ESPN’s ManningCast with Peyton and Eli is a must-watch whenever it’s on, and one of the primary reasons for that is the football insight that the Manning brothers bring to the broadcast.
Early on in Monday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco edge-rusher Nick Bosa went out for a few plays, and at that point, Peyton Manning shared a bit of inside info given to him by Minnesota’s quarterback.
Peyton Manning says Cousins told him they have specific plays they're only gonna call when Nick Bosa's out of the game – ones that are longer-developing.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) October 24, 2023
If that’s the case for other offensive coordinators, it hasn’t shown up so far this season. Per Sports Info Solutions, Bosa was on the field for 181 designed opponent passing snaps through the first six weeks, and off the field for 74.
When Bosa has been off the field, opposing quarterbacks have increased their short dropback rate from 66% to 77%, and deep attempt percentages to all parts of the field are higher when Bosa is on the field — rising from 9% to 18%.
Moreover, opposing ADoT (Average Depth of Target) increases from 6.9 to 8.2 when Bosa is on the field.
Bosa’s effect has been more on the 49ers’ ability to bring pressure, which should come as no surprise. San Francisco’s defense has a 5.4% sack rate, a 32.4% pressure rate, and a 10.8% Blown Block Pressure Rate with Bosa off the field, and a 6.1% sack rate, a 39.2% pressure rate, and a 20.4% Blown Block Pressure Rate with Bosa on the field.
But that doesn’t seem to affect how often opposing teams call longer-developing plays… at least, not to this point in the season.