# Football: 2 Better Than 3? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847 "2012-01-08T21:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/1 "2012-01-08T21:17:15Z")
Does losing, or winning, with final score 2 sounds better than with 3 in a football game to you? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/2 "2012-01-08T21:28:53Z")
Worse. Not only is there the obvious fact that two is a lower score than three but I also feel that a safety represents a fluke scoring more than the result of good play. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/3 "2012-01-08T21:33:01Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > Does losing, or winning, with final score 2 sounds better than with 3 in a football game to you? Not really sure I understand the question. Winning sounds good no matter what the score, and losing sounds bad. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/4 "2012-01-08T21:42:58Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Winning sounds good no matter what the score, and losing sounds bad. Like the title say winning or losing is not the subject, ‘final score 2 sounds more dominant/less embarrassing than 3 to you’ is the question. If that’s not clear enough to you: 2 = safety 3 = field goal ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/5 "2012-01-08T21:47:09Z")
Depends on the other team’s score. 3-2 or even 7-2 says “fierce defensive battle between two equally matched teams, could have gone either way.” 24-2 says “Somebody got an ass whupping.” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/6 "2012-01-08T21:48:30Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Depends on the other team’s score. 3-2 or even 7-2 says “fierce defensive battle between two equally matched teams, could have gone either way.” 24-2 says “Somebody got an ass whupping.” Yep, and 24-2 also says to me “Offense never even got close to scoring.” ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/7 "2012-01-08T21:49:43Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Depends on the other team’s score. 3-2 or even 7-2 says “fierce defensive battle between two equally matched teams, could have gone either way.” 24-2 says “Somebody got an ass whupping.” 24 - 2 sounds better than 24 - 3? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/8 "2012-01-08T22:00:29Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > 24 - 2 sounds better than 24 - 3? Yeah, because that means your defense and special teams dominated the shit out of the opponent for at least one series. ETA: Personally, I think safeties should be worth 6. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/9 "2012-01-08T22:06:15Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Personally, I think safeties should be worth 6. I agree. At least more than 3 as, I think, it’s much harder to get a safety than a field goal. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/10 "2012-01-08T22:11:09Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Yeah, because that means your defense and special teams dominated the shit out of the opponent for at least one series. While having the shit dominated out of them the rest of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/11 "2012-01-08T22:17:03Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > I agree. At least more than 3 as, I think, it’s much harder to get a safety than a field goal. For me it’s simpler than that. Football + Endzone = Touchdown. > [@Colibri](#): > > While having the shit dominated out of them the rest of the game. That’s true whether it’s 24-3 or 24-2. In the latter at least you have one shining moment to hang your hat on. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/12 "2012-01-08T22:51:32Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > For me it’s simpler than that. > > Football + Endzone = Touchdown. Although if that were the rule, then I would say get rid of the whole “team that gets the safety then gets the ball.” Otherwise the strategy would become “About to get sacked in the endzone. Drop the ball, give the other team a touchdown, get the ball back.” ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/13 "2012-01-08T23:02:40Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Although if that were the rule, then I would say get rid of the whole “team that gets the safety then gets the ball.” Otherwise the strategy would become “About to get sacked in the endzone. Drop the ball, give the other team a touchdown, get the ball back.” Yes, I figured that was included in the whole “TD” thing. Treat a safety exactly like you treat a pick 6. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/14 "2012-01-08T23:09:59Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > 24 - 2 sounds better than 24 - 3? It’s a moot point. They both sound terrible. I live in the Atlanta area. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/15 "2012-01-08T23:27:30Z")
This subject, surely, came to me prompted by the Giants-Atlanta score but the question is about the sentiment of general football fans. I think 24-2 feels better, however miniscule or offensive it might sound: this team, though got blown out, was a feisty team and not just a pushover. I’m sure there are differing opinions. I shoulda made this a poll thread (and perhaps this is not the greatest time, especially for Atlanta fans…, as I have many families and friends there too.) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/16 "2012-01-08T23:35:15Z")
24-2?, 24-3? to-MAY-to, to-MAH-to. Unless a team is very bad offensively, the expected value of each possession is greater than 1.0 point. Since you gain possession of the ball on the free kick after a safety, I would rather have a safety than a field goal. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/17 "2012-01-09T00:23:57Z")
A single field goal means that at least once, someone on your team did something right. A single safety does _not_ mean that that someone on your team did something right; it means that someone on the other team screwed up. And if you just got beat by a team that’s so bad that they managed to give away a safety, what does that say about you? As an aside, I did once see a game where the other team actually managed to give away _three_ safeties, but that was only high school level. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/18 "2012-01-09T00:27:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > A single field goal means that at least once, someone on your team did something right. A single safety does _not_ mean that that someone on your team did something right; it means that someone on the other team screwed up. And if you just got beat by a team that’s so bad that they managed to give away a safety, what does that say about you? > > As an aside, I did once see a game where the other team actually managed to give away _three_ safeties, but that was only high school level. Um, no. A safety means that all 11 guys on your defense did something great with the exception of a snap over the QBs head. A FG can come from lots of things, a fumble by the opposing QB on the 20 an DB falling down on a play. There are far more fluky FGs than Safeties. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/19 "2012-01-09T00:29:42Z")
A couple good defensive play can push a team back up against the end zone, not necessarily by mistake from the other team, eg 1985 Bears. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-2-better-than-3/608847/20 "2012-01-09T11:46:34Z")
I’d just like to say that I read the thread title as “Football 2: better than 3?” and was quite perplexed as to since when sports can have sequels.