It’s been said since the early days of football that you win games at the line of scrimmage, with a solid running game offensively and stout penetration defensively. However, in recent years, various rule changes and fan preferences have lead to a more pass happy game.
Teams like the Raiders, Saints, and Packers are generally considered to have playoff caliber offenses, even though they often struggle to run the football. This further goes to show how pass oriented the NFL has become.
When Mike Mularkey took over as the Titans’ head coach in January 2016, he immediately described the identity he wanted his team to have offensively: “exotic smashmouth.