Scoring down, home-field struggles among 1st half NFL trends

By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer

Scoring is down, home-field advantage hasn’t returned even if the fans have, and the AFC could be in a wild race for playoff spots. As the NFL gets set to start the second half of its 18-week season, there are a few notable statistical trends to pay attention to, with the two most notable being the reduction of scoring and home-team struggles. Points per game have dropped by nearly two points per contest per team so far this season, as a marked increase in offensive penalties and a small decrease in passing efficiency has taken a toll. Road teams have won the majority of games, even with the return of fans.