TMQ: Why high-scoring teams peter out in the playoffs

The playoffs are the whole reason an NFL season is staged – yet interest declines during the postseason

“Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.” This chestnut gets repeated because – it’s true.

High-scoring teams tend to peter out in the playoffs as defense takes command.

This was previewed during the final game of the regular season, Buffalo at Miami. The Marine Mammals came in as the NFL’s highest-scoring team – and were held to 14 points on their own field. Dolphins second-half possession results: punt, punt, punt, punt, interception.

Occasionally a high-scoring team does win the Super Bowl – most recently, Kansas City in 2023 hoisted the trophy following a regular season of being number-one offense.

But in the six cases of number-one defense meeting number-one offense in the Super Bowl, defense prevailed five times.

The 2007 Patriots, coming off what was then the highest scoring NFL season ever, lost the Super Bowl to Jersey/A, scoring just 14 points.

The 2013 Broncos, coming off the new highest-scoring season ever, lost the Super Bowl to Seattle, scoring just 8 points. The Seahawks of that season were a rare modern NFL team that ran more than passed. The Broncos of that season passed on two of three snaps. Defense trumped offense.