By WILL HEATLEY
Staff Writer
For many years in the world of football, the phrase “defense wins championships” was thrown around. In the last decade, defensive plays have accounted for more than half of those Super Bowl victories. Whether it’s Malcolm Butler picking off Russell Wilson at the one yard line to win Super Bowl XLIX, or New Orleans’s Tracy Porter picking off Peyton Manning to score a touchdown to help the Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, the defensive side of the ball has been a critical part of championship teams. Though it seems that might be the case so much these days.
The league has seen a transition of play in the last few years. What was once a game of running, tackling, and physical dominance has turned into one of athleticism, analytics, and matchups. As the league has turned its attention to player safety, with the greatest amount of attention on the quarterback position, offenses have become more about the passing game. Quarterbacks that are given the proper amount of protection can really increase their own personal stats by being able to effectively throw accurate passes.
Since the start of the 2018 NFL season, more than half of the league is putting up tremendous offensive numbers. The Kansas City Chiefs in the last several weeks have at least 30 points in each of their respective games. Big teams like the Rams, Patriots, Steelers, Vikings, and Bears collectively had multiple games in which they have scored more than 28 points. This shift in focus from defensive play calling to offensive play calling has made watching the game more enjoyable. It’s objectively more entertaining to watch guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Aaron Rodgers launch passes down the field. It opens up the game and keeps the momentum of watching.
There have been plenty of times in which someone watches a low scoring game on a Thursday night that feels like somewhat of a war of attrition.
However, with teams finding ways to score against defenses that somewhat resemble swiss cheese, the “shootout” style of play is becoming much more common.
The passing game has contributed to an increase in offensive points. An increase has also come from the running game. The list of top five rushers in the league as of right now include Todd Gurley of the Rams, who is currently leading in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys, the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt, Carlos Hyde of the Browns, and Lamar Miller of the Texans. Combined, these guys have rushed for over 3,000 yards, and the season is almost at its half way point. These guys (with the proper blocking protection) have been able to run all over defenses regardless of what scheme they have in place. It’s great for both stats, fantasy points, and football viewership.
The NFL has had somewhat of a transition the past several years from one of a defensive to an offensive mindset. For those of us who enjoy the drama and entertainment as a result of this transition, the new NFL may be just what we need. Defenses did win championships, but offenses win ratings.
