Touchdown Theory

Week 3

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

Sun Sep 27, 4:05 PM ET (Sun Sep 27, 1:05 PM local)

The market

Line
SF -7.5
Total
48.5
Moneyline
ARI +320 SF -410

These are the market's numbers, recorded as the feed saw them. They are shown so the model can be compared against something, not as a recommendation.

How the line moved

RecordedLineTotalARISF
Mon Aug 31, 4:46 PM ETSF -11.546.5+470-650
Fri Sep 11, 3:11 PM ETnot posted
Sun Sep 13, 11:25 PM ETnot posted
Wed Sep 16, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+360-470
Thu Sep 17, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+370-485
Sat Sep 19, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+360-470
Sun Sep 20, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+350-455
Tue Sep 22, 10:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+370-485
Thu Sep 24, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+340-440
Fri Sep 25, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+350-455
Fri Sep 25, 12:00 PM ETSF -8.548.5+340-440
Sat Sep 26, 7:00 AM ETSF -8.547.5+350-455
Sat Sep 26, 12:00 PM ETSF -8.547.5+340-440
Sun Sep 27, 7:00 AM ETSF -7.548.5+320-410current

Each row is a snapshot the feed recorded, oldest first. Superseded rows are kept, because a line that moves and moves back is only visible if both are shown.

Environment

Venue
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Roof
open
Elevation
72 ft
Surface
grass
Temperature
67F
Wind
7 mph NNW
Chance of precipitation
2%
Humidity
67%
Forecast
Sunny

Issued 10 hours before kickoff. A forecast issued further out has had less time to settle.

Stadium WP did not list elevation; using Santa Clara city elevation (72 ft).

The projection

Not published yet. When it is, this section carries the projected score, spread, total and win probability for this game, the fair odds the probability translates to, and the projected play counts and per-team box lines behind them.

How the number is built

The model projects each side, then adjusts for the conditions the game is played in. Both steps are shown so the adjustment can be seen rather than taken on trust. These add up exactly as printed; if they ever did not, this section would not appear.

SF26.0
26.0Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=26.0
ARI20.9
20.9Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=20.9
Total46.9
46.9Before environment+(+0.0)Environment, SF+(+0.0)Environment, ARI=46.9
Wind
ARI 0.00, SF 0.00 EPA on passing
Cold
not applied
Indoors
not applied
Elevation
not applied

Wind and cold are recorded as an effect on passing efficiency, not as points, and the conversion between the two is not published, so they are shown in their own units rather than added into the chain above. Indoors and elevation are recorded in points.

Two earlier links, per-play efficiency and the matchup adjustment, are computed and discarded rather than stored, so they cannot be shown yet.

live-20260923T042310Z, generated Wed Sep 23, 12:23 AM ET

Where the player numbers come from

The model projects each team's line first, then divides it among players. Both are shown, with the team figure beside the sum of its parts, so the division can be checked rather than trusted. A row appears only when the parts add up to the whole.

San Francisco 49ersprojected 37.7 pass plays, 25.3 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts34.634.6
Pass yards268.8268.8
Receiving yards268.8268.8
Pass touchdowns2.412.41
Receiving touchdowns2.412.41
Carries26.626.6
Rush yards119.2119.2
Rush touchdowns1.141.14
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Brock PurdyQB268.818.3100%
Christian McCaffreyRB44.849.46.018%
George KittleTE54.65.420%
Deebo SamuelWR4.050.15.419%
Mike EvansWR0.152.76.720%
Kaelon BlackRB34.78.11.33%
Demarcus RobinsonWR0.024.72.09%
Sincere McCormickRB9.84.60.72%
Luke FarrellTE0.010.91.64%
Jordan JamesRB7.33.00.31%
Jacob CowingWR0.16.00.62%
Jordan WatkinsWR4.80.42%
Brayden WillisTE0.2
Arizona Cardinalsprojected 39.9 pass plays, 21.5 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts36.436.4
Pass yards216.8216.8
Receiving yards216.8216.8
Pass touchdowns1.221.22
Receiving touchdowns1.221.22
Carries22.222.2
Rush yards92.292.2
Rush touchdowns0.430.43
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Jacoby BrissettQB216.87.9100%
Trey McBrideTE0.061.59.428%
Jeremiyah LoveRB40.517.94.38%
Tyler AllgeierRB36.612.22.36%
Michael WilsonWR1.046.36.521%
Kendrick BourneWR40.94.519%
Marvin Harrison Jr.WR0.725.03.112%
Bam KnightRB5.53.20.71%
Elijah HigginsTE0.05.60.83%
Hunter LongTE1.90.41%
Jalen BrooksWR1.70.21%
Simi FehokoWR0.70.10%

Share is a player's portion of the team's projected passing yards, counting a quarterback by what he throws and everyone else by what he catches. Targets are shown but not totalled: a throwaway, a batted ball or a sack is a pass attempt with no target, which is about four a game per team, so targets legitimately do not sum to attempts.

live-20260923T042310Z

Injury report

Arizona Cardinals9 listed
Dadrion Taylor-DemersonSOutBackDid Not Participate In Practice
Garrett WilliamsCBAchillesFull Participation in Practice
Hjalte FroholdtCKneeFull Participation in Practice
Isaac SeumaloGNot injury related - resting playerFull Participation in Practice
Jacoby BrissettQBHipFull Participation in Practice
Josh SweatLBNot injury related - resting playerFull Participation in Practice
Mack WilsonLBNot injury related - resting player, ThumbFull Participation in Practice
Max MeltonCBQuestionableToeLimited Participation in Practice
Roy LopezDTQuestionableGroinLimited Participation in Practice
San Francisco 49ers8 listed
Christian McCaffreyRBNot injury related - resting playerFull Participation in Practice
Demarcus RobinsonWROutAnkleDid Not Participate In Practice
Dre GreenlawLBNot injury related - resting player, AchillesFull Participation in Practice
James Thompson Jr.DTOutAnkleDid Not Participate In Practice
Mike EvansWRQuestionableHipLimited Participation in Practice
Nick BosaDEOutKnee, CalfDid Not Participate In Practice
Romello HeightDEOutHandDid Not Participate In Practice
Trent WilliamsTNot injury related - resting playerFull Participation in Practice