TOdays players are bigger faster and have better training, etc no doubt. But to say they are better players is to only look at the physical side. PLayers up to the 70's, outside of the stars, had to hold down jobs in the offseason since pay was pretty low.
They played because they loved to play- money was not that big a deal. You cannot compare attitude and love of the game and all those intangibles to the way it is now.
The shorter seasons also helped in that they players were not as worn down as they are now. Teams stayed together for years; there was little movement from team to team. The D had a huge advantage back then: the secondary could just about mug the recievers, the head slap, the O line could not use their hands, and so on. That did not change untill the 1978 season, when the new rules that ushered in the passing era took effect. Also that was when the 16 game season started. It was 12 up untill 1960.
