Stephen Dubner

So in a war-like setting, when you're trying to advance into enemy territory, which weapon is more valuable, the ground game or the passing game? Brian Burke's analytic approach allowed him to answer that question.

Let's back up a bit. You don't have to go back to the 1920s or the 1950s, but pick whatever seems like a sensible starting point in modern NFL history and tell me how the running game evolved and was eventually superseded by the passing game.

Let's back up a bit. You don't have to go back to the 1920s or the 1950s, but pick whatever seems like a sensible starting point in modern NFL history and tell me how the running game evolved and was eventually superseded by the passing game.

Let's back up a bit. You don't have to go back to the 1920s or the 1950s, but pick whatever seems like a sensible starting point in modern NFL history and tell me how the running game evolved and was eventually superseded by the passing game.

So the story you're telling me is simply that football people, including coaches and analytics people like you, have been discovering over the years that passing is more valuable than running. Additionally, the league itself decided over many years to make passing more prominent by rule changes.

So the story you're telling me is simply that football people, including coaches and analytics people like you, have been discovering over the years that passing is more valuable than running. Additionally, the league itself decided over many years to make passing more prominent by rule changes.

So the story you're telling me is simply that football people, including coaches and analytics people like you, have been discovering over the years that passing is more valuable than running. Additionally, the league itself decided over many years to make passing more prominent by rule changes.

And so now we've just arrived at this new circumstance where passing is just more valuable than running. Where does that leave the running back in the modern football economy?

And so now we've just arrived at this new circumstance where passing is just more valuable than running. Where does that leave the running back in the modern football economy?

And so now we've just arrived at this new circumstance where passing is just more valuable than running. Where does that leave the running back in the modern football economy?

Could it be that this generation is different? And is Saquon Barkley the difference maker? Over the past 20 Super Bowls, the top rusher on the winning team has averaged only 70 yards. If you look at the betting markets for this year's Super Bowl, Barkley is expected to gain 115 rushing yards.

Could it be that this generation is different? And is Saquon Barkley the difference maker? Over the past 20 Super Bowls, the top rusher on the winning team has averaged only 70 yards. If you look at the betting markets for this year's Super Bowl, Barkley is expected to gain 115 rushing yards.

Could it be that this generation is different? And is Saquon Barkley the difference maker? Over the past 20 Super Bowls, the top rusher on the winning team has averaged only 70 yards. If you look at the betting markets for this year's Super Bowl, Barkley is expected to gain 115 rushing yards.

When the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders last week to get into the Super Bowl, Barkley ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns. This led Fox Sports announcer Kevin Burkhart to call the Eagles pickup of Barkley, quote, one of the best free agent signings of all time.

When the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders last week to get into the Super Bowl, Barkley ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns. This led Fox Sports announcer Kevin Burkhart to call the Eagles pickup of Barkley, quote, one of the best free agent signings of all time.

When the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders last week to get into the Super Bowl, Barkley ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns. This led Fox Sports announcer Kevin Burkhart to call the Eagles pickup of Barkley, quote, one of the best free agent signings of all time.

Still, the Eagles' opponent in the upcoming Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs, are going for their third Super Bowl in a row, which would be a record, and their fourth win in six years. Even a casual football fan can name the Chiefs' starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and their super-studly tight end, Travis Kelsey, who is even better known for dating Taylor Swift.

Still, the Eagles' opponent in the upcoming Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs, are going for their third Super Bowl in a row, which would be a record, and their fourth win in six years. Even a casual football fan can name the Chiefs' starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and their super-studly tight end, Travis Kelsey, who is even better known for dating Taylor Swift.

Still, the Eagles' opponent in the upcoming Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs, are going for their third Super Bowl in a row, which would be a record, and their fourth win in six years. Even a casual football fan can name the Chiefs' starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and their super-studly tight end, Travis Kelsey, who is even better known for dating Taylor Swift.

But can you name the running backs who helped the Chiefs win all these Super Bowls? Probably not. They've been practically interchangeable, most of them earning between $1 and $3 million a year, compared to Kelsey's $17 million and Mahomes' $45 million. Now, you may be thinking, I understand that running backs have become somewhat less valuable, but are they really that much less valuable?