rush attempts this year, ranking in the 95th percentile among running backs.
Christian McCaffrey has picked up 65.0 rushing yards per game since the start of last season, one of the highest figures in the league among running backs (96th percentile).
Cons
The Carolina Panthers will have a new play-caller this season in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to lean 2.8% more towards passing than it did last season (context-neutralized).
The Carolina Panthers offensive line ranks as the 8th-worst in football since the start of last season at opening holes for rushers.
The New Orleans Saints defense owns the best efficiency against opposing rushing attacks since the start of last season, surrendering just 3.87 yards-per-carry.
The New Orleans Saints linebackers rank as the 2nd-best group of LBs in the league since the start of last season when it comes to stopping the run.
The Carolina Panthers have gone up against a stacked the box on 19.7% of their plays since the start of last season, 6th-most in football. Bringing an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.