With 1:30 left in Super Bowl XXXVI, John Madden was a strong advocate from the booth for playing for overtime.  He, and observers of the NFL everywhere, have since learned to revere the likes of J.R. Redmond and Jermaine Wiggins in the passing game.  Well, not exactly...

Since that game-winning last drive which brought Tom Brady his first hardware with more to follow, J.R. Redmond has faded into obscurity and Jermaine Wiggins has found a meaningful role on his 3rd team in his 5th season of his career.  Since that drive, it's become apparent that with the exception of Brady, those other participants are easily replaced.  But their roles within Brady's offense isn't.

That drive in early 2002 is a microcosm of how some teams have carved out success by embracing their tight ends and running backs, not only in the passing game, but more than previously, to the point where there's significance in their contribution, namely winning big playoff games.  Was Jermaine Wiggins' catching nearly as many passes in the 2001 playoffs as he had during the entire regular season, and the significance of helping to put his franchise on its championship track, a leading indicator?   Perhaps.

If you believe there's been an evolution of how NFL teams have embraced tight ends and running backs, you would expect it to be reflected in the numbers.  Sure enough, it is.

• In 2001, NFL teams threw the ball on a total of 15,658 plays with 3,372 receptions by RBs and TEs – that's 21.5% of all pass plays.

• In 2002, NFL teams threw the ball on a total of 17, 039 plays with 4,005 receptions by RBs and TEs – that's 23.5% of all pass plays.  With an additional 1,381 pass plays in the NFL in 2002, 633 or 46% went to the RBs and TEs.

• In 2003, NFL teams threw the ball on a total of 16,393 plays with 4,375 receptions by RBs and TEs – that's 26.7% of all pass plays.  There were fewer total pass plays in 2003 from the prior season, but 370 additional receptions by RBs and TEs.

• In 2004, NFL teams threw the ball on a total of 16,299 plays with 4,334 going to RBs and TEs – that's 26.6% of all pass plays.  Approximately the same number of pass plays and passes to RBs and TEs.

There is, however, an interesting aspect to the 2004 numbers that, in effect, continue to promote this trend – the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Since their trip to Super Bowl XXX, when they had 121 receptions by RBs and TEs, the Steelers have routinely thrown less than most teams to their RBs, and particularly TEs.

In the case of 2004, when the Steelers had fewer pass attempts than any team, they still managed to throw less frequently to the RB, the TE, and the TE and RB combined, than all other NFL teams.  Combined with the fact that the Steelers returned to the ground game with 618 rushing attempts, going from 31st in rushing attempts in 2003 to 1st in 2004 and the Steelers decline in pass attempts alone is greater than the leagues total decline year over year in 2004.  So discounting for the Steelers going in one direction, the rest of the NFL continued to spread the ball around through the air with increased frequency.

What's the tactical value of embracing this trend or the cost in resisting it?  Perhaps the answer can be measured by the disparity in results between the Steelers regular season success and offensive efficiency contrasted by the lack thereof in the post-season, particularly against the New England Patriots.  For more on that I recommend the following:  ColdHardFootballFacts.com – Cowher's formula for failure