Touchdown Theory

Week 3

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins

Sun Sep 27, 1:00 PM ET (Sun Sep 27, 1:00 PM local)

The market

Line
KC -10
Total
45.5
Moneyline
KC -600 MIA +440

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

RecordedLineTotalKCMIA
Mon Aug 31, 4:46 PM ETKC -7.544.5-425+330
Wed Sep 9, 5:19 PM ETKC -7.544.5-440+340
Sun Sep 13, 11:25 PM ETnot posted
Wed Sep 16, 7:00 AM ETKC -8.544.5-455+350
Sat Sep 19, 7:00 AM ETKC -8.544.5-455+350
Tue Sep 22, 10:00 AM ETKC -11.546.5-850+575
Wed Sep 23, 12:11 AM ETKC -11.546.5-900+600
Wed Sep 23, 12:00 PM ETKC -11.546.5-900+600
Thu Sep 24, 7:00 AM ETKC -10.546.5-650+470
Fri Sep 25, 7:00 AM ETKC -10.545.5-650+470
Fri Sep 25, 12:00 PM ETKC -10.545.5-575+425
Sat Sep 26, 7:00 AM ETKC -1045.5-650+470
Sat Sep 26, 12:00 PM ETKC -1045.5-625+455
Sun Sep 27, 7:00 AM ETKC -1045.5-575+425
Sun Sep 27, 12:00 PM ETKC -1045.5-600+440current

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 Superseded rows are kept, because a line that moves and moves back is only visible if both are shown.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
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Roof
open
Elevation
10 ft
Surface
grass
Temperature
84F
Wind
3 mph N
Chance of precipitation
0%
Humidity
62%
Forecast
Sunny

Issued 4 hours before kickoff. A forecast issued further out has had less time to settle.

Capacity 64767 (reduced from 75000 per WP). Open-air canopy (2016) covers seating but leaves field exposed. Stadium WP did not list elevation; using Miami Gardens city elevation (10 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.

MIA22.3
22.3Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=22.3
KC23.6
23.6Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=23.6
Total45.9
45.9Before environment+(+0.0)Environment, MIA+(+0.0)Environment, KC=45.9
Wind
KC 0.00, MIA 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.

Miami Dolphinsprojected 36.2 pass plays, 24.2 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts32.932.9
Pass yards198.9198.9
Receiving yards198.9198.9
Pass touchdowns0.840.84
Receiving touchdowns0.840.84
Carries25.125.1
Rush yards105.9105.9
Rush touchdowns0.790.79
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Malik WillisQB198.924.5100%
De'Von AchaneRB64.826.44.613%
Malik WashingtonWR4.240.17.320%
Caleb DouglasWR0.543.15.322%
Greg DulcichTE36.73.718%
Chris BellWR0.215.11.88%
Kevin Coleman Jr.WR0.212.41.86%
Jaylen WrightRB8.73.40.72%
Will KacmarekTE0.08.51.54%
Seydou TraoreTE0.07.01.14%
Jalen TolbertWR5.40.93%
Ollie Gordon IIRB2.60.80.20%
Kansas City Chiefsprojected 38.6 pass plays, 23.6 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts33.633.6
Pass yards238.6238.6
Receiving yards238.6238.6
Pass touchdowns1.901.90
Receiving touchdowns1.901.90
Carries26.726.7
Rush yards136.3136.3
Rush touchdowns1.171.17
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Patrick MahomesQB238.627.7100%
Kenneth Walker IIIRB64.727.33.011%
Rashee RiceWR2.872.18.930%
Travis KelceTE0.046.85.320%
Emmett JohnsonRB27.111.22.05%
Xavier WorthyWR6.129.43.612%
Tyquan ThorntonWR15.61.27%
Cyrus AllenWR0.514.01.66%
Brashard SmithRB7.35.31.02%
Noah GrayTE0.09.01.74%
Jake BriningstoolTE0.07.21.03%
Jalen RoyalsWR0.60.40%

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

Kansas City Chiefs12 listed
Chamarri ConnerSDoubtfulKneeLimited Participation in Practice
Chris JonesDTCalfLimited Participation in Practice
Felix Anudike-UzomahDEQuadricepFull Participation in Practice
Jack CochraneLBCalfFull Participation in Practice
Jaden HicksSBicepsFull Participation in Practice
Jadon CanadyCBKneeFull Participation in Practice
Jeffrey BassaLBShoulderFull Participation in Practice
Josh SimmonsTOutBackDid Not Participate In Practice
L'Jarius SneedCBKneeLimited Participation in Practice
Mansoor DelaneCBShoulderFull Participation in Practice
Patrick MahomesQBKneeFull Participation in Practice
Rashee RiceWRKneeFull Participation in Practice
Miami Dolphins10 listed
Caleb DouglasWROutAnkleDid Not Participate In Practice
Chop RobinsonLBConcussionFull Participation in Practice
Chris BellWRKneeFull Participation in Practice
Chris JohnsonCBShoulderFull Participation in Practice
Jaylen WrightRBDoubtfulStinger, FootDid Not Participate In Practice
Julius BrentsCBQuestionableKneeFull Participation in Practice
Rob Beal Jr.DEOutHamstringDid Not Participate In Practice
Ryan MillerWRQuestionableHip, BackFull Participation in Practice
Seydou TraoreTEThumbFull Participation in Practice
Tucker AddingtonLSShoulderLimited Participation in Practice