The K.C. Chiefs And The New League Year
By Laddie Morse
Pushing The Point-after Back
It’s been suggested that since the point-after TD is such a chip shot, and a bit of a waste of time, that it could be moved back to a distance that would make it interesting. Like to the 25, 35 or even the 45 yard line.
On one hand I’m a bit of a purest and think the game needs to remain the same. One way I have looked at “the football team” is… as a family. Which includes the weak and the strong and those who bring different talents to the dinner table. And… all these are accepted and incorporated. QBs, LBs, WRs, Guards, Long Snappers and Kickers alike.
However, the game is a changing game and it’s really very different than it was 30 years ago.
One aspect of the game I’ve never really liked is that when you go to look up who are the all-time greatest scorers in NFL history… who do you expect to see there? The greatest players in NFL History, right? Wrong. It’s a list of kickers. Only kickers. And to me… that’s wrong. And I believe we should make an official end to the “Kickers Era.”
So, what’s the answer to that problem? Dump the extra point completely? I’m not really for that. Make the extra point a lot harder to achieve? That’s a possibility. As I mentioned in the opening, some want to move the extra point back to the 25, 35 or 45 yard lines.
What if… the extra point started out on the 15, but then moved back ten yards every time a team scored another TD? Then, the strategy in a game changes and coaches will have to give greater consideration to the two point conversion, the deeper into the game you go. After all, who wants to try an extra point from the 45, which is really a 62 yard kick, instead of going for two from the two. Going for two, is always a more interesting play.
In any event, I’m in favor of some action being taken to change the “waste of time” extra point system that’s used now. Besides, in most cases, it’s just creating a top of the NFL charts “record” for players, most of whom, grew up playing soccer. Futbol… is not football. Yes, I think those guys are necessary but no, I don’t think it’s necessary to give them the most important stat in NFL history: scoring.
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