The Passing Revolution

     Go back 50 or so years to the days of Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson, and you will find just how important a dominate running game can be. Like anything else, the National Football League adapted to the new age, where passing became more important. The 80's brought superstars such as John Elway, Dan Marino, and Joe Montana, who shaped the present day NFL. Fast forward to 2011. By the end of Week 17, THREE passers reached the 5,000 yard mark; Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady (none won that year's MVP Award). Passing for 5,000 yards in a single season eluded all but one before the 21st century. The barrier has been broken, and a flood of new quarterbacks are projected to reach the no-longer impossible mark. This generation of quarterbacks have proven that with a great passing game comes success.

     Ever since the NFL decided to change the rules of pass interference back in 1978, the wide receiver position has an advantage over his defender. It is now illegal for a cornerback to bump the wide receiver outside of a five yard gap, and if he were to violate this rule, a penalty would be called. Plus, cheap shots to the quarterback were outlawed, forcing defenders to rapidly change their style of play. Quarterbacks have taken advantage of this rulebook change, and the game has never been the same. Last season, a whopping 10 quarterbacks threw for 4,000 yards or more. However, this is not the first time 10 QBs accomplished this feature in a single season, where the same amount threw for 4,000 yards back in 2009. Had Brees broken Dan Marino's passing record in 2010, (or any other year) he would have been the obvious choice for MVP. But when compared with Aaron Rodgers (whom may not have broken 5,000 milestone, but broke the record for highest passer rating in a single season) it is no surprise Brees finished second. A team's winning percentage in todays day and age is affected by how lethal their passing is day in and day out. Last season, the average winning percentage among team's ranked in the top 10 for passing yards topped out at .663%. With so many teams trying to build a top-notch passing game, it is no surprise that the past three Super Bowl winners ranked within the top 5 in passing yards for that given year.
       There is no telling what lies in store for quarterbacks 20 years in the future; it all depends on wether or not the NFL takes action, choosing to stricken the rules on pass interference. If the rule change favored defense more then offense, many fans would be disappointed by the low-scoring game. Unless some sort of immediate action were to take place, this league will remain a pass first, run second style of play.