Between dips in the pool and walks on the beach in Miami, Broncos kicker Brandon McManus caught a few football games on TV during his team’s bye week. He was surprised, as were many viewers, with the NFL-high 12 missed extra-point attempts last Sunday.
Before the 2015 season, the NFL implemented a rule to move the ball from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line on PAT attempts — changing a 20-yard extra point to a 33-yard extra point. The conversion rates are still high, but they’re no longer automatic and the unpredictable sequence is affecting games for better or worse.
“I knew what this rule change would mean at the end of the season when the weather gets more difficult, outdoor stadiums, temperature drops,” McManus said. “I never imagined that we would see 12 missed extra points, but itap definitely brought the excitement that I think they wanted with the new rule.”
The 12 missed extra points last Sunday were four more than were missed in all of 2014, the last season before the rule change. There also were six missed extra points in Week 10.
It isn’t simply a matter of separating the good kickers from the bad ones. Blair Walsh, a former all-pro kicker, was released by the Minnesota Vikings after his struggles in last season’s playoffs lingered into this season (12-of-16 on field goals, 15-of-19 on extra points). Thirty-six kickers have attempted an extra point this season. Twenty-seven, including McManus, having missed at least one.
Last season, three-time all-pro kicker Adam Vinatieri had a better field-goal percentage than extra-point percentage. Four kickers have better field-goal percentages than extra-point percentages this season, including the Seattle Seahawks’ Steven Hauschka for the second consecutive year.
Kickers are 706-for-754 on extra points through Week 11 — 93.6 percent, a relatively high number on first sight but the lowest in NFL history.
“I don’t think any of us like it,” McManus said. “Based off the results, itap definitely going to be a full-time thing because teams are winning and losing based off the missed kicks. We have to just deal with what we’re given. I personally am so against it.”
Field-goal conversions have remained 84 to 85 percent over the last three seasons, a testament to the strength of kickers in this era. McManus, one of the best in the NFL in accuracy and distance, has followed a strong 2015 season (30-of-35 on field goals) with another good 2016 season (21-of-24).
McManus has missed only one field-goal attempt from less than 40 yards in his career; none since his rookie season. NFL kickers are 44-for-45 on field-goal attempts from 32 or 33 yards this season, the length of an extra point.
So whatap the core issue with missing extra points?
“The difference is when you have a long play, defensive touchdown or a special-teams touchdown. You’re sitting on the bench, then you have to run and get your helmet before calming your heart down to make sure everything is smooth,” McManus said. “Thatap the most difficult thing to me. Itap a change in the thought process now.”
The extra-point dilemma is causing the Broncos and other cold-weather teams to contemplate going for two points after a touchdown more often.
“As coaches, if you show up on game day and you’re playing in a 20 to 25 mile per hour wind, you have to think about the extra point. You literally have to,” said Broncos coach Gary Kubiak. “Some of the coaches I talked to, they played in some really windy conditions. It was a big factor.”
Two-point conversions are still attempted from the 2-yard line, creating a pass or run option. Teams are 36-for-67 on two-point conversion attempts (53.7 percent).
Field-goal and extra-point success rates in the NFL over the last five seasons, compared with what the Broncos have done:
| Year | NFL extra point % | NFL field goal % | Broncos extra point % | Broncos field goal % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016* | 93.6% | 84.1% | 95.7% | 87.5% |
| 2015 | 94.2% | 84.5% | 97.2% | 85.7% |
| 2014 | 99.3% | 84% | 100% | 82.8% |
| 2013 | 99.6% | 86.5% | 100% | 96.2% |
| 2012 | 99.5% | 83.9% | 100% | 81.3% |
*Through Week 11
Cameron Wolfe, The Denver Post
