The 2025 NFL season was the year of the throwback offense, as teams moved away from spread formations to heavier personnel sets.

@jamesreber27 details how offensive sub packages are shaping the league and how the trend could define Super Bowl LX.

READ: nfl.com/news/nfl-trend… For the first time in the Next Gen Stats era, every NFL team used heavier sub packages (< 3 WRs) on at least 25% of their offensive plays. League-wide, the usage rate broke 40% for the first time.

As a result, defenses played base on 29.7% of plays, the highest mark since 2017.

NFL Analytics Trend of the Day: Play Action Usage

Trend:📈

The 2020 season featured the highest rate of play action (24.1%) in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). On 1st down specifically, play action has increased steadily over the last 5 seasons.

[1/n] Play action dropbacks were significantly more efficient than dropbacks without play action this season, averaging +0.09 more EPA per dropback.

[2/n]

Can J.J. Watt return to all-pro form along the @AZCardinals defensive front?

Over the last two seasons, Watt's efficiency as a pass rusher (by pressure rate & pass rush get-off) have not matched 2018 levels. HOWEVER...

(1/n) J.J. Watt's efficiency as a pass rusher has a negative correlation with how often he was on the field...

J.J. Watt Playtime & Snaps per Game

🔹 2016 - 16% & 49.7
🔹 2017 - 21% & 41.6
🔹 2018 - 90% & 57.4
🔹 2019 - 43% & 54.5
🔹 2020 - 92% & 61.1

(2/n)