The NFL offensive landscape has slowed down significantly over the last several seasons, but a strategic shift by the Los Angeles Rams could trigger the league’s next major schematic trend.
According to Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice, head coach Sean McVay’s offseason addition of Kliff Kingsbury as assistant head coach points to a major embrace of high-tempo, no-huddle football designed to counter modern defensive structures.
Data indicates that the league-wide adoption of heavy pre-snap motion has inadvertently slowed the game down. TruMedia and NextGenStats tracking from Tice’s report show that NFL offenses averaged a record-high 29.6 seconds between plays in 2025, a noticeable increase from 28.1 seconds in 2020 and 28.2 seconds in 2015. Offenses also snapped the ball with an average of just nine seconds remaining on the play clock last season, compared to 10.5 seconds in the two prior years.
Tice notes that this extra time gives defensive coordinators more room to communicate and disguise their coverages. To combat this, McVay brought in Kingsbury, who was formerly the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders before being let go last offseason.
While Kingsbury is traditionally associated with the “Air Raid” passing system, Tice emphasized that his primary utility to the Rams is his ability to operate a diverse playbook without huddling.
Operating at a faster tempo alters defensive behavior. TruMedia metrics indicate that on early downs, defensive blitz rates drop from 27.1% against a huddling offense to 20.4% against a no-huddle look. Without the time to communicate complex checks, defenses are forced into simpler, more predictable coverages.
If the Rams successfully integrate Kingsbury’s no-huddle mechanics with McVay’s established offensive principles, they could provide the blueprint for the rest of the league to speed the game back up.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Analyst explains how Rams could start new NFL trend in 2026
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
