While we often focus on the rules changes that have helped make passing offenses much more efficient over the years, there’s another small reason for the improvement in aerial attacks: better climates. Let’s compare the stadiums in the NFL now to the stadiums of the early 1970s.
Expansion/Re-Location
There are 7 new cities (and one deserted city) that have joined the NFL since the early ’70s, when the league still had just 26 teams. Five of these new cities helped the passing game by bringing in more mild-climate games due to warm weather locations or indoor stadiums. [1]Note that I am ignoring the California changes here. The Rams played in southern California in the ’70s and now, even if there was a St. Louis stop in the middle (which that was mostly indoors, … Continue reading
- There was no team in Indianapolis, which has an indoor stadium. [2]Of course, the Colts played in Baltimore, and no longer do; but for purposes of looking at geography, there was a team in Baltimore in the ’70s and a team in Baltimore now; Indianapolis is the … Continue reading
- The Cardinals did not play in Arizona, which has an indoor stadium, but instead played outdoors in the 1970s in St. Louis (the deserted city).
- There was no team in Tampa Bay, a warm-weather city
- There was no team in Carolina, a warm-weather city
- There was no team in Jacksonville, a warm-weather city
While those fives changes made passing easier by decreasing the impact of the elements in the northern cities, two changes increased the impact of the weather.
- There was a team in Houston playing indoors at the Astrodome, but the franchise founded by Bud Adams now play outdoors in Nashville, Tennessee. Of course, they were replaced by another team playing inside in Houston.
- There was no team in Seattle, which is a cold-weather city.
References
| ↑1 | Note that I am ignoring the California changes here. The Rams played in southern California in the ’70s and now, even if there was a St. Louis stop in the middle (which that was mostly indoors, anyway). I am also ignoring the Raiders bouncing between Oakland and Los Angeles and Oakland and now Las Vegas, the Chargers moving to L.A. from San Diego, and the 49ers going from San Francisco to Santa Clara. |
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| ↑2 | Of course, the Colts played in Baltimore, and no longer do; but for purposes of looking at geography, there was a team in Baltimore in the ’70s and a team in Baltimore now; Indianapolis is the new city, even if for expansion purposes, it didn’t quite work out that way. Similarly, there was a team playing indoors in Houston in the ’70s and now, regardless of whether it was the Oilers or the Texans. |