Seattle Post-Intelligencer · Jan 13, 2017
Shotgun offense went from sparse to every-down staple in NFL
Might be hard to believe while watching Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Ben Roethlisberger in the playoffs this weekend, but it wasn't all that long ago that the shotgun formation was something of a curiosity in the NFL, used less than once every five plays in 2006.
In today's pass-heavy era populated by players who became accustomed to spread offenses in high school and college, most teams use it most of the time: This season, 60 percent of offensive snaps began with the quarterback 5 yards or so behind the line of scrimmage.
