The 2023 NFL season was the second in a row in which leaguewide scoring was “below the NFL’s preferred threshold of 45 points per game,” a “worrisome trend for a league that constantly gooses the rules in favor of the offense,” according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE. Falcons CEO Rich McKay said, “We get nervous when you start going down.” Only four seasons in the past 15 years have produced fewer than 44 points per game. McKay noted it is not “a huge move, but it is one that we are paying attention to.” He added, “We certainly want to be above 43.” Volin wrote the competition committee presented a few theories for why points are down in meetings with owners and coaches. The first is that “more quarterbacks are playing than ever before, partly because of injuries, and partly because of performance.” McKay also presented stats “revealing a schematic shift across the league.” McKay is hopeful that the league’s “two big rule changes for 2024 will increase scoring.” The new kickoff rules “are projected to improve starting field position from the 25.2-yard line to the 28- or 29-yard line,” and 15-yard penalties for hip-drop tackles “also should boost offense” (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/30).
