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NFL Passing yards per game down - 2nd lowest total since 2013


Big Blitz

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Resurgence of defenses, would be my guess. Teams are figuring out how to handle the elite passing offenses like the Chiefs, Bills, etc. Particularly early on in the year offenses were struggling to handle defensive adjustments.

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4 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

That's interesting - not something I would have predicted.

 

Why?

 

 

He tweets more data here that suggests teams aren't necessarily running more but having more success when they do.

 

 

 

 

I'd argue there might be something to tackling a lot less in practices but that's just me. 

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2 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Lamars and Mayfield’s and Sam Darnolds and Tuas of the world 

 

 

has been like Big Ben and Cam 

Every year has bad QBs. If anything, I think there are more good, young QBs in the league now than there has been in awhile.

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I agree with the idea defenses have adjusted to the wide open passing games.  Teams have invited the run by having light boxes, two high safties...and so offenses have adjusted because the D VS the pass has been more effective.  I didn't get to watch a lot of Bills football this year, but it's been damn frustrating as a Chiefs fan, watching teams bottle up the big play and watch KC go on 17 play drives.  

 

KC's points per drive number is pretty much where it's been the last few years but they are getting fewer drives...and those drives have had to consume more plays.  

 

I think you'll see offenses adjust by introducing some elements of the power run game and you'll see teams begin to maye roster a fullback and use those guys as lead blockers again in situations that aren't goal line type plays.  JMO.

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26 minutes ago, MJS said:

Every year has bad QBs. If anything, I think there are more good, young QBs in the league now than there has been in awhile.

The deep ball is becoming extinct in the NFL.  The good young QB's you talk about are a bunch of dink and dunkers.  Teams play their safeties deep to take away the bomb.  I don't thing the Bills gave up one deep pass all season.  The only long passes I can think of were the crosser to Pitts for Atlanta who took off past the secondary and had about 50 YAC.  And the long screen by Antonio Gibson for the WFT against us way back in week 3 or 4.  Noone gets deep on us.  And unfortunately we don't get deep on other teams either.  Teams just don't play w safety's up in the box much, or blitzing 6 or 7 guys ala the 1985 Bears much anymore leaving the secondary exposed.  As a result its one short pass after another.  Nice scrambles by QB's like Josh Allen have really replaced the deep bomb.  Which is good for us.  But not if you loved the deep ball.

 

I remember Roger Carr flying down that dusty dirt field at the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore catching many a deep pass from Bert Jones in the mid 70's as a kid.  That was exciting football.  Football is still exciting.  Just not a lot of deep balls being completed in today's NFL.  

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1 hour ago, MJS said:

Resurgence of defenses, would be my guess. Teams are figuring out how to handle the elite passing offenses like the Chiefs, Bills, etc. Particularly early on in the year offenses were struggling to handle defensive adjustments.

 

Two high safety shells that force teams to throw underneath more often than they would like.

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2 hours ago, MJS said:

Resurgence of defenses, would be my guess. Teams are figuring out how to handle the elite passing offenses like the Chiefs, Bills, etc. Particularly early on in the year offenses were struggling to handle defensive adjustments.

Yet there are literally zero (what I would call) elite defenses in the league and all the rules are favoring the offense. Strange 

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8 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Yet there are literally zero (what I would call) elite defenses in the league and all the rules are favoring the offense. Strange 

 

I agree. But defenses have figured out you have to keep the game in front of you and I agree that you are seeing fewer completed deep balls as a result.

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3 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

 

 

IMO, its the impact the obscene amount of penalties had on the NFL this season.  The officiating this year might be the worst I have seen in any sport.  From terrible PI calls giving teams big chunks of yards that dont count as offensive stats, or phantom holding calls erasing plays and stuff like that.  

 

I have no proof this is the reason, but it sure feels like it played a part.  Because if you look at the rushing stats, there were not many 1000 yard rushers despite the extra game, and almost all of them barely went over 1000 yards.  

 

So offense was down overall while defense was nothing special either.  It would be one thing if there were a slew of punishing defenses, but there weren't.  Just a few good ones, and the rest were either decent all the way down to bad.  

 

PS:  One other possible impact could be the rise of how many QB's use their legs to some degree.  Feels like this is the most we have ever had where QB's can pick some yards up with their legs.  So could also be a factor why the passing yards dip a little bit too.  

 

Edited by Alphadawg7
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