This has gone largely untouched - is everybody aware that the tiebreaking procedures have FIVE tiebreakers related to scoring points/TD's?!?!? And that New England isn't even first in the AFC in the combined rankings?
http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures
Really, besides winning games, the only other aspect within a team's control is scoring points - and that potentially has an impact on a team's seeding in the playoffs! Even college football doesn't have a direct correlation between points scored and rankings. But the NFL does have it in their procedures.
If the NFL didn't want more offense, why would they provide incentive to score more points?
http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures
Really, besides winning games, the only other aspect within a team's control is scoring points - and that potentially has an impact on a team's seeding in the playoffs! Even college football doesn't have a direct correlation between points scored and rankings. But the NFL does have it in their procedures.
If the NFL didn't want more offense, why would they provide incentive to score more points?