The LabThe fingerprint of every playbook

Atlanta FalconsScheme DNA

Most screen rate, least early-down pass rate in the league. Their closest twin is Jaguars (68% alike), then Seahawks and Jets. 523 offensive snaps read, 468 of them charted.

League map Falcons verdict JSON

Screen rate13.3%97th percentile · league 9.0%

Early-down pass rate43.9%10th percentile · league 50.6%

Pass rate over expected−8.0%16th percentile · league −2.3%

Tempo39.1s6th percentile · league 38.0s

Bottom lineTheir loudest habits: screen rate (13.3%, 97th percentile), early-down pass rate (43.9%, 10th percentile), pass rate over expected (−8.0%, 16th percentile).

How to read this chart

The flower:: each petal is one play-calling habit, labeled around the edge. Petal length is the team's rank among the 32 (long = does it more than most; for tempo, long = fast). The dashed ring is the league middle.
The bars:: the same habits as a list: the bar is the rank (the tick in the middle is the league middle), then the real value and the percentile (90 = more than 90% of teams). Jargon: pass rate over expected = how much more or less they throw than the situation predicts; RPO = run-pass option; men in the box = defenders near the line against the run.

Offense

The playbook

Pass rate over expected−8.0%16

Early-down pass rate43.9%10

Shotgun rate53.0%16

No-huddle rate4.4%39

Pre-snap motion58.8%55

Play action22.0%42

Screen rate13.3%97

RPO rate2.8%16

Deep shots8.3%3

Middle of the field17.4%19

Outside runs24.1%68

Tempo39.1s6

Defense

The defense

Blitz rate24.1%13

Five-plus rushers24.1%13

Men in the box6.5632

Stacked boxes3.4%13

Pass rate faced−1.1%68

Deep shots allowed12.5%81

Defensive twins: Seahawks (89%), Chiefs (87%), Eagles (85%).

Twins

Offenses most like theirs

Solid shape: Falcons · outline: the twin

Bottom lineFalcons and Jaguars, 68% alike. Both play slower and line up under center more than most of the league; Falcons and Jaguars differ most in early-down pass rate (43.9% vs 52.1%) and screen rate (13.3% vs 9.6%).

How to read this chart

Each card is one twin:: an offense that calls games like Falcons. The colored shape is Falcons's fingerprint, the white outline the twin's. Where the two match, the habits match.
The %: is how alike the two are across all offensive habits: 100% would be identical, 0% the most different pair in the league.

#1 twinJaguars68%Both play slower and line up under center more than most of the league; Falcons and Jaguars differ most in early-down pass rate (43.9% vs 52.1%) and screen rate (13.3% vs 9.6%).

#2 twinSeahawks68%Both run more on early downs and throw less than the situation predicts than most of the league; Falcons and Seahawks differ most in throws over the middle (17.4% vs 24.4%) and outside runs (24.1% vs 32.5%).

#3 twinJets65%Both run more on early downs and throw less over the middle than most of the league; Falcons and Jets differ most in screen rate (13.3% vs 8.8%) and deep shots (8.3% vs 11.5%).

Run game

Where they run

Arrow size = share of carries · color = EPA per carry

Bottom lineTheir favorite lane: middle, 23% of runs, -0.14 EPA per carry.

How to read this chart

Seen from behind the offense:: the line at the bottom is the line of scrimmage, with seven running lanes from the left end to the right end.
Arrow size: and the % above it = share of the team's runs that go there.
Arrow color: = how well those runs work, in EPA per carry (expected points added: above zero helps the offense). Green works, grey is average, red hurts.

Pass game

Where they throw

Share of targets · EPA per throw

Bottom lineMost targeted zone: short left, 36% of throws, +0.04 EPA per throw.

How to read this chart

The field from the quarterback's eyes:: left, middle and right; the bottom row is short throws, the top row deep throws.
Each box: shows the share of throws that go there (more solid = more throws) and its color the EPA per throw: green helps the offense, grey is average, red hurts.

Formation Tell

What the formation gives away

How to read this chart

Two dots on one line from 0% to 100%:: how often they throw when the quarterback is under center, and how often from shotgun, on neutral downs.
The gap between them: is what a defense learns from the formation alone: a wide gap means the alignment tips run or pass.

Under center29%pass rate, neutral downs

Shotgun72%pass rate, neutral downs

A 43-point gap: middle of the pack offenses in the league (16 of 32). See all 32 →