Scoring in the NFL is surging again
The NFL made some key rule changes (extra points moved back) and new emphasis on old rules (interference and contact on receivers). The end result was the second-highest touchdown total in NFL history.
This season, NFL teams scored 1,318 total touchdowns (including defense and special teams), up from 1,293 a year ago, but still short of the record-setting 2013 season (1,338 total touchdowns).
Here is the year-by-year scoring in the NFL since the league expanded to 32 teams.
Things look a little different if we consider the average number of touchdowns scored by team and look all the back to the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
This season, the average NFL team scored 41.2 touchdowns, the fourth-straight season with teams scoring more than 40 touchdowns on average. However, that rate is not unheard of as teams regularly averaged 39-42 touchdowns per season from 1979 through 1986 (note: 1982 was a strike-shortened season).
