2 Football questions

brockguy · #1 01-12-2010, 05:48 PM

Please don't abuse me for my big time ignorance on this but 2 questions about the NFL that has got me thinking over the last few weeks:

1. Why are the kickers so bad?- they truly are awful! The Bengals kicker and the Arizona guy at the end of their game spring to mind just this weekend- they get paid, what half a million a year to perfect kicking a ball through a post! They should be missing a lot less than they do-

2. Why do teams not go for 2point conversions more often? Does anyone have stats on how often they succeed doing it? Take Green Bay last week as an example - when they were 14 points down, they scored a TD so they are 8 down now. I thought the coach should have gone for 2. If they missed it, well they are still 1score away from levelling the game, if they get it (and with the Arizona D the way it was, they probably would have got it) they are only 6 down and a TD and PAT would win it! The college coaches seem to do it a lot more for some reason!!

Anyway, if anyone can answer those questions, I'd be very happy! If not, I can wait for the World Cup to start in June for real football :-)

randallscott35 · #2 01-12-2010, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockguy

Please don't abuse me for my big time ignorance on this but 2 questions about the NFL that has got me thinking over the last few weeks:

1. Why are the kickers so bad?- they truly are awful! The Bengals kicker and the Arizona guy at the end of their game spring to mind just this weekend- they get paid, what half a million a year to perfect kicking a ball through a post! They should be missing a lot less than they do-

2. Why do teams not go for 2point conversions more often? Does anyone have stats on how often they succeed doing it? Take Green Bay last week as an example - when they were 14 points down, they scored a TD so they are 8 down now. I thought the coach should have gone for 2. If they missed it, well they are still 1score away from levelling the game, if they get it (and with the Arizona D the way it was, they probably would have got it) they are only 6 down and a TD and PAT would win it! The college coaches seem to do it a lot more for some reason!!

Anyway, if anyone can answer those questions, I'd be very happy! If not, I can wait for the World Cup to start in June for real football :-)

1. They make more kicks than they used to to actually. 2008 season was one of the highest % ever made. This is a down year. People choke.

2. "The 2-point conversion became a part of the college game in 1958, and the N.F.L. introduced it 1994. During that first season, pro teams succeeded on about 51 percent of their 2-point attempts, just as they did this season and last season, according to Stats LLC.

In 1995, though, the success rate fell to 39 percent and remained below 45 percent for most of the next decade. Defensive coaches apparently learned how to react to the plays that offenses were calling"

31lengths · #3 01-12-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

1. They make more kicks than they used to to actually. 2008 season was one of the highest % ever made. This is a down year. People choke.

2. "The 2-point conversion became a part of the college game in 1958, and the N.F.L. introduced it 1994. During that first season, pro teams succeeded on about 51 percent of their 2-point attempts, just as they did this season and last season, according to Stats LLC.

In 1995, though, the success rate fell to 39 percent and remained below 45 percent for most of the next decade. Defensive coaches apparently learned how to react to the plays that offenses were calling"

I also believe that if the Wildcat sticks around there will be more 2PT attempts.

ninetoone · #4 01-12-2010, 06:13 PM

Teams should go for it on fourth down and short more, especially when they're in the opponent's territory. Good risk/benefit proposition to me, but that's why I'm not a coach I guess.

As for the kickers...it's the punters that surprisingly suck to me. It's amazing how often they punt it into the end zone....I'd like to see the stats on that. Take a little bit off it! It's like they're trying to get it on the one yard line every time...isn't the 5 enough? For every 100 I see go into the end zone, it's probably 5 or less that are downed inside the ten.

Danzig · #5 01-12-2010, 06:48 PM

i'm surprised more teams don't go for more two pointers, especially when you consider some of the d's they face. cards and packers couldn't stop each other at all the other night, yet they both went right to the fg kicker for the pat. i think part of it is that no one wants to get called out for it if they go for the 2 and don't make it. everyone thinks the kick is just automatic.

brockguy · #6 01-12-2010, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randallscott35

1. They make more kicks than they used to to actually. 2008 season was one of the highest % ever made. This is a down year. People choke.

2. "The 2-point conversion became a part of the college game in 1958, and the N.F.L. introduced it 1994. During that first season, pro teams succeeded on about 51 percent of their 2-point attempts, just as they did this season and last season, according to Stats LLC.

In 1995, though, the success rate fell to 39 percent and remained below 45 percent for most of the next decade. Defensive coaches apparently learned how to react to the plays that offenses were calling"

Thanks Randall -

I was trying to come up with a way of not making kickers choke.. the best way i came up with was not allowing them on the sideline or have them in an "isolation" booth where they cant see the score or any of the play. then when they come out to kick, they have noise cancelling technology in their helmets so cant hear the crowd at all - perfect, as long as they dont look at the big screen..

otisotisotis · #7 01-12-2010, 07:01 PM

I think field goals should be outlawed. Either go for it or punt, and you should only get 1 punt per quarter. Lol! Kickers just suck and ruin the game for the real players that are busting their Ass.
And I grew up with a guy who ended up kicking in the NFL.

The Indomitable DrugS · #8 01-12-2010, 07:47 PM

I could barely make an extra point with any consistancy kicking off of a tee.

Add in factors such as the snap from center that require decent timing and Im pretty sure that talking Ameri-Trade baby would both outkick me and like call me shank-a-potomus and stuff.

In the NFL, unless you're the Bengals with that snapper, you're about 99.9% to nail the extra point. Over a large sample, I would think even the best offense probably can't convert 50% of the time, going for 2, against one of the worst defenses.

So, it's basically a numbers game. The lower the level of football - the higher the rate of successful 2 point conversions will be .. and the lower the rate of successful extra points will be.