The NFL is one of the toughest sports in the world. But even the best NFL teams can make mistakes, and one of the most common mistakes is missing an extra point. I was watching the game between the Patriots and the Cowboys recently, and I could not believe what happened.
The Cowboys had just scored a touchdown and were about to kick the extra point. The stadium was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. But when the ball hit the ground, they missed the extra point. I was in shock- something that should have been a sure thing just got blown away.
It turns out that this kind of thing happens more often than you might think. In the 2017 season, the NFL teams missed a combined total of 63 extra points, which is around 1.5% of the attempts. That may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that the average score in an NFL game is 18 points, and an extra point gives you a big advantage, it’s easy to see why teams try so hard to make them.
Even the best kickers can miss an extra point sometimes. Some of the worst offenders include the Lions, who have missed six extra points in the last season, and the Texans, who have missed four out of five attempts. Then there’s the Eagles, who missed an incredible eight extra points in the 2017 season. And who can forget the Raiders, who have missed every single extra point attempt they’ve ever made.
But even the best kickers miss sometimes. The Cowboys kicker, Dan Bailey, is one of the best in the league, and even he has missed his share of attempts, with three in the last season. Other top kickers, like Adam Vinatieri of the Colts and Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots have had their misses as well.
So extra point misses happen from time to time, even for the best kickers in the league. Teams may be more careful when it comes to deciding to go for an extra point or a two-point conversion, so that they can avoid the occasional mistake. But they will always be sure to put their best kickers out on the field, just so they can make sure they don’t miss any more of them.
There’s also the possibility of using a three-point kicker, or a special teams kicker who is more accurate and can regularly make longer field goals. This might be a better option for teams that are struggling with extra point attempts, although it might be a more expensive option for some.
I think it’s important for NFL teams to realize that even the best kickers can miss an extra point. They need to be careful when deciding when to go for one, and make sure that they use the best kickers they have available. After all, it only takes one missed extra point to make the difference between a win and a loss.