Thorman’s Snaps and Pace: Week 1

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of Snaps & Pace, where we examine trends in play volume and game pace. It is meant to be a 30,000-foot view of upcoming contests, with the goal of identifying which matchups will — and which will not — be played on fertile fantasy soil. For a primer on why this is important, click here.

A more standard offseason than last year provided a better sense of what to expect, but Week 1 always has us flying somewhat blind. As uncomfortable as this may be, it offers an opportunity to get a read on emerging trends while the competition is still reading stale fantasy mags.

There is no shortage of interesting games from a pace-based perspective, so let’s dive right in.

Up In Pace

Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans

This matchup jumps off the page after the Cardinals again led the league in situation-neutral pace and no-huddle rate. Last season, their contests were second only to Cowboys games in combined snaps (133.6), as Arizona added 5.2 plays to their average and launched from the 22nd-most voluminous offense in 2019, up to fourth. The Cardinals improved efficiency in both yards per drive and points per game, which was largely driven by advancement from a pre-shoulder-injury Kyler Murray. Arizona enters 2021 with a healthy Murray, and upgrades at receiver (Rondale Moore) and offensive line (Rodney Hudson). While the addition of A.J. Green does widen Arizona’s target tree, play volume will be there to keep everyone well fed.