[81alum]

I'm not nostalgic for those days. I think football is much better now for the increased penalties to minimize injuries. But I also think the increased protection of the quarterback lengthens careers and leads to some of the greats being surpassed by near-greats that lasted longer. Tom Brady and Drew Breeze playing into their 40s could never have happened before this decade, with the changed rules on quarterback hits.

Entirely agree.  To this you can add the enormous change in pass interference rules/enforcement.  Records from earlier decades cannot be meaningfully compared with records now.  Two different games, to a more radical extent than most acknowledge.

[81alum]

I'm not nostalgic for those days. I think football is much better now for the increased penalties to minimize injuries. But I also think the increased protection of the quarterback lengthens careers and leads to some of the greats being surpassed by near-greats that lasted longer. Tom Brady and Drew Breeze playing into their 40s could never have happened before this decade, with the changed rules on quarterback hits.

Entirely agree.  To this you can add the enormous change in pass interference rules/enforcement.  Records from earlier decades cannot be meaningfully compared with records now.  Two different games, to a more radical extent than most acknowledge.