Bad Day for NFL Kickers

[silverscreenselect]

Yesterday, in 12 NFL games, placekickers missed (or had blocked) 12 extra points. To put that in perspective, in 2014, the last season played under the old rules with PAT's coming at the two-yard-line, kickers missed eight PAT's all year. Admittedly, there were some bad wind and rain conditions at some stadiums, but that's still the most in any week since the NFC-AFC merger. The previous week, there were six missed PAT's, one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /94169040/

[Vandal]

[Bob78164]

Yesterday, in 12 NFL games, placekickers missed (or had blocked) 12 extra points. To put that in perspective, in 2014, the last season played under the old rules with PAT's coming at the two-yard-line, kickers missed eight PAT's all year. Admittedly, there were some bad wind and rain conditions at some stadiums, but that's still the most in any week since the NFC-AFC merger. The previous week, there were six missed PAT's, one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /94169040/

I wonder how long it will be before someone uses victory formation on a conversion instead of attempting the kick. Should happen when scoring a very late touchdown when down by 5. --Bob

[silverscreenselect]

Yesterday, in 12 NFL games, placekickers missed (or had blocked) 12 extra points. To put that in perspective, in 2014, the last season played under the old rules with PAT's coming at the two-yard-line, kickers missed eight PAT's all year. Admittedly, there were some bad wind and rain conditions at some stadiums, but that's still the most in any week since the NFC-AFC merger. The previous week, there were six missed PAT's, one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /94169040/

I wonder how long it will be before someone uses victory formation on a conversion instead of attempting the kick. Should happen when scoring a very late touchdown when down by 5. --Bob

I have seen it done in college (where they've had the rule for 30 years) when a team scores in the last ten seconds of a game to go up by one or two points. Of course, New Orleans trailed Denver by six points, so the kicked extra point would probably have won the game for them (there was still over a minute in the games). The worst thing about what happened to the Saints was that, just like after a safety, they still had to kick off to Denver (they tried an onside kick and it failed). This was the third two-point defensive conversion in the NFL since the rule changed last season, but the first time in which it affected the outcome of a game.

[andrewjackson]

Yesterday, in 12 NFL games, placekickers missed (or had blocked) 12 extra points. To put that in perspective, in 2014, the last season played under the old rules with PAT's coming at the two-yard-line, kickers missed eight PAT's all year. Admittedly, there were some bad wind and rain conditions at some stadiums, but that's still the most in any week since the NFC-AFC merger. The previous week, there were six missed PAT's, one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /94169040/

I wonder how long it will be before someone uses victory formation on a conversion instead of attempting the kick. Should happen when scoring a very late touchdown when down by 5. --Bob

I have seen it done in college (where they've had the rule for 30 years) when a team scores in the last ten seconds of a game to go up by one or two points. Of course, New Orleans trailed Denver by six points, so the kicked extra point would probably have won the game for them (there was still over a minute in the games). The worst thing about what happened to the Saints was that, just like after a safety, they still had to kick off to Denver (they tried an onside kick and it failed). This was the third two-point defensive conversion in the NFL since the rule changed last season, but the first time in which it affected the outcome of a game.

You've seen the victory formation on a college extra point attempt? I watch a lot of college football and I've never seen that.

[Bob Juch]

I wonder how long it will be before someone uses victory formation on a conversion instead of attempting the kick. Should happen when scoring a very late touchdown when down by 5. --Bob

I have seen it done in college (where they've had the rule for 30 years) when a team scores in the last ten seconds of a game to go up by one or two points. Of course, New Orleans trailed Denver by six points, so the kicked extra point would probably have won the game for them (there was still over a minute in the games). The worst thing about what happened to the Saints was that, just like after a safety, they still had to kick off to Denver (they tried an onside kick and it failed). This was the third two-point defensive conversion in the NFL since the rule changed last season, but the first time in which it affected the outcome of a game.

You've seen the victory formation on a college extra point attempt? I watch a lot of college football and I've never seen that.

There was this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ear ... tion-play/

[silverscreenselect]

I wonder how long it will be before someone uses victory formation on a conversion instead of attempting the kick. Should happen when scoring a very late touchdown when down by 5. --Bob

I have seen it done in college (where they've had the rule for 30 years) when a team scores in the last ten seconds of a game to go up by one or two points. Of course, New Orleans trailed Denver by six points, so the kicked extra point would probably have won the game for them (there was still over a minute in the games). The worst thing about what happened to the Saints was that, just like after a safety, they still had to kick off to Denver (they tried an onside kick and it failed). This was the third two-point defensive conversion in the NFL since the rule changed last season, but the first time in which it affected the outcome of a game.

You've seen the victory formation on a college extra point attempt? I watch a lot of college football and I've never seen that.

Here's a discussion of a game where it happened. I recall it happening at a University of Georgia game one year but I haven't been able to find it.

http://corner.bigblueinteractive.com/in ... ead=365799

[silverscreenselect]

I recall it happening at a University of Georgia game one year but I haven't been able to find it.

And I found it. It was the 1993 Georgia-South Carolina game. Carolina scored with two seconds left to make the score 23-21 and were penalized for excessive celebration. Rather than try the PAT from the 18 yard line, they took a knee. You can see the winning touchdown and PAT at about the 2:30 mark on this replay.

[andrewjackson]

I recall it happening at a University of Georgia game one year but I haven't been able to find it.

