Doug Flutie was saying yesterday that he thinks the NFL is getting more and more like the CFL. (And he would know; he’s one of the few who’s played extensively in both leagues).
Hard to blame him. With the way the rules keep changing, teams have been given a bigger incentive to pass. Most notably, safeties can't intimidate and blow up receivers across the middle like the used to.
I am updating a file we keep on 100- and 300-yard games, and the numbers jump out.
Looking at the dozen seasons of the 32-team era, the most 300-yard passing games have occurred in the last two years. The most 100-yard receiving yard games have been in the last three years. And the fewest 100-yard rushing games came last year, with just 101 between the 32 teams.
| 100/300 YARD GAMES SINCE 2002 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pass | Rec | Run |
| 2002 | 79 | 169 | 136 |
| 2003 | 60 | 150 | 151 |
| 2004 | 81 | 186 | 179 |
| 2005 | 64 | 166 | 138 |
| 2006 | 65 | 165 | 159 |
| 2007 | 81 | 164 | 142 |
| 2008 | 76 | 162 | 130 |
| 2009 | 104 | 163 | 116 |
| 2010 | 96 | 181 | 124 |
| 2011 | 115 | 198 | 131 |
| 2012 | 126 | 192 | 123 |
| 2013 | 125 | 220 | 101 |
—Ian Allan