The Return of Fundamental Football

[lightsout]

For many of us, we grew up when the league was really centered around balanced attack football. Run the ball, use play action and timing to hit deep balls, repeat. This was perfect football. The physical aspect of the game shined, the most physical team had a distinct advantage. 

 

Then the spread seized the league. Teams focused the passing attack and made running backs out to be "nice to haves". There were teams that kept a strong running attack all along, but the number was far fewer than half the league.

 

In 2015, only 7 teams rushed for 2000+ yards. That means most teams went most games without hitting over 125+ yards rushing per game. Every year after saw a steady rise in the number of teams eclipsing that mark, save for an outlier or two.

In 2023, that number was 13. 

 

This season, I feel like more teams are really focusing on being balanced. The rise in speed and high flying offense led to defenses being less physical, leading to physical offenses returning. 

 

Boys... we're so back. Thank god our staff understands it and are using it as our plan of attack.

[Hoenheim]

That's what made the Wilks lead panthers so thrilling to watch we were running the rock like a runaway freight train on teams. Nothing like it

[TN05]

1 hour ago, Hoenheim said:

That's what made the Wilks lead panthers so thrilling to watch we were running the rock like a runaway freight train on teams. Nothing like it

It was so much more fun to watch than the dink and dunk crap that surrounded it.