This is the Pace of Play Report Week 7! We’re back for our weekly speed check as we delve into the high-paced, or snail-paced, depending on the team, world of the Pace of Play report. This article shows the speed teams in 2022 are getting their plays run, clocking the average plays per minute through Week 7 of the season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the standings.
The Pace of Play Leaderboard
The Pace of Play Leaderboard Through Week 7
Speeding Up
The Jacksonville Jaguars increased their place of play in Weeks 6 to 7 from 2.043 to 2.105. This was one of the biggest jumps in pace across the league last week. This usage seems to coincide with their turning their backfield over to Travis Etienne. Etienne played on 81.8-percent of the Jaguars’ snaps in their Week 7 loss to the Giants. He is the unquestionable lead back now with James Robinson now in New York as a member of the Jets.
Travis Etienne 2022 Game Log
The Los Angles Chargers are another team that ramped up the play speed last week. They are now the fastest team in the league after sitting at No. 5 after Week 6. The Chargers are very much a pass-first outfit, and with so many plays being run there is potential for fantasy goodness from any number of pass-catchers. At the moment, Austin Ekeler is on a tear, and benefitting greatly from the speed and opportunities this offense is exhibiting.
Austin Ekeler Productivity, Advanced Receiving and Efficiency Stats 2022
Easing Up
The Carolina Panthers were able to play much of their Week 7 game with a lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This new circumstance saw them take their foot off the gas to an extent as they fell to No. 18 in the pace of play standings. Their pace of play mark is currently 1.958, down from 2.018 the week. This, and the loss of Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey, reinforces them as a team to not go overboard with in fantasy terms. Maybe D.J. Moore will be a thing again, but that’s about it.
Incredibly, despite trailing by what seemed 21 points from the second the team coach arrived in Cincinnati, the Atlanta Falcons managed to play slower in Week 7 than they had managed in previous weeks. They now sit at No. 30 with a 1.854 pace of play mark. At this stage, we have to believe that Arthur Smith is just trolling the free footballing world. He has ZERO interest in passing the ball, and Drake London and Kyle Pitts will continue to be unusable in fantasy terms.
The Week Ahead
The most eye-popping matchup in Week 8 is the clash between the Arizona Cardinals (No. 2) and the Minnesota Vikings (No. 6). This one projects to be something of warp speed shootout and definitely a game to target if you’re looking to jam players into lineups. The Detroit Lions against the Miami Dolphins is another game that could have plenty of plays and points. The Dolphins have picked up the pace themselves somewhat recently and are currently No. 15.
The battle between the former Houston team and the current residents of the city is not one to get too excited about. The Tennessee Titans are comfortably the slowest-paced team in the NFL and also one most likely to not take to the air. The Texans are not much better, but they sit at No. 20 and have the 13th-highest pass-to-run ratio in the league. But ask yourself, who are they passing to?
See you again.
