When members of the NFL’s rulemaking competition committee deliberate each offseason about the on-field state of the game, one of the statistics they scrutinize is points scored per game. Historically, a meaningful drop in scoring leaguewide can result in a tweak to the rules if committee members become convinced that offenses need such an assist to keep games as attractive as possible to fans.
That issue will confront the competition committee this coming offseason. Scoring was down during the NFL’s regular season. Teams averaged 21.7 points per game, a drop of more than a point per game from the 22.