Barnwell on the NFL's newest offensive twist: Why are teams suddenly going under center more often? — SkimNews
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- NFL offenses ran 42.5% of snaps from under center in Week 1 of the 2026 season, the highest rate since 2012 (42.2%), according to Bill Barnwell's analysis
- The under-center rate climbed from 29% in 2023 to 30.5% in 2024 to 35% in 2025, reversing a shotgun era that peaked at 71% of snaps in 2023 when offensive efficiency had cratered to under 22 points per game
- Week 1 scoring averaged 24.7 points per game, tying 2012 for the highest-scoring opening week since the 1970 merger
- The Eagles hired Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator and Ryan Mahaffey as run game coordinator (replacing Jeff Stoutland), and their zone run rate jumped from 47% during the 2024 Super Bowl run to 56% in Week 1
- The Commanders hired David Blough from an under-center tree and saw their zone run rate soar from 37% in 2024 to 59% in Week 1, while the Ravens added Declan Doyle as OC
- The Vikings signed Kyler Murray and dedicated training camp to under-center work, but their plans were disrupted by a first-quarter concussion to Murray in Week 1
- Vic Fangio, now Eagles defensive coordinator, countered the shift with 6-1 fronts against under-center rushes in Week 1, signaling defenses are already adjusting
Why it matters: Three franchises (Eagles, Commanders, Ravens) rewrote their offensive staffs around under-center philosophies this offseason, and Week 1's 42.5% under-center rate — paired with a tie for the highest-scoring opening week since 1970 — suggests the shotgun era's grip on offensive efficiency has genuinely broken. Defenses built on Vic Fangio's spread-out schemes face a league that is now intentionally drafting bigger personnel and committing cap to interior offensive linemen, not slot receivers. With more Week 2 film likely to test whether teams that lost (Vikings without Murray) can adapt, the bet is whether 42.5% holds as a floor or a peak.
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