Growing Trend of Passing in the NFL

It's no secret that passing is becoming more prevelant in the NFL these days. Teams still run, but not nearly as much as they did in the past. The days of Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders single handedly winning football games are over, (with the exception of the Tennessee Titans' Chris Johnson or Minnesota's Adrian Peterson if he doesn't fumble). I brainstormed some of the causes, and came up with a few. First, quarterbacks are far better athletes now days than they were in the past, they can escape pressure better, and throw the ball further with more accuracy. Secondly, defenses are a lot faster. Linebackers and Defensive Linemen are running 4.4 to 4.8 forty yard dashes, making it easier to jam up holes and seal up running backs in the flat. Thirdly Receivers are getting better, with some of the better passing teams, their number 4 receiver is just as good as a number 1 in the past. When you have that much talent across the field, it's easy to create mismatches against either a linebacker or nickelback. These are 3 of the main reasons I believe the passing game is taking over the NFL.