Goodell Wants to Get Rid of the Extra Point

[JD_KaPow]

What I'm proposing would make PAT's less automatic which is what everyone wants.

It's not what I want, and based on the proposals floating out there, it's not what the NFL wants. Lots of people just want to get rid of the stupid thing entirely.

FG's are 3 points whether they're kicked from 30 yards out or 64 yards out. Fans and the NFL want to see teams cross the goal line not settle for FG's.

Your proposal would lead to more FGs, not fewer. By making TDs worth 6.5 points instead of 7, teams would face 3- and 6-point deficits vs. 4- and 7-point deficits far more often than they do now, which would change their strategies.

 

[DLCassidy]

to me the problem isn't just the extra point it's kicking in general has gotten too good, percentages are crazy good for the whole league. When I was a kid a 50 yard FG was a rare event, now it's routine and expected. Kickers are way, way better than they used to be. I would narrow the goal posts from 18 feet to 12. That may sound extreme but it would really just bring the percentages back to where they were 40 years ago. And at 12 feet you'd see some missed PAT's.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

It's not what I want, and based on the proposals floating out there, it's not what the NFL wants. Lots of people just want to get rid of the stupid thing entirely.

Your proposal would lead to more FGs, not fewer. By making TDs worth 6.5 points instead of 7, teams would face 3- and 6-point deficits vs. 4- and 7-point deficits far more often than they do now, which would change their strategies.

I also think the game would start to revolve around converting these PATs, especially if the conversion rate is in the 50% coin flip range. I won't sit here and say that it would make the game worse, maybe it would be exciting. But I can see quite a few teams having good offensive days losing close games because even though they had multiple 80 yard drives, they also had an off day converting 1 or 2 yard runs.

 

[KJJ]

It's not what I want, and based on the proposals floating out there, it's not what the NFL wants. Lots of people just want to get rid of the stupid thing entirely.

Your proposal would lead to more FGs, not fewer. By making TDs worth 6.5 points instead of 7, teams would face 3- and 6-point deficits vs. 4- and 7-point deficits far more often than they do now, which would change their strategies.

They want to do away with it because they've become so automatic due to them being such a short chip shot. The solution to making the PAT less automatic is to do away with the kick and make a team have to run or pass to convert an extra point. PAT's being so routine can lead to a lot of FG attempts because they can keep games tied. Whether you're tied or down by a point due to a missed PAT you still need a FG to take the lead. Teams aren't going to pass on a FG if it ties a game up or puts them in the lead.

If the NFL was concerned that making PAT's less automatic would lead to more FG attempts they wouldn't be hashing around the idea to make them less automatic. Making teams keep their offense on the field to convert PAT's creates drama which is what the league and the fans want. Having to come up with a play to score form a yard or two out to convert a critical PAT adds excitement to the game which will keep fans in their seat during extra points instead of them heading for the bathroom or fridge because they've become so automatic.

 

[JD_KaPow]

They want to do away with it because they've become so automatic due to them being such a short chip shot. The solution to making the PAT less automatic is to do away with the kick and make a team have to run or pass to convert an extra point.

I think we can agree that the problem is that the PAT kick is boring and stupid, largely because it's so automatic. From there, you're making a leap to the solution being to make the PAT less automatic. To me, the simplest solution is to do away with it entirely (while keeping the option to gamble with the 7th point). My solution changes the game almost not at all (all TDs are 7 points, which they pretty much already are, and a try leaves you with either a 6-pt or an 8-pt TD, just like today), while getting rid of a boring and stupid play. Your solution changes the game dramatically (TDs are now worth 6.5 points on average, instead of 7).

PAT's being so routine can lead to a lot of FG attempts because they can keep games tied. Whether you're tied or down by a point due to a missed PAT you still need a FG to take the lead. Teams aren't going to pass on a FG if it ties a game up or puts them in the lead.

None of this makes sense to me. The 7th point makes FGs less frequent than they would be without it. Anything that makes 6-point TDs more common will increase the frequency of FG attempts (unless you also make FGs more difficult, a la DLCassidy's proposal above). And I think we're in agreement that more FG attempts is bad and more going for it on 4th down is good.

I forgot to address another point before:

I'm sure the PAT came about to help try and avoid tie games. Tie games would be more common if 7 points were automatically given for each TD without having to earn an extra point. The 2 point conversion came about the same way...

Agreed about the PAT: a 7-point TD dramatically reduces the likelihood of a tie at the end of regulation. Which is why your proposal would drive things the other way. The 2-point conversion has the opposite effect, though: it makes ties at the end of regulation much more frequent.

 

[KJJ]

I think we can agree that the problem is that the PAT kick is boring and stupid, largely because it's so automatic. From there, you're making a leap to the solution being to make the PAT less automatic. To me, the simplest solution is to do away with it entirely (while keeping the option to gamble with the 7th point). My solution changes the game almost not at all (all TDs are 7 points, which they pretty much already are, and a try leaves you with either a 6-pt or an 8-pt TD, just like today), while getting rid of a boring and stupid play. Your solution changes the game dramatically (TDs are now worth 6.5 points on average, instead of 7).

None of this makes sense to me. The 7th point makes FGs less frequent than they would be without it. Anything that makes 6-point TDs more common will increase the frequency of FG attempts (unless you also make FGs more difficult, a la DLCassidy's proposal above). And I think we're in agreement that more FG attempts is bad and more going for it on 4th down is good.

I forgot to address another point before:
Agreed about the PAT: a 7-point TD dramatically reduces the likelihood of a tie at the end of regulation. Which is why your proposal would drive things the other way. The 2-point conversion has the opposite effect, though: it makes ties at the end of regulation much more frequent.

If you do away with PAT's you'll end up with more OT games which will put players health at further risk. It's better to have games settled in regulation than have them extended into OT. Coaches aren't going to gamble their 7th point that would be taking points off the board if they fail to convert the PAT. I've already covered this but under Goodell's plan the only time teams would attempt a PAT is late in the 4th quarter if they need the extra point to win or tie a game.

Head coaches are under enough heat as it is they would be persecuted if they took a 7th point off the board to attempt an extra point and failed to convert. The lost point could come back to haunt them so they won't attempt PAT's unless they're absolutely necessary. I don't have time to keep bantering this around if the rule is changed the kick will be eliminated and teams will have to run a play to convert an extra point…book it!

 

[JoeyBoy718]

By that line of thinking, we should just get rid of the lateral, too. There were probably less than a handful of those all year. And safeties (the play), because they don't happen often, either.

Um, No.

Safeties have like 10-20 times a season. And laterals happen all the time at the end of a game when a team needs a desperation score. Tell me when the last time a team fumbled on the kneel down. I think it's happened once in the history of the NFL. Um, yea.