The Cardinals are a 3.5-point underdog in this week’s game, indicating a passing game script.
THE BLITZ projects this game to have the highest volume of plays run among all games this week at 134.4 plays, accounting for the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
The Arizona Cardinals have called the most plays in the league this year, averaging a colossal 66.4 plays per game.
This game will be played in a dome—meaning zero wind, higher pass volume, higher TD potential, and better passing effectiveness.
The Minnesota Vikings defense has conceded the 10th-most receiving yards per game in the league (166.0) vs. wideouts this year.
Cons
DeAndre Hopkins has been among the weakest wide receivers in the league at grinding out extra yardage, averaging a mere 3.43 yards-after-the-catch (YAC) since the start of last season while ranking in the 25th percentile.
The Arizona Cardinals offensive line has given their quarterback just 2.34 seconds before getting pressured (2nd-worst in the league since the start of last season), which has a negative impact on all air attack statistics across the board.
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. Keeping an extra defender near the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the expense of better passing efficiency.