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No, you’re not just imagining it: scoring is down across the National Football League this year. Historically so, in fact.
According to a new report from Axios, the 32 NFL teams are averaging just under 22 points per game this season, which is the second-lowest mark that the league has recorded in over a decade (21.9 points per game is the lowest average since 2017 and the second-lowest since 2009).
The drop in scoring can be traced to how teams are defending the pass, as the league’s current 1.39 receiving TDs per game average is the fewest since 2009.
Data: Pro Football Reference; Chart: Axios Visuals
Two-thirds of the way through the NFL season, teams are averaging just 21.9 points per game — the lowest mark since 2017 and second-lowest since 2009. Secondaries are clamping down on deep coverage to combat big plays that can score points in a hurry.
To wit, teams’ 1.39 receiving TDs per game this season are the fewest since 2009. Red zone scoring percentage is at its lowest since 2017, with one league source attributing the decline to defenses stifling the run-pass option. [via Axios]
What makes this sudden dip in scoring even stranger is that just two years ago, scoring in the NFL reached an all-time high at 2.8 points per game. However, as Axios puts it, that was “at the peak of the modern passing revolution and defenses have started to adjust and stand their ground.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the NFL adjusts the rules to swing the advantage back to the offenses, as higher-scoring games are in the league’s best interest. However, given the widespread parity in the league this season, perhaps overly dominant passing offenses are actually bad for the game’s overall quality of competition.
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