Inside the NFL's offensive landscape: Will last season's trends continue in 2019?

Perhaps you remember the offensive explosion of 2018. Teams were scoring at a record pace, mostly because of highly efficient passing attacks and a reimagined role for running backs.

The NFL rejoiced and the television ratings went up and the world was saved until ... it all hit a wall in Week 14.

In a little-discussed epilogue, the 2018 breakthrough softened considerably in the final four weeks of the season. Pace slowed across the board, leaving most NFL records intact and prompting questions about what it means for 2019. Did defensive coaches and schemes catch up? What about factors like injuries and weather, long cited by coaches as impediments to late-season offensive efficiency? And…