Taking the extra point vs going for two

[HAMMER]

Several times this season DJ has kicked the extra point when I feel he should be going for two. I know there is a chart, but to me common sense says you try to make it a 7 point game vs a 6 point game.

[Mr. Pink]

Um, that TD put us up 9.

16-7

[Typ0]

Um, that TD put us up 9.

16-7

in hammer land 16 - 7 = 6 apparently.

[OpIv37]

Well, if 1 gives you a six point lead and 2 gives you a 7 point lead, that means that 0 gives you a 5 point lead.

I think the reason they go for 1 when it's a 5 point lead before the XP is because if they don't get it, two FG's can win the game. If they get the one, then two FG's can only tie it and a TD is needed to win.

Plus, if it's late in the game and one team is up by 5 and the other team scores, that puts them up 1 before the XP. If the team goes for 1, a FG still beats them. If they go for 2, then a FG can only tie. If the first team is up by 6 rather than 5 before giving up a TD, then they can still come back to win with a field goal.

Long story short, being up by 5 is not an advantageous position because of the way scoring is done in football, and taking 1 is a higher percentage play than trying to get 2.

[Lexwhat]

He meant 10 points instead of 9...

Trust me Hammer, I thought EXACTLY the same thing. I was screaming at the TV that they should go for 2 (I also screamed when they didn't go for it on 4th and goal in the 1st quarter).

They were smart earlier this year (I think against the Rams) when they went for the 2 pointer instead of the extra point. But for some reason, they didn't do that yesterday.

[billsfanone]

You miss the 2pt to go up by 5, then 2 fgs you lose.

[Mr. Pink]

So you chase the points on the chance to go up 10?

When we showed earlier in the game we couldn't punch it in from that distance on 3 straight tries?

Then we miss that 2 point conversion and only stay up 8!

Going up 9 is more important than being up 8....two possession game.

[psubills62]

I think Jauron will always go for 1 if a) there's enough time for the opponents to get two FG's, or b) if we're down but still have time to come back. Yes, it's nice to see 10 point leads and 7 point leads versus 9 and 6, but they can come back to haunt you.

[Pinkerton Security]

ya some calls Jauron makes we can argue with, but with all that Ivy league education in our coaching staff, I'll leave it to them to determine what is statistically the play to make as far as XP's and 2 pt. conversions go.

[Lexwhat]

Well, if 1 gives you a six point lead and 2 gives you a 7 point lead, that means that 0 gives you a 5 point lead.

We were up 15 to 7 before the extra point. I would've gone for 2. Did you remember earlier this year when we went for 2 against the Rams? It was a great decision. We need to be aggressive on the road.

If you remember, the Dolphins had a penalty on that extra point attempt too. Instead of tacