This is the Pace of Play Report: Week 10! We have returned once again, dear reader, to shine the white-hot light on the speed of NFL offenses. Which teams are going fast? What teams are going slow? Which matchups should we be interested in as we head into Week 11? I shall try to answer your questions below.
Let’s begin.
Leaderboard
The Pace of Play Leaderboard Through Week 10
Speeding Up While Going Down
It should come as no real surprise that, when teams are losing, they might be incentivized to speed up their processes. This was evident in Week 10. The five teams that showed the biggest increase in plays per minute last week were the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Atlanta Falcons. All five teams lost in Week 10.
The team that showed the biggest injection of speed in a winning effort was the Tennessee Titans. But we still shouldn’t be too ecstatic about this. They were ranked No. 32 after Week 9 with a pace of play mark of 1.741. Now, they can boast a 1.784 mark…and are still ranked No. 32. Derrick Henry is the only non-quarterback on the Titans to average more than 7.5 PPR points per game this season. So if he’s not on your roster, I wouldn’t worry about their sudden injection of pace.
Derrick Henry Game Log 2022
Packing in The Pace
While the negative game script saw the Cowboys kick into higher gear, their opponents took advantage of their lead to really slow things down in Week 10. The Packers were ranked No. 25 coming into Week 10, but they managed to “climb” all the way up to No. 29 with their pace of play mark now a whopping 1.862. As many of us feared heading into the year, they want to play slow, chew up as much time on the play clock as possible, and rely on efficiency on offense. They’ve managed to do two of these things in 2022, although the third leg has been something they’ve struggled to achieve. That’s a large reason why only Aaron Jones and Allen Lazard have been somewhat usable in fantasy this year. Aaron Rodgers has certainly not been.
Aaron Rodgers Efficiency Stats 2022
The Week Ahead
There are a couple of matches that really stand out from a pace point of view this week. The Minnesota Vikings (No. 5) and the Cowboys (No. 4) are set up for an obvious track meet. The 47.5 implied total for this game is a juicy one and makes Dak Prescott a viable option in DFS given our projections for his ownership.
Dak Prescott Week 11 Outlook
The Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs clash is another between two sides with speed on their mind. But, as has been the case for much of the season, the fantasy goodness in these teams is so condensed that it’s hard to get excited about ancillary pieces of either offense. You’re obviously starting Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Austin Ekeler, but Justin Herbert‘s form has been spotty of late. Factor this in with the Chargers decimated receiving corps, and who else really excites you?
At the other end of the speed scale, the Packers and Titans matchup on Thursday should be something of a slog. Both of these teams don’t want to pass unless they can avoid it. They will go out of their way to avoid running offensive plays altogether if they can. Start Henry and Jones, consider Christian Watson if you must, but steer clear of everyone else.
I shall be back.
