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How Offense Took Over the N.F.L.


notwoz

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An interesting look at the evolution of the passing game in the NFL. My thoughts? Nobody (or nearly nobody), wants to see defense. They want to see offense ... especially touchdown passes. My interpretation? The NFL wants to become the CFL.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/sports/nfl-offense-records.html?action=click&module=Editors Picks&pgtype=Homepage

 

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Scoring is the most exciting part of the game.  Like it or not, football has to evolve to stay in step with a society that has no patience for anything anymore.  The NFL needs to be proactive and roll with the times. "Defensive battles" aren't exciting to most people.  9-6 at half-time?  Boring game...  Look at the Rams / Chiefs MNF game this year.  It's widely considered the game of the season.  Score... 54-51.

 

It's why soccer has been such a hard sell in this country, and why MLB is in trouble and juicing the balls for more home runs and trying whatever they can to speed up the game.

 

Edited by Inigo Montoya
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There are so many entities trying to get my attention and my dollars on any given Sunday in the Fall.  Movies, TV Shows, Streaming Services, Music Concerts, Day Trips, The Internet, Family Functions, Friend Gatherings

 

The NFL needs to work to get my time, attention and dollars and that requires the product getting more intersting/inticing/exciting.

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38 minutes ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Scoring is the most exciting part of the game.  Like it or not, football has to evolve to stay in step with a society that has no patience for anything anymore.  The NFL needs to be proactive and roll with the times. "Defensive battles" aren't exciting to most people.  9-6 at half-time?  Boring game...  Look at the Rams / Chiefs MNF game this year.  It's widely considered the game of the season.  Score... 54-51.

 

It's why soccer has been such a hard sell in this country, and why MLB is in trouble and juicing the balls for more home runs and trying whatever they can to speed up the game.

 

Not when the other team has the ball it ain't. 

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I guess i’m  one of those guys that just wants to see well rounded football.  Other then the Bills, I find a lot of games hard to watch. The rules have changed to help the offense score, but I can’t stand watching a game where I know the offense is gonna score almost every time they touch the ball. How is it exciting if you know the outcome?  I’d rather see a game that could go either way, not a game that is decided by whoever has the ball last when the time runs out. I have no interest in the games tomorrow, both are gonna be shootouts. They all are strong offensively and terrible on defense. Almost every drive will be like pressing repeat on your stereo. 

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58 minutes ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said:

There are so many entities trying to get my attention and my dollars on any given Sunday in the Fall.  Movies, TV Shows, Streaming Services, Music Concerts, Day Trips, The Internet, Family Functions, Friend Gatherings

 

The NFL needs to work to get my time, attention and dollars and that requires the product getting more intersting/inticing/exciting.

 

Just wondering where you are on the football fan spectrum. Have you been watching for months? years? decades? What enticed you originally? Have you lost interest since? If so, what changed for you?

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12 hours ago, notwoz said:

An interesting look at the evolution of the passing game in the NFL. My thoughts? Nobody (or nearly nobody), wants to see defense. They want to see offense ... especially touchdown passes. My interpretation? The NFL wants to become the CFL.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/sports/nfl-offense-records.html?action=click&module=Editors Picks&pgtype=Homepage

 

 

 

The rule changes are most of it, but yeah, those rule changes also allowed things like the spread offense and other strategies.

 

But while overall the passing game is favored by the league ... the league is also a cyclical thing. First defense gets the upper hand, then offenses adjust and innovate and catch up and become more important. Then the defenses adjust and innovate. It's the way things work. It's also never the way fans think. Each time there's a change, most fans think it will last forever that way.

 

But the cycle will happen again here. Defenses will better become able to handle the spread and the rule changes over the next two to three years.

 

 

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9 hours ago, K-9 said:

Not when the other team has the ball it ain't. 

 

 

Yup. The Pats are maybe the offense in football over the last several years and virtually the whole country except New England wants them out of the Super Bowl.

 

Good competition is the key thing to keep people watching.

