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End zone drought

Offenses struggling to score touchdowns

With a third of the 18 weeks in the books, it’s clear that defenses are winning this year. Yards and scoring are down, and it’s going to be a forgettable season for fantasy purposes.

There are exceptions, of course. Miami has been able to put up unbelievable numbers, and the 49ers were really humming along until running into a defense in Cleveland that’s allowed the fewest yards by any team (in its first five games) in over 50 years.

But there have been a lot more misses than hits.

Six weeks in, 15 offenses are averaging fewer than 2 TDs per week. That would be the highest total in 20 years. (In the last seven years, there’s been an average of 6.7 such teams.)

LOW-SCORING OFFENSES
YearTms
20029
200316
200410
200514
200614
200713
200810
200911
201010
201113
201211
20138
201411
20155
20168
201710
20187
20197
20202
20218
202213
202315

There’s just a bunch of sputtering offenses right now. Below see the rundown of all offenses (not teams, but offenses) who’ve averaged no more than 1.33 TDs per game in the 32-team team era. That is, since 2002. Of the 31 lowest-scoring offenses (out of 704 candidates) 7 come from our current season.

The Giants, with Daniel Jones, are currently on pace to become the first offense since 2006 to average less than a touchdown per game. The Steelers and Jets aren’t far behind.

LOW-SCORING OFFENSES (2002-)
YearTeamGPassRunTotalAvg
2006Oakland167512.75
2023• NY Giants6235.83
2023• Pittsburgh55051.00
2011St. Louis1697161.00
2010Carolina1697161.00
2009St. Louis16124161.00
2012Kansas City1689171.06
2009Oakland16107171.06
2008Cleveland16116171.06
2008Cincinnati16116171.06
2005San Francisco1689171.06
2002Houston16116171.06
2011Kansas City16135181.13
2023• NY Jets64371.17
2010Arizona16109191.19
2008St. Louis16118191.19
2005Cleveland16154191.19
2004Chicago16910191.19
2011Cleveland16164201.25
2007Buffalo16128201.25
2006Tampa Bay16146201.25
2012Arizona161110211.31
2011Jacksonville16129211.31
2009Cleveland161110211.31
2007NY Jets16156211.31
2005NY Jets161110211.31
2002Dallas16147211.31
2023• Cincinnati67181.33
2023• New England65381.33
2023• New Orleans65381.33
2023• Tennessee63581.33

—Ian Allan

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