After looking up how the teams ran from an efficiency perspective, I totally see what you mean.Jay Z wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 3:44 pm One factor that finally tipped the balance in 1977 is likely that many teams couldn't even run the ball particularly well any more. The rushing average was 4.1 in 1976, in 1977 it was 3.8, despite more carries. Defenses knew year over year they didn't need to respect the pass, teams tried to run, defenses then stopped the run and there was nowhere to go. A lot of the rushing statistics, particularly in the NFC, are fairly dismal for the weaker teams. Something had to change.
The Buccaneers, Packers, Falcons, Redskins, Giants, Lions, Eagles, Vikings and 49ers were among the eleven lowest teams by yards per carry; each at 3.7 or lower. That’s nine of the 14 NFC teams.
Green Bay in particular had no players with more than 3.4 yards per carry among players who were handed the ball more than 14 times.
A look at the individual rushing leaders will show that only three players (Chuck Foreman, Lawrence McCutcheon, and Walter Payton) averaged four yards per carry on 250 rushing attempts, and only 12 of the 30 players with 150 rushing attempts averaged four yards per carry or more, and only seven averaged 4.2 per carry or more. Also only four players had eight rushing touchdowns (Payton, Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, and Wayne Morris).
Walter Payton’s 1977 season of 1,852 yards on 5.5 yards per carry and with 14 rushing touchdowns when the league was rushing like that, looks on a different level now that I look at it in comparison to how the league rushed.