Nerdy Birds: Olamide Zaccheaus gets open, to stop the Bengals YAC attack, and Arnold Ebiketie impressive start

Atlanta heads to surprising territory for a Week 7 matchup towards the Cincinnati Bengals that pits a couple of groups locating their form, as each the Falcons and Bengals have gained 3 in their ultimate 4 video games after beginning 0-2. Atlanta travels to Paycor Stadium at the banks of the Ohio River for simply the 8th time of their history. Dating lower back to 1971, the Falcons are 2-five in Cincinnati and five-nine towards the Bengals overall. Atlanta ultimate gained in Cincinnati in 2006 with the Bengals taking the ultimate matchups consisting of a 24-10 win in Cincinnati in 2014.

Sunday`s sport functions groups which are on an upward trajectory after gradual starts. Let’s test a number of the stats that are becoming those groups to wherein they may be six weeks into the 2022 season.

Wizard of OZ
Entering the season, Olamide Zaccheaus became the best extensive receiver at the energetic roster that had formerly stuck a byskip in a Falcons uniform. While the relaxation of his assembly room became over withinside the offseason, Zaccheaus has seized his possibility and has turn out to be one of the Falcons maximum vital offensive pieces. The former undrafted unfastened agent from Virginia enters Week 7 with sixteen receptions for 271 yards and touchdowns. He ranks 2d at the crew in yards and receptions and his sixteen.nine yards in step with trap leads all Falcons byskip catchers.

Zaccheaus has been one in all Marcus Mariota’s maximum dependable and powerful goals up to now this season. Want proof? When concentrated on OZ, as he’s affectionately recognized withinside the locker room, Mariota has a 155.eight passer score, that is the best QB score amongst all gamers with at the least 15 catches. Zaccheaus is likewise the best extensive receiver in that group, because the relaxation of the pinnacle 5 are tight ends or jogging backs.

Zaccheaus’ +20.four receiving percent above expectation (CROE) is tied with Seahawks tight cease Will Dissly for the NFL lead. He has stuck 88.nine percentage of the passes thrown his way (sixteen-of-18) and consistent with Next Gen Stats, he has received 109 yards over expectation this season.

It’s no marvel that Mariota has made Zaccheaus a favourite goal, given his penchant for buying open and maximizing his chances. Among gamers which have run at the least seventy five routes, he ranks 1/3 with 2.nine yards in step with course run, trailing best Tyreek Hill (three.7) and Stefon Diggs (three.1). Zaccheaus averages three.nine yards of separation while centered and forty four percentage of his goals are labeled as open through Next Gen Stats, which means that he has 3-or-extra yards of separation from the closest defender while a byskip arrives.

He is a benefactor of the eye that gamers like Kyle Pitts and Drake London draw, however additionally wins his matchups. On the season, Zaccheaus has thirteen catches that had a crowning glory chance above 50 percentage and he is had at the least 5 yards of separation on 33 percentage of his receptions. Only six percentage of his passes had been classified as tight-window catches through Next Gen Stats.

Zaccheaus’ price to the offense has typically been undersold. Among gamers with 15-or-extra goals, OZ’s 1.01 anticipated factors delivered in step with goal leads the league, beforehand of topflight byskip catchers Mike Evans (0.77) and Travis Kelce (0.76). Additionally, his 0.20 EPA in step with course run, ranks 2d in the back of Kelce (0.21).

Because the shifty Zaccheaus has been capable of generate such a lot of open goals, he is completed big harm after the trap. OZ is averaging five.1 yards after the trap in step with reception and 30.three percentage of his receiving yardage is produced from YAC. He’s out acting his anticipated YAC of four.four through almost a complete backyard consistent with Next Gen Stats.

Zaccheaus has stuck 12 passes ensuing in first downs and, consistent with TruMedia, he leads all extensive receivers with at the least 15 catches in the proportion of first downs or touchdowns in step with play with 66.7 percentage of his touches ensuing in a single of these outcomes.

Despite being unheralded, undersized, and underrated, Zaccheaus has carved out an vital position in Atlanta’s offense. Atlanta delivered a wealth of length amongst its byskip catchers and has run the ball extra than every other crew withinside the NFL besides the Philadelphia Eagles, however the five-foot-eight Zaccheaus has been on the sector for 60.three percentage of the offensive snaps. That’s the 2d-maximum snaps amongst extensive receivers in the back of Drake London (seventy five.four) and the fourth-maximum through an offensive talent player (Kyle Pitts – 72.nine percentage & Parker Hesse – 70.three).

The 4-yr seasoned is on tempo to pinnacle his profession bests, set in 2021 and with defenses keying in on London, Pitts, and the Falcons jogging sport, Zaccheaus need to keep to have possibilities because the season progresses.

YAC Attack
The Bengals have constructed their offense to be one of the maximum explosive withinside the league. Quarterback Joe Burrow, extensive receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and jogging lower back Joe Mixon helped lead Cincinnati to an AFC identify in 2021. The offense remains simply as effective in 2022.

Yards after the trap make this offense devastating. The Bengals are one of the pleasant groups withinside the NFL in turning brief completions into lengthy gains. Cincinnati ranks 7th withinside the NFL in overall receiving yards (1,639) and twenty sixth in air yards in step with goal (6.6), however, the Bengals are 1/3 withinside the league in overall YAC with 927 yards. Cincinnati averages six yards after the trap in step with reception bumping their overall yards in step with reception to 10.7.

On the season, sixty nine percentage of Burrow’s byskip goals have come both in the back of the road of scrimmage or 0-nine air yards and he has thrown the fifth-lowest percent of passes of 20-or-extra air yards, underscoring the significance of yards after the trap to Cincinnati’s offense.

Overall, the Falcons lead the NFL in performs wherein fighters benefit much less than one backyard after the trap with 40, beforehand of the Ravens (38), Broncos (38), Chargers (31), and Buccaneers (31). Atlanta has confined fighters to beneathneath 5 yards of YAC in step with crowning glory on throws from in the back of the road of scrimmage to 9 yards past it. Atlanta has additionally been a hit in