Worst Year Ever in the NFL for Overall Quality of Play?

[Doc Brown]

Scoring is down.  My guess is defenses are starting to catch up to the innovative college spread offense concepts brought to the NFL.  Also, offensive coaches are more sought after during the off-season so there's more transition on that side of the ball.  There's pry plenty of more reasons (more cover 2 shell looks, increase in WR turnover across the league, less preseason reps for the o-line, etc.).  Offenses will eventually counter and the quality of play will get better.

[GunnerBill]

7 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

I don't think teams are undervaluing OL in the draft. I think what's happening is there is less quality OL talent entering the draft than ever before, while on the other side of the ball there are more freakishly talented DL than ever before.

 

Yep I think as I said to @Gugny the other day there are 3 main factors

 

1. Increase in spread offenses in college meaning lots of OLineman coming out who have never been in a 3 point stance. 

 

2. OL I would say most impacted by reduced practice time per recent CBA adjustments.

 

3. The freakish athletic big guys are disproportionately choosing to play DL and that comes down to money in the long run I think. 

 

EDITED: repeat post. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by GunnerBill

[mannc]

9 hours ago, jethro_tull said:

Not sure why but it seem as if there is an overall lack of quality play and quality teams this season, probably the worst I can remember.  Watching other teams last Sunday was dreadful. 

Basically the only really good teams are the Bills, Chiefs and Eagles.  The Eagles have the benefit of playing a .500 schedule so they are likely a distant third best. 

There are some rising teams but they have flaws and are winning because everyone else is so bad. 

No hard evidence of course just my impressions.   

I think what you really mean is “bad QB play”, which means “bad football”.  And yes, I agree.

[JoPoy88]

9 hours ago, jethro_tull said:

Not sure why but it seem as if there is an overall lack of quality play and quality teams this season, probably the worst I can remember.  Watching other teams last Sunday was dreadful. 

Basically the only really good teams are the Bills, Chiefs and Eagles.  The Eagles have the benefit of playing a .500 schedule so they are likely a distant third best. 

There are some rising teams but they have flaws and are winning because everyone else is so bad. 

No hard evidence of course just my impressions.   

good QBs aging out, not enough good young QBs to replace them. Simple as.

[GunnerBill]

As for overall has the quality been down... some weeks, sure. Week 5 was an utter disaster other than the Bills - Chiefs game. But most other weeks I have seen two or three good games. And personally I was never a huge fan of the 54-51 type Rams - Chiefs games from a few years ago. I think the best football games are where there is jeopardy, where defenses can get stops. That famous game I referenced above might have had quality offensive football but some of the defense was utterly horrendous. A 27-24 or a 31-28 type game is often where the overall best quality is on display. 

 

Overall there have probably been more clunkers so far this year, and the primetime slate hasn't been great. But I don't think it has been as bad as some are making out. 

[Sierra Foothills]

2 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Scoring is down.  My guess is defenses are starting to catch up to the innovative college spread offense concepts brought to the NFL.  Also, offensive coaches are more sought after during the off-season so there's more transition on that side of the ball.  There's pry plenty of more reasons (more cover 2 shell looks, increase in WR turnover across the league, less preseason reps for the o-line, etc.).  Offenses will eventually counter and the quality of play will get better.

 

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yep I think as I said to @Gugny the other day there are 3 main factors

 

1. Increase in spread offenses in college meaning lots of OLineman coming out who have never been in a 3 point stance. 

 

2. OL I would say most impacted by reduced practice time per recent CBA adjustments.

 

3. The freakish athletic big guys are disproportionately choosing to play DL and that comes down to money in the long run I think. 

 

EDITED: repeat post. 

 

1 hour ago, mannc said:

I think what you really mean is “bad QB play”, which means “bad football”.  And yes, I agree.

 

1 hour ago, JoPoy88 said:

good QBs aging out, not enough good young QBs to replace them. Simple as.

 

I believe it's a bit of all of these factors... not just one.

 

Another factor I think is a shortage of coaching talent at this level. You see so many college coaches fail in the NFL and each offseason 6-8 teams are changing coaching staffs. Blowing up and replacing an entire coaching staff is generally counter to success. The best teams in the league are generally the most stable with just a few exceptions.

