Over the top: a proliferation of points. A yield of yards. A plethora of passes. An offensive explosion has define the first half of the season. Here's why

Sporting News, The, Nov 11, 2002 by Dan Pompei

Ask someone in the NFL "What's up?" and you might get a more involved answer than you expect.

Points are up. Through eight weeks, the scoring average per game is 44.4, compared with 40.4 through the same point last season. In fact, teams are scoring more points per game than they have in 38 years.

Touchdowns are up. The NFL had not scored 592 touchdowns through the first eight weeks, as it did this year, since it started keeping track in 1978.

Yards are up--661 per game, compared with 633.3 a year ago.

Passing yards are up, 432 per game from 411.2.

Number of plays are up.

Scoring in the fourth quarter is up, by 18 percent.

The simple answer is "offenses are up." So much so, in fact, that the offensive explosion has defined the 2002 season at the halfway mark.

"Man, you look around, offenses are going crazy," says Chiefs wide receiver Johnnie Morton, who doesn't have to look very far. "Offensive coaches must be hitting it a little harder."

Some of it is the Rams Effect. Offensive coaches from other teams have been studying coach Mike Martz's offense and have borrowed from the ambitious, aggressive philosophy that took the Rams to two Super Bowls in three years. The irony is that the Rams' offensive mentality has affected the entire league in a season when defenses appear to have caught up with the Rams.

In recent seasons, the Rams attacked the deep middle of the field better than any team. Now, other teams are searching for--and finding--the same soft spot. The other area that has produced more offensive results is 15 yards downfield, between the numbers and the hash marks.

Quite a few teams, including the Patriots, Bills, Raider, Saints and Chiefs, have relied more on spread offenses with empty backfields and multiple-receiver formations. Teams clearly are getting more out of four- and five-receiver packages. This season, the average passer rating when teams are using four or more receivers is 78.5. For the 2001 season, the average passer rating in the same situations was 72.2.

"The advantages with spread offenses is defenses don't have enough cover people to match up," says 49ers consultant Bill Walsh.

Many of the teams say they have changed in order to highlight the skills of their offensive players. Some running backs, such as the Chiefs Priest Holmes, the Raiders Charlie Garner and the Saints' Deuce McAllister, have become as dangerous as receivers as they are as runners. And some quarterbacks, such as the Falcons' Michael Vick, the Eagles' Donovan McNabb and the Saints' Aaron Brooks, have become as dangerous as runners as they are as throwers.

Raiders defensive end Trace Armstrong, a 14-year veteran, says it never has been more challenging to play defense. "The empty backfields and unusual formations are going to check to see if you've done your homework," Armstrong says. "More and more, you see guys running free, a guy who wasn't covered. That's somebody not knowing what to do. You've got to be very prepared on defense for a lot of stuff, and unless you can adjust to all of it, you can get in a lot of trouble."

Defenders don't always help themselves. They go for the take-away or the spectacular hit and fall to wrap up ballcarriers.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner believes more teams are passing because it's easier to pass than run against the prevalent defensive schemes. "Defensively, everybody has gone to an eight-man front, and it's really hard to run the ball," Turner says.

A scarcity of cornerbacks

One reason points are up is corners are down.

Cornerback play in the NFL probably never has been worse. It hasn't that the top corners aren't performing. It's that there aren't enough of them.

"Typically, there are maybe 20 or so receivers who come out of college every year who can contribute to an NFL team," former 49ers coach Bill Walsh says. "But there are only four or five corners who come out with the raw speed and quickness to stay with a fast receiver."

So when offenses use multiple receivers, defenses counter with third and fourth corners who leave them vulnerable.

"Look at the teams that have three top corners," Titans coach Jeff Fisher says. "They play good defense because they can match up, especially now with the philosophy to spread out the defense."

For example, the Eagles, who have more depth at cornerback than any team, have played defense as well anyone. Third corners who can cover as well as Philadelphia's Al Harris are rare indeed.

Other teams with cornerback depth are the Patriots, Buccaneers, Redkins, Giants, Falcons, Steelers, 49ers, Chargers Dolphins and Broncos. Of those 11 teams, six are either leading their division or tied for first.

Most teams simply don't have a nickel corner who can match up with a quality receiver. Some teams don't have two capable corners. Among the teams in the league with the worst cornerback depth are the Chiefs, Vikings, Panthers, Bears, Jets, Lions and Saints.

Where have all the corner gone? The expansion Texans took a bunch. And basketball probably has taken many more. "Eight years ago, there was concern that kids would rather play point guard at Boise State than cornerback for a Big Ten school," former Vikings coach Dennis Green says. "That's still an issue."