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NFL is ridiculously pass-happy and fantasy football is to blame

Anymore, you can’t mention the NFL without thinking about fantasy football. I’ve talked about fantasy football before (and as of today, my record is 3-1 and tied for first, hooray me) and what I think it adds to the game, but this week, I am going to talk about how the craze has changed NFL records and leads to inflated statistics.

On October 12, 1992, Washington Redskins wide receiver Art Monk became the all-time NFL reception leader with his 820th catch. Monk would go on to haul in 940 catches in his 224 career games (an average of just over four per game) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Now, 23 years later, Monk is 17th all-time and 609 catches behind current all-time catch leader and HOF receiver Jerry Rice. Now it could be argued that in the past 25 years the game of football has changed because of pass happy coaching schemes, but what came first, the schemes or the mandate from the NFL brass to treat receivers and quarterback as if they are fragile ballerinas? Over the past 20 or so years, defense backs will get a flag thrown at them for simply sneezing near a wide receiver after five yards.

In the 2014, 23 wide receivers and 13 running backs accumulated the 1,000 yards that is widely accepted as the benchmark for a banner individual season. Go back to 1992, the year Monk set his mark, and there were still only 13 running backs to reach the century mark, but there were only seven receivers to top 1,000.

So why are wide outs and QB’s treated as if they have on dresses and are the only commodity worth protecting? The NFL wants to see more points scored and offensive statistics inflated because fantasy football has pushed the NFL into the title of “America’s pastime” and left Major League Baseball in its wake. In the 2015 season, four games in, Falcon Julio Jones is averaging 9.5 catches per game which is on pace to beat Marvin Harrison’s (2002) single season reception record of 143.

In the 1990’s, baseball’s credo was “chicks dig the long ball” and what ensued was the sport being ruined by homerun hitting, steroid using cheaters. In 2015, the NFL’s motto is “dude’s dig fantasy football.” I don’t fault the NFL for cashing-in and selling-out the integrity of the sport – I am one of those ‘dudes.’ But I do get tired of the accolades today’s receivers (and QB’s like Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Tom Brady) have heaped upon them when, to be honest, the league they play for has made them nearly untouchable and leave players like Art Monk all but forgotten.

 

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