The Worksheet, a fantasy football overview by Rich Hribar, breaking down everything you need to know for the Week 6 Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams Sunday afternoon game.
| Carolina | Rank | @ | LA Rams | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Spread | -11 | ||
| 14.75 | Implied Total | 25.75 | ||
| 18.6 | 24 | Points/Gm | 16 | 29 |
| 24.4 | 20 | Points All./Gm | 23.2 | 16 |
| 55.8 | 30 | Plays/Gm | 62.4 | 19 |
| 67.8 | 30 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 59.4 | 6 |
| 4.9 | 28 | Off. Yards/Play | 4.8 | 32 |
| 5.3 | 11 | Def. Yards/Play | 5.4 | 13 |
| 36.92% | 24 | Rush% | 31.09% | 32 |
| 63.08% | 9 | Pass% | 68.91% | 1 |
| 47.20% | 29 | Opp. Rush % | 43.43% | 20 |
| 52.80% | 4 | Opp. Pass % | 56.57% | 13 |
- The Rams are averaging 8.8 yards per completed pass, 30th in the league. In 2021, that rate was 11.5 yards per completion, second in the league.
- Carolina is averaging a first down or touchdown on 21.5% of their plays on first or second down, the lowest rate in the league.
- The Panthers have converted 24.2% of their third down plays, the lowest rate in the league.
- The Rams are averaging 4.6 yards per play on first and second down, 31st in the league.
- The Rams have scored 40.8% of the points scored in their games this season, ahead of only the Steelers (37.6%).
- The Rams are allowing 6.6 sacks plus turnovers per game, the most in the league.
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: Through five weeks, Stafford has just one week finishing higher than QB23 in weekly scoring. He has thrown one or fewer touchdown passes in all but one game this season.
Stafford has been pressured on 34.6% of his dropbacks this season (seventh highest). Under pressure, he is averaging 5.7 yards per pass attempt with one touchdown. He has taken a sack on 9.9% of his dropbacks after a 4.8% rate in 2021.
Stafford has faced some good pass rushing teams of late in San Francisco and Dallas, who are the top two teams in the league. Carolina is also top 10, ranking ninth in the league in pressure rate (35.1%) while they blitz 33.0% of the time (seventh).
Stafford and this offense have failed to gain any big plays through the air. 80.2% of his pass attempts are 10 and under, the highest rate in the league. Carolina is 11th in big play prevention, allowing 13.2% of the completions against them to gain 20 or more yards.
There is a lot of objective overlap where the Rams have struggled and where the Carolina defense wins. The Panthers are still allowing 13.5 passing points per game (18th) because their offense has regularly hung them out dry. They have allowed back-to-back top-10 scoring weeks to Kyler Murray and Jimmy Garoppolo while allowing 14 or more fantasy points in three straight games, including Jameis Winston.
That offers a small shred of optimism for Stafford here paired with the implied game total, but Stafford is still just a QB2 option as we look to re-establish faith in him offering ceiling upside.