It seems to me that as long as NFL team’s are required to play meaningless exhibition practice games, the teams ought to try to get something useful out of them. Toward that end, they all ought to forgo trying the one-point PAT and just go for two points. Practicing a live play from scrimmage “from deep in the red zone” would benefit both the offense and defense, wouldn’t it, as opposed to a simple place kick, which teams make 98% of the time anyway? What do all you football experts think?
But it also increases the chance of injury to one of your skill players.
I can - maybe - see that with the all pro 1st stringers, but not with the 2nd stringers and players below that trying to make the team. I don’t see how that play is inherently much more dangerous than any other play.
No, it may not be inherently more dangerous than a regular offensive play (though unscientifically, it seems to me that guys are hit harder on goalline plays), but it’s unquestionably more dangerous than a PAT because skill players are not even on the field during a PAT.
And while you can run it with backups or guys you’re going to cut anyway, then what’s the use if nobody who’s going to be in that play during the regular season benefits from the experience?
The kicking team needs practice, too.
The same argument could be used to keep your skill players off the field for the entire exhibition game.
Personally, I think that two-point conversions are underutilized, anyway. There are situations where it’s the mathematically optimal play, and yet the coaches are too much in a groove to notice it, and call for a kick out of force of habit.
greg easterman writes about this a lot. pro coaches, if they can’t win, want to at least lose close. kind of job security, don’t yaknow.
his whole point being that you don’t want to give the pundits a chance to jump on your back. go for a two and succeed and you are hero, fail and they want to run your rear out the next morning. crud if you are making millions a year, who cares whether your team wins or loses. just hold onto your job.
Which they pretty much do anyway.
let the biggest guy on the team try to drop kick the PAT. That would give the fans something to bet on that would be mildly interesting.
I think you mean Gregg Easterbrook who writes the Tuesday Morning Quarterback column for espn.com.
Isn’t there some measure of utility in practicing your PATs in a game situation, too? Obviously teams should expect to make them all over the course of a year, but why not get a little practice in for the snapper and holder?
Coaches might also not want to give away all their two point plays in exhibition games.
I think part of it is that coaches don’t want to give away too much information in preseason. Going for 2 is something you’re only going to do in a really tight game, and you don’t want the other team(s) to see what you might do in that situation in a game that doesn’t matter. Same reason you don’t see many gimmick plays in preseason–fake punts, end around, flea flicker etc…
20+ years ago, the Minnesota Vikings tried about 4 onside kicks in a preseason game. I think the opening kickoff and the next however many were onside kicks. Rather comical after a while.
Case in point, the Pats/Colts game a couple of seasons ago, when Bill Belichick had the Pats go for it on 4th down. I don’t want to open up the debate again, but for my money there is no question it was the right call to make – the Pats failed to make an easy conversion, and Belichick lost a ton of credibility. The idea that it was a ball call to make was, and still is, utterly laughable, but all people remember is the end result.
In last week’s games the Rams had a 4th and short inside the Patriot’s 10 yard line. It was the middle of the game and the Rams were ahead. In any regular season game, the coach would call for a field goal. Instead, the Rams did a short sideline pitch, got the first down and got a touchdown.
Remember, long snap center, place holder, and place kicker are also skill positions.
All the practice in the world can’t replace the experience of an actual live game play. Special Teams are often crucial to the success of a team’s season. So, they get to play preseason.
Also, how best to analyze a rookie long snap center, or a traded guard or two, or an aging but still maybe worth it place kicker except by seeing them actually play in a live game against another team?
Also, bear in mind that a team will often carry an extra kicker to keep down the wear and tear on a veteran kicker in preseason. You need to get that guy out there to see if there is any value to your backup kicker to see if he is worth a practice squad spot or to bring back in case of injury. If you are not going to keep him, you can let him showcase for other teams that may be shopping. So, there is other value in letting the guy kick a few in a real game situation.
Well, not really. I mean, every position requires skill, no doubt, but the nominal “skill players” are generally considered to include QB, RB, WR, and perhaps TE.
It also seems to me that, while real game experience is good for anyone, there’s a lot less difference between a game and practice for a kicker than there is for the guys who’d be making touchdowns/two-pointers.