 

[Dopey]

11 hours ago, jethro_tull said:

Not sure why but it seem as if there is an overall lack of quality play and quality teams this season, probably the worst I can remember.  Watching other teams last Sunday was dreadful. 

Basically the only really good teams are the Bills, Chiefs and Eagles.  The Eagles have the benefit of playing a .500 schedule so they are likely a distant third best. 

There are some rising teams but they have flaws and are winning because everyone else is so bad. 

No hard evidence of course just my impressions.   

Look at us getting all New Englandie. Or is it New Englandy?

Edited October 26, 2022 by Dopey

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

10 hours ago, freddyjj said:

So the merged team’s new name was the Main Line Pennsyltuckians?

Steagles

 

[nucci]

really poor coaching...all these owners wanted a McVay coach and we're seeing bad ones. Cards, Browns, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers.... and others

[Brueggs]

12 hours ago, StHustle said:

While this is definitely a factor and a great point, their’s also been worse than usual overall play. Points scored is way down and a pair of legends have been playing backup QB quality ball. Hopefully the law of averages takes hold soon and this changes. I would love a super bowl regardless but would rather not have it come in a record worse year for overall competition. 

There are other factors too, like the quality of defensive play.  The NFL has a knack for changing rules to get the scoring up, and then the defenses adjust.  

I will take a Super bowl win however it come LOL.

9 hours ago, AlfaBill said:

No. It’s definitely worse. There are no good teams only a few great teams some mediocre ones and a bunch of crap. 

Maybe.  Check back in at the end of the season.  

[Greg S]

Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles are elite. The rest are good, average or below average. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

The Bills, Eagles and chefs are the only good teams. The rest are terrible. 

[Greg S]

4 minutes ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

The Bills, Eagles and chefs are the only good teams. The rest are terrible. 

 

Bengals and Ravens could crash the expected Bills vs Chiefs AFCCG party. But in the end, I think it will be KC at BUF to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

[Not at the table Karlos]

Just now, Greg S said:

 

Bengals and Ravens could crash the expected Bills vs Chiefs AFCCG party. But in the end, I think it will be KC at BUF to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Yeah Bengals seem to have figured out hot to play football again. Idk how to feel about the ravens yet. They seem to score 20 points and call it a day. 

[mannc]

6 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yep I think as I said to @Gugny the other day there are 3 main factors

 

1. Increase in spread offenses in college meaning lots of OLineman coming out who have never been in a 3 point stance. 

 

2. OL I would say most impacted by reduced practice time per recent CBA adjustments.

 

3. The freakish athletic big guys are disproportionately choosing to play DL and that comes down to money in the long run I think. 

 

EDITED: repeat post. 

No mention of bad QB play?

[mannc]

3 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

 

 

I believe it's a bit of all of these factors... not just one.

 

Another factor I think is a shortage of coaching talent at this level. You see so many college coaches fail in the NFL and each offseason 6-8 teams are changing coaching staffs. Blowing up and replacing an entire coaching staff is generally counter to success. The best teams in the league are generally the most stable with just a few exceptions.

 

This is anecdotal, and just based on a gut feeling, but it also seems like there have been more injuries to key players this year…

[DasNootz]

The game itself is in transition and it will take a while for players, coach and officiating to master the new style(s).

[GunnerBill]

27 minutes ago, mannc said:

No mention of bad QB play?

 

I was talking directly to @HappyDays post about OL. The three main reasons for poor OL are not, as he rightly stated, teams ignoring them in the draft. It is the factors I listed. I wasn't talking in that post about the macro issue of perceived declining play league wide. 

[Greg S]

1 hour ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Yeah Bengals seem to have figured out hot to play football again. Idk how to feel about the ravens yet. They seem to score 20 points and call it a day. 

 

They had both the Dolphins and Bills on the ropes and let those games slip away. I do think it will be KC at BUF in the AFCCG. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Greg S

[Billsatlastin2018]

On WHR this morning, the following levels were described:

 

Level 1: Bills, Eagles, Chiefs

Level 2: Everyone else but

Level 3: Lions & Texans

 

THIS is unusual.
Having a small number of teams at the top isn’t.

Having a huuuge number of mediocre teams where on any given Sunday, the sizeable underdog can not only upset, but lay a beating on (see Packers &Bucs)? 
 

I’ve never seen that since I started watching the NFL in the mid 60s!
Strike years don’t count.