Dec 1, 2022 - Sports
Defense strikes back: NFL scoring falls to lowest level since 2017
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Two-thirds of the way through the NFL season, teams are averaging just 21.9 points per game — the lowest mark since 2017 and second-lowest since 2009.
By the numbers: Scoring reached an all-time high of 24.8 points per game two years ago at the peak of the modern passing revolution, but defenses have started to adjust and stand their ground.
- Secondaries are clamping down on deep coverage to combat big plays that can score points in a hurry. To wit, teams' 1.39 receiving TDs per game this season are the fewest since 2009.
- Red zone scoring percentage is at its lowest since 2017, with one league source attributing the decline to defenses stifling the run-pass option.
Between the lines: Numerous linchpins of recent high-octane offenses have struggled this season.
- Tom Brady's Bucs, Aaron Rodgers' Packers and Matt Stafford's Rams are averaging a combined 29.7 fewer points per game than last season.
- That's to say nothing of Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson's disastrous debuts in Indianapolis and Denver.
