The early weeks of the NFL season continue to highlight a trend of high-scoring games, with offenses dominating defenses in several matchups. On Thursday night, Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions, accounting for five touchdowns in the process. This performance was a key contributor to the league’s offensive surge, building on a Week 1 average of 49.4 points per game and culminating in 72 combined points in this contest alone.
Several factors are being cited for the scoring surge, with coaches and players pointing to changes in tackling and practice rules as underlying causes. Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles noted the unusual nature of the offensive output so early in the season. “I can’t explain it because typically it’s like the other way — offenses are trying to get going and defenses can be ahead,” Bowles said. He attributed the elevated scoring partly to defenses' limited ability to make plays due to rule changes and the nature of tackling in today’s game.
One commonly mentioned issue is the quality of tackling, which some believe has declined because of restrictions on full-contact practices. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement limits padded practices during training camp to 16 days, down from 28 under the previous deal. Moreover, padded sessions cannot exceed certain consecutive-day limits, and off-season workouts prohibit contact entirely. Live tackling is therefore practiced less frequently than in past decades, when teams commonly held multiple full-contact sessions per day.
Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., whose team’s defense ranked first in fewest yards allowed last season, acknowledged the difficulties posed by these limitations. After the Texans were heavily beaten by the Bills in Week 1, Anderson described the game as a needed adjustment period following a preseason in which they did not play. He emphasized, however, that poor tackling is not an acceptable excuse. “We do a lot of tackling circuits. We do a lot of drills. Coaches put us in a lot of positions to be able to get guys down on the ground and finish the right way. There’s really no excuse,” Anderson said.
Similarly, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, whose defense ranked third in fewest points allowed in 2025, pointed to effort and technique as key factors. After Denver’s 31-10 loss to Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes on Monday night, Surtain highlighted the importance of consistent, high-quality tackling. “You have to bring pads, feet and you have to wrap your arms. I just feel like we were assuming that the ball carrier was going to go down at the moment rather than finishing at the end of the day,” he explained.
As the season progresses, the interplay between defensive technique, practice limitations, and offensive execution remains a focal point for teams trying to stem the tide of rising scores and maintain competitive balance.