Fantasy Index

Factoid

Offensive production

Teams passing at a crazy rate

I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but teams are passing more now. Way more. That’s how they’re gaining their yards, and that’s how they’re scoring their touchdowns.

I remember back in the ‘70s, when a 200-yard passing game was considered an achievement. Nowadays, the 200-yard passing day has become the 300. And if you put up 400 in a game, that’s what a 300-yard day was like way back in the day.

This year the NFL average is 260 passing yards per game. So when you see a rookie quarterback like Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota putting up 240 yards, don’t compare those guys to quarterbacks who played 10 years ago. Back then, 240 yards was 20 yards better than the league average; now it’s 20 yards under.

YARDS PASSING VS. RUSHING
YearPassRunDiff
199021111498
1991215108107
199220511195
1993215110105
1994227104123
1995236108127
1996222109113
1997219113106
1998221113108
1999228106122
2000222113109
2001221112109
2002227116111
200321411896
2004225117109
2005218112106
2006219117102
2007228111117
2008224116108
2009232117116
2010236114122
2011245117128
2012246116130
2013252113139
2014237111125
2015260109152

It’s the same with touchdowns. Rushing production has declined just a bit, while passing numbers continue to climb. The entire league this year might average 27 TD passes this year. (That’s per 16-game season; the yards numbers I went with per-game.).

That’s a big step forward, considering it was just the last two years that we nudged back 25.

TOUCHDOWNS PASSING VS. RUSHING
YearPassRunDiff
199020.513.57.1
199118.312.85.5
199218.411.96.5
199318.510.97.6
199420.812.18.7
199522.112.89.3
199620.912.18.7
199720.612.87.8
199821.912.69.3
199921.511.79.7
200020.513.37.2
200120.511.88.7
200221.714.47.3
200320.413.37.1
200422.913.09.9
200520.113.56.7
200620.313.37.0
200722.512.110.4
200820.214.95.3
200922.213.48.8
201023.512.511.0
201123.312.510.8
201223.712.511.1
201325.112.812.3
201425.211.913.3
201526.911.315.6

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index