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McFadden Buys More 12 Personnel In ’23: ‘Matchup Nightmare For Opposing Defenses’

The usage of three-wide-receiver sets in the NFL has exploded over the course of the past decade and a half or so, give or take, to the point at which it is the predominant offensive package for almost every team in the NFL. There is some annual ebb and flow between seasons, but defenses have gotten used to facing three receivers more often than not.

The tide has begun to turn somewhat more recently, with more teams making greater use of 12 personnel, with two tight ends, two wide receivers, and a running back on the field. It’s probably no coincidence that it’s come along with the rise of the receiving tight end.