Super Bowl Offenses, Then And Now
Shotgun snaps. Efficient running. Shorter passes. Fewer drops. Offenses have come a long way since Super Bowl I.
Super Bowl IV and Super Bowl XLIX
The first shotgun snap in Super Bowl history occurred in Super Bowl IV, with Len Dawson taking the snap for the Chiefs. The black and white illustration above shows how that shotgun formation looked. The most recent shotgun snap in Super Bowl history was last year, in Super Bowl XLIX, and it resulted in Malcolm Butler's interception of Russell Wilson.
Percent Of Plays From Shotgun
Shotgun usage in Super Bowl play has increased greatly over the years, with a major leap this decade. Super Bowl offenses have lined up in shotgun 59 percent of the time since 2010, up from 25.9 percent from 2000 to 2009.
Passes Are Easier To Catch
The percent of passes dropped in Super Bowl play has steadily declined through the years.
Notable Shotgun Firsts
- First Shotgun Snap
- First Shotgun Touchdown
- First Shotgun Rush
- First Shotgun Handoff
- FirstPistolSnap
In the stretch from Super Bowl I to XXXII, there were only four instances of both teams using shotgun in the same game: Super Bowl XII (Broncos-Cowboys), Super Bowl XX (Patriots-Bears), Super Bowl XXI (Broncos-Giants) and Super Bowl XXV (Bills-Giants). Since Super Bowl XXXII, both teams have used shotgun at least once in all but one game. The most recent team that didn't use shotgun in a Super Bowl? The Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
Passing Is Easier
Completing passes in the NFL has never been easier, and the Super Bowl is proof of that. Completion percent in Super Bowls has risen more than 12 percent over the years.
Running Is Easier
Rush
Yards
Percent Of Rushes Outside The Tackles
Only 26.7 percent of rushes have gone outside the tackles in the Super Bowls of the 2010s, but those rushes have been more efficient than ever. The 2010s average of 5.86 yards per rush outside the tackles is the highest of any decade of Super Bowls. Rushes inside the tackles in the 2010s are averaging 3.88 yards per rush. Rushes between the tackles exceeded 4.0 yards per rush in the 1990s and 2000s.
Dropback Percent
The early years of the Super Bowl were more run-heavy, with teams running 55 percent of the time in the 1970s. Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese attempted 18 passes combined in his two Super Bowl wins in the 1972 and '73 seasons. In Super Bowl XLIX, Patriots QB Tom Brady attempted 50 passes in his team's victory over the Seahawks.
Passes Are Shorter
From the 1960s to the '80s, the average Super Bowl pass was more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. The average Super Bowl pass since the start of the '90s has been fewer than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