 

 

9 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Scoring is the most exciting part of the game.  Like it or not, football has to evolve to stay in step with a society that has no patience for anything anymore.  The NFL needs to be proactive and roll with the times. "Defensive battles" aren't exciting to most people.  9-6 at half-time?  Boring game...  Look at the Rams / Chiefs MNF game this year.  It's widely considered the game of the season.  Score... 54-51.

 

It's why soccer has been such a hard sell in this country, and why MLB is in trouble and juicing the balls for more home runs and trying whatever they can to speed up the game.

 

 

 

Inigo, I respect your point but disagree. 9-6 games at half-time can be found very exciting indeed, and by large audiences. It depends whether the 9-6 is a result of poor play or excellent defense. You're right that a 9-6 game between two three-win teams at the end of the year can be seen as boring. Because it's bad football. But was the Philly - Chicago game boring last weekend when it was 6 - 3 at halftime? Eagles - Saints was 14-10 at halftime and only 10 more points were scored. Was it boring?

 

And yeah, Rams - Chiefs was often thought of as the game of the season. Would that be true if there was that much scoring in every game? It was considered terrific because it was so unusual.

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9 hours ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said:

There are so many entities trying to get my attention and my dollars on any given Sunday in the Fall.  Movies, TV Shows, Streaming Services, Music Concerts, Day Trips, The Internet, Family Functions, Friend Gatherings

 

The NFL needs to work to get my time, attention and dollars and that requires the product getting more intersting/inticing/exciting.

No disrespect intended but I "assume" you are not really a hard core fan or a "purist?" Me personally, I do not turn on a television for pure excitement, too much more out there! Again, just trying to get a read on this, don't misunderstand!

10 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yup. The Pats are maybe the offense in football over the last several years and virtually the whole country except New England wants them out of the Super Bowl.

 

Good competition is the key thing to keep people watching.

 

 

 

 

Inigo, I respect your point but disagree. 9-6 games at half-time can be found very exciting indeed, and by large audiences. It depends whether the 9-6 is a result of poor play or excellent defense. You're right that a 9-6 game between two three-win teams at the end of the year can be seen as boring. Because it's bad football. But was the Philly - Chicago game boring last weekend when it was 6 - 3 at halftime? Eagles - Saints was 14-10 at halftime and only 10 more points were scored. Was it boring?

 

And yeah, Rams - Chiefs was often thought of as the game of the season. Would that be true if there was that much scoring in every game? It was considered terrific because it was so unusual.

Great defense with great coaching - on both sides of the ball - I take 9 - 6 in a second! The Raiders and Chiefs throughout the 1960's and 1970's had great vertical games enhanced by a bitter and physical rivalry but you never seen 50 - 45 shootout with both sides lighting up the scoreboard but great football that made the NFL!

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I disagree about competitiveness being the main draw.  First. Bills fans are as a rabid as any fan base, and we have been one of the two least competitive teams over the last 2 decades.  Next, people like villains and heroes and the drama they bring.  In football villains are typically greatness.  Fans recall the steel curtain, or the 85 Bears or recent vintage patriots because they dominated the league.  A few lucky fans consider them heroes, the rest villains.  As long as teams meet the bare minimum of a "any given Sunday" chance, the required level of competitiveness has been achieved.  In reality, this is an unimportant point. 

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I don’t believe for real fans of any team, it’s not that they want tons of offense, but competitiveness.  More games today are won or lost by less than 4-5 pts.  No one wants to see if not a fan of that team a 45-14 win.  Think about the last few playoff games.  How boring was the Pats game.

 

How exciting was the Saints game with the Eagles having a startling 14-0 lead.  I was shocked as I expected the Saints at home to shred the Eagles.  It makes you want to keep watching.  I know our offense was terrible other than the heroic efforts of Allen, but how fun was seeing our defense shock other teams with punishing them.

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9 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Just wondering where you are on the football fan spectrum. Have you been watching for months? years? decades? What enticed you originally? Have you lost interest since? If so, what changed for you?

 

38 minutes ago, vorpma said:

No disrespect intended but I "assume" you are not really a hard core fan or a "purist?" Me personally, I do not turn on a television for pure excitement, too much more out there! Again, just trying to get a read on this, don't misunderstand!