And I found it. It was the 1993 Georgia-South Carolina game. Carolina scored with two seconds left to make the score 23-21 and were penalized for excessive celebration. Rather than try the PAT from the 18 yard line, they took a knee. You can see the winning touchdown and PAT at about the 2:30 mark on this replay.

Thank you for finding those. I think the penalty played into South Carolina's decision but the strategy still applies. Interesting. Now I've seen it twice.

[andrewjackson]

I have seen it done in college (where they've had the rule for 30 years) when a team scores in the last ten seconds of a game to go up by one or two points. Of course, New Orleans trailed Denver by six points, so the kicked extra point would probably have won the game for them (there was still over a minute in the games). The worst thing about what happened to the Saints was that, just like after a safety, they still had to kick off to Denver (they tried an onside kick and it failed). This was the third two-point defensive conversion in the NFL since the rule changed last season, but the first time in which it affected the outcome of a game.

You've seen the victory formation on a college extra point attempt? I watch a lot of college football and I've never seen that.

There was this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ear ... tion-play/

Entirely different situation. That was not a conversion.

[silverscreenselect]

Thank you for finding those. I think the penalty played into South Carolina's decision but the strategy still applies. Interesting. Now I've seen it twice.

A correction on my part. The penalty was not assessed on the two-point try but on the kickoff, so they took a knee at the three-yard line. Still, no matter where they kicked off from, there's no way that Georgia could have gotten in position to kick a field goal in two seconds (on a long kick return, the clock would expire).,

[Bob78164]

Thank you for finding those. I think the penalty played into South Carolina's decision but the strategy still applies. Interesting. Now I've seen it twice.

A correction on my part. The penalty was not assessed on the two-point try but on the kickoff, so they took a knee at the three-yard line. Still, no matter where they kicked off from, there's no way that Georgia could have gotten in position to kick a field goal in two seconds (on a long kick return, the clock would expire).

One possible exception. If they had executed a fair catch of the kickoff, Georgia would have been entitled to a field goal try as a free kick. No rush and 10 yards of clear space allow for a lower trajectory, and therefore a potential for a much longer kick than usual. --Bob

[silverscreenselect]

Thank you for finding those. I think the penalty played into South Carolina's decision but the strategy still applies. Interesting. Now I've seen it twice.

A correction on my part. The penalty was not assessed on the two-point try but on the kickoff, so they took a knee at the three-yard line. Still, no matter where they kicked off from, there's no way that Georgia could have gotten in position to kick a field goal in two seconds (on a long kick return, the clock would expire).

One possible exception. If they had executed a fair catch of the kickoff, Georgia would have been entitled to a field goal try as a free kick. No rush and 10 yards of clear space allow for a lower trajectory, and therefore a potential for a much longer kick than usual. --Bob

That rule applies in the NFL (and, oddly, in high school), but not in college. Since the goal posts were moved to the endline in 1974, only one NFL kicker has made a fair catch field goal, Ray Wersching of San Diego in 1976, at the end of the first half. Eight others have tried it, all at the end of the half or game, with the shortest attempt being 58 yards, but all missed (NFL kickers can't use a tee; they have to have a holder just like on regular field goal attempts).

[Bob78164]

A correction on my part. The penalty was not assessed on the two-point try but on the kickoff, so they took a knee at the three-yard line. Still, no matter where they kicked off from, there's no way that Georgia could have gotten in position to kick a field goal in two seconds (on a long kick return, the clock would expire).

One possible exception. If they had executed a fair catch of the kickoff, Georgia would have been entitled to a field goal try as a free kick. No rush and 10 yards of clear space allow for a lower trajectory, and therefore a potential for a much longer kick than usual. --Bob

That rule applies in the NFL (and, oddly, in high school), but not in college. Since the goal posts were moved to the endline in 1974, only one NFL kicker has made a fair catch field goal, Ray Wersching of San Diego in 1976, at the end of the first half. Eight others have tried it, all at the end of the half or game, with the shortest attempt being 58 yards, but all missed (NFL kickers can't use a tee; they have to have a holder just like on regular field goal attempts).

I did not know that about the college game. Thanks. --Bob

[SportsFan68]

Yesterday, in 12 NFL games, placekickers missed (or had blocked) 12 extra points. To put that in perspective, in 2014, the last season played under the old rules with PAT's coming at the two-yard-line, kickers missed eight PAT's all year. Admittedly, there were some bad wind and rain conditions at some stadiums, but that's still the most in any week since the NFC-AFC merger. The previous week, there were six missed PAT's, one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /94169040/

That was so fun! Broncos fans love surprises.

Usually. No surprises today, KC! Thank you.

[Vandal]

Broncos fans love surprises.

Usually. No surprises today, KC! Thank you.

Doink! It's good!

(Surprise!)

[silverscreenselect]

one of them blocked by Denver in the last two minutes and returned for a two-point defensive conversion that was the winning margin in their game against New Orleans.

Well, it happened again today, although not on a kick. Atlanta scored with 4:32 to go to take a 28-27 lead over Kansas City and went for a two point conversion so that KC could not win the game with a field goal. It was intercepted at the goal line and returned for two points for KC, and a 29-28 lead. KC was then able to run out the remainder of the clock and win the game (in all fairness, the way the Atlanta defense played, it's questionable whether they could have stopped KC from scoring again anyway).

[jarnon]

I watched Eagles vs. Bengals today. Bengals kicker Mike Nugent had missed every extra point the past two weeks. Today he missed just one. Also, a field goal hit the upright and went through (an Eagles field goal attempt bounced off the upright), and Nugent pushed an Eagles kick returner out of bounds to save a touchdown.