The NFL's play-action rate spiked in 2017 to 22 percent -- the highest that it had been in recent years, but not dramatically more than the range from 17 to 21 percent we had seen in the previous decade. However, the 2018 jump to 24 percent makes it clear that play-action increases are a trend, and one not isolated to a handful of newer, play-action-friendly coaches like Sean McVay and Doug Pederson. All but five teams reached the 20-percent benchmark of play-action passes in 2018. And while the +11.3% DVOA differential between play-action and traditional passes was down from the exceptional marks of +17.
Play-Action Offense 2018