Great defense with great coaching - on both sides of the ball - I take 9 - 6 in a second! The Raiders and Chiefs throughout the 1960's and 1970's had great vertical games enhanced by a bitter and physical rivalry but you never seen 50 - 45 shootout with both sides lighting up the scoreboard but great football that made the NFL!

 

Oh man I have been a fan since ‘88.  Went to around 4-5 Games a year for most of the 90s.  Attended 1990 season Dolphins divisional game, Both Playoffs in 1991 (Chiefs/Broncos) and stayed for all on Comeback game.  Plus many many more.

 

I watch theThursday Game, along with Bills game, some of 425 game, Sunday Night and Monday night.  I have play multiple Fantasy leagues and listen to more Sports Talk than is probably good for me.

 

i worded my original post as if I was a General Audience Viewer (my mIstake).  Those viewers that NFL doesn’t have their hooks into but who make the difference I feel when it comes to reallt putting the rating numbers over the top.

 

Those Re the viewers who feel neither a nostalgic pull to watch no matter what or a hometown obligation to watch no matter what.  Worded the original poorly, but they are the ones who have many different outlets vying for their Thursday, Sunday, Monday attention.

 

those are the viewers I feel you aim to snare by making the game more bright, colorful and exciting.  Star Power with big plays, exciting up tempo scoring and a back and forth narrative that allows all four quadrants Of viewers to enjoy (Fans Of Team 1, Fans Of Team 2, Fans Of Other Teams, General Viewers).

Edited by RalphWilson'sNewWar
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2 minutes ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said:

 

 

Oh man I have been a fan since ‘88.  Went to around 4-5 Games a year for most of the 90s.  Attended 1990 season Dolphins divisional game, Both Playoffs in 1991 (Chiefs/Broncos) and stayed for all on Comeback game.  Plus many many more.

 

I watch theThursday Game, along with Bills game, some of 425 game, Sunday Night and Monday night.  I have play multiple Fantasy leagues and listen to more Sports Talk than is probably good for me.

 

i worded my original post as if I was a General Audience Viewer (my mIstake).  Those viewers that NFL doesn’t have their hooks into but who make the difference I feel when it comes to reallt putting the rating numbers over the top.

 

Those Re the viewers who feel neither a nostalgic pull to watch no matter what or a hometown obligation to watch no matter what.  Worded the original poorly.

 

Thanks for clarifying. Based on your profile name and pic I figured you were hard core and the comments didn't square up. 

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Speaking generally, team with the ball has the advantage over the team without it simply by possessing the means to score, and I don’t find it as exciting when the team with the advantage does what they are supposed do vs. when the disadvantaged team is able to overcome and turn the tables. For this reason I  tend to be a defense guy, but there has to be a balance. If it’s a game I’m a neutral observer in, I don’t want  to see both teams go 3 and out 8 times in a row and I don’t think anyone else does either, but generally speaking I find interceptions more exciting than touchdown passes, and I’d rather see a sack on 3rd and 9 than a 10 yard completion. 

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I think the greater offensive output has less to do with rule changes (although they certainly play a part) than coaches slowly recognizing that passing the football is a better way to score points and win football games.  For decades, NFL coaches were biased in favor of running the football—“only three thing can happen when you pass the football, and two of them are bad”, “you have run and stop the run”.  Much of this realization can be traced to analytics; passing has always been a superior way to move the football; it’s just taken football people a long time to understand that.  

 

As a result, teams are throwing more, devising better, more difficult to defend passing concepts, and devoting greater resources to developing the passing game.  As defenses try to adjust, some smart coaches (like Belichick) will exploit it by going run-heavy against defenses geared to stop the pass, but that won’t change the basic fact: Passing is better.

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I like both offense and defense.  What I don't like watching is blowouts.  Even when the Bills are blowing out someone, say by halftime, I am not really interested in watching the second half.  On the flipside, I also don't like watching teams that cant score at all.  Those games that end in scores like 10-3 are pretty boring too.

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