Prediction model has Commanders going way under their projected win total in 2024

The sportsbooks believe Washington will be improved in 2024. Sports Info Solutions is less bullish.

After only winning four games last season, the Washington Commanders are due to bounce back in 2024. The Commanders hired a new general manager (Adam Peters) and head coach (Dan Quinn) and changed over half of their 90-man roster in 2024.

The question is, how much better will the Commanders be this season?

Peters had his hands full reconstructing a roster that needed help at multiple critical positions. None more than quarterback, where Washington selected Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall. The defense has nowhere to go but up. The Commanders were 32nd in multiple defensive categories last season.

How many games will Washington win? DraftKings Sportsbook believes the Commanders will be better, predicting them to win 6.5 games in 2024. That sounds accurate and would be considered a success under the new regime with so much turnover.

However, Sports Info Solutions sees things much differently. The SIS prediction model has Washington winning just 3.2 games — over three games less than the sportsbooks.

Only Washington’s archrival, the Philadelphia Eagles, had a larger disparity between the sportsbooks. DraftKings predicted the Eagles to win 10.5 games—a difference of 3.7 games. That’s a shocker. Meanwhile, the Cowboys had a disparity of 0.6 games, with SIS having them predicted to win 11.1 games.

What’s more surprising? The Eagles predicted to win just under seven games, or the Cowboys running away with the division?

It’s June. Things never go as planned or expected in the NFL season. Some teams will emerge as surprise contenders, while others will disappoint. One thing is certain about Washington: the Commanders will be much more fun to watch in 2024.

1 stat epitomizes the Vikings defense under Brian Flores

Brian Flores has been incredible and this stat shows his range as a playcaller

The renaissance of the Minnesota Vikings’ defense is truly impressive. They currently rank:

  • 13th in total defense (323.2 yards/game)
  • 16th in passing defense (224.4 yards/game)
  • 10th in rushing defense (98.8 yards/game)

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been incredible improving the 31st-ranked defense in 2022 to 13th overall through 10 weeks. The one stat that epitomizes what the defense is in 2023 is how many players are rushing the quarterback on a given snap.

Per Sports Info Solutions, the Vikings have sent the most three-man and five-man (blitz) pressures in the National Football League. On the same accord, they have sent the least amount of four-man pressures in the NFL.

Yes, Flores is that diverse with his pressure packages.

Drop-eight has been a really common defense for the Vikings this season. They are making teams beat them with patience and against difficult coverages. The defensive line has gotten pressure consistently with even three pass rushers, allowing Flores to get exotic on the back end and with his blitzes.

The Vikings defense isn’t quite elite right now, but there has been a massive improvement.

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Raiders G Dylan Parham named to SIS All Rookie 2nd team

Dylan Parham recognized for his work at LG for the Raiders this season. He has been named to SIS All Rookie 2nd team

With no picks until the third round for the Raiders, and only one rookie starter this past season, they didn’t have a lot of players who were really eligible for rookie honors. But that one rookie starter has just earned a mention.

Third round guard Dylan Parham has been named an All Rookie second teamer by Sports Info Solutions.

Parham started every game for the Raiders this season. The first four starts he split time between center and right guard before settling in to start at left guard the remainder of the season.

He played his best in run blocking, helping Josh Jacobs to take the rushing title this season. While his main concerns were as a pass blocker.

Though bouncing around to every interior line spot throughout the offseason, preseason and the start of the season likely didn’t help him to find his footing at the position, he played his best football over the latter half of the season.

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The worst NFL quarterbacks for every type of throw

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar determines the worst NFL quarterback for every type of throw with tape and advanced metrics.

If there is a best, there has to be a worst. So, after reviewing the best NFL quarterbacks for every type of throw — with most of the expected names — it was then time to dig into the quarterbacks who struggled most with all kinds of different concepts. From drop length to type of throw to with and without the assistance of play-action and pre-snap motion, and with and without pressure and the blitz.

The best NFL quarterbacks for every type of throw

Last year, the clubhouse leader on the worst list was then-Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (have fun with that, Seahawks). This season, there are two rookies who stand alone and apart — first overall pick Trevor Lawrence, and second overall pick Zach Wilson.

With Lawrence, there was so much that went wrong in Jacksonville that was beyond his control, you’re inclined to give the poor guy a mulligan for the whole thing. In Wilson’s case, the YOLO tendencies he showed ay BYU were readily apparent in the NFL, as one would expect. Regarding veterans on this year’s list, let’s just say that the Panthers have a quarterback problem Sam Darnold isn’t going to solve. There’s also one Tua Tagovailoa appearance on this list, which will get both sides of the TuAnon debate going yet again. 

Without further ado, here’s the worst quarterback for every type of throw from the 2021 NFL season.

Play-action chief among Rams key tendencies Cowboys must survive

The Rams have specialized in play-action passing under head coach Sean McVay. The Cowboys will need to adapt in their Week 15 matchup.

The Dallas Cowboys enter their Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on a three-game losing streak. The Rams however are on a streak of their own, winning two straight and coming off a 28-12 blowout victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. The Cowboys currently lead the NFC East with a record of 6-7, while the Rams are fighting for a wildcard birth in the NFC West at 8-5. As it stands, both teams are riding a drastically different set of circumstances regarding playoff scenarios.

When looking at the Rams in 2019, it is easy to dismissIss their accomplishments at this point in the season. One year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, many analysts pegged them as a perennial championship contender. It is fair to say they have underachieved but nonetheless, they are still a formidable opponent and as the Cowboys will find out on Sunday, they certainly have a preference when it comes to play calling.

Play-action passing

The Rams are an interesting team to study. Simply put, their entire offense runs on the core principle of setting up an effective play-action passing attack. Head coach Sean McVay has built his team around this concept and after diving into some key stats and play tendencies this becomes even more apparent. First things first though, a look at the Rams’ favorite personnel package on offense.

In the modern NFL, most teams have favored 11-personnel, which features three wide receivers on the field. The Rams are no exception, opting to use the package on 418 of their plays in 2019. According to charting from Sports Info Solutions, this accounts for 83 percent of the Rams’ totals plays this season; one of the highest rates in the league. With this in mind, it is clear to see how the Rams present themselves to opponents. But while personnel usage isn’t a mystery, the real question is, how do they approach their play-action game? One of the answers could be in their play-calling tendencies.

From an under-center look the Rams have passed the ball 176 times. But out of 476 under-center playcalls, their preference has been to run the ball (300 plays). In 2019, the Rams have rushed from under center 63 percent of the time. In this aspect the Rams have rushed at one of the highest rates, but across the league, rushing from under center is heavily favored.

Overall, the Rams have been one of the best teams at utilizing play-action in the past. In McVay’s first year as coach the Rams ranked No. 2 in play-action usage (29 percent) and averaged 8.9 yards per pass attempt via Football Outsiders. Those numbers took a jump in the following season, with the team ranking No. 1 in usage (36 percent) and No. 2 in yards per attempt at 9.4.

In 2019, the Rams’ play-action output has fallen off a bit. Heading into Week 15, they have averaged 7.8 yards on play-action passes at a rate of 27 percent. Even so, play-action still remains a crucial aspect of their game.

To recap, here is a quick review of the Rams’ offensive tendencies,

  • Favor 11-personnel (83 percent of total plays)
  • Rush 63 percent of the time from under center
  • No. 2 in pass attempts from under center (176)
  • No. 9 in play-action pass rate (average 7.8 yards)

What stands out the most from this is the rush rate from under center. Conventional wisdom would suggest the Rams rush at a high rate to make play-action passing more effective. From an analytical point of view, the data suggests this is simply not true. Some studies show play-action passes work no matter how well a team runs the football.

This chart expresses a similar notion in regards to passing from under center and rushing volume. Teams that ran more from under center did not see a boost in passing efficiency. Efficiency here is defined as Expected Points Added per pass with data from nflscrapR. EPA measures the value of a play based on down, distance to first downs and field position. If this metric serves well, then the Rams are not seeing a return on their passing investments by choosing to rush at a higher rate.

The Rams try to show the same types of offensive looks to keep opposing defenses guessing. By dressing plays to look exactly the same from an execution standpoint, in essence, it could be enough to fool unsuspecting defenses. The Cowboys’ defense has proven to be unreliable as of late, but at the very least they should be prepared for what the Rams’ offense is capable of from under center.

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