Smash-Mouth Football A Dying Art In Pass-Happy NFL

NFL offenses are failing in the most critical of short-yardage situations.

The days of smash-mouth football are gone. Teams that have perfected the pass are not as equipped as they used to be for getting a key yard — or even inches — on the ground.

According to STATS, in third-and-2-or-less or fourth-and-2-or-less, including goal-to-go, the success rate is 58.5 percent, lower than for any full season since at least 1995.

And teams pass more than they used to on those plays. This season, the breakdown is about 55 percent runs, 45 percent passes.

In 1995, it was 63-37. Back then, the success rates on those runs was 71 percent. It dropped below 66 percent the past two seasons.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=239710171&ft=1&f=
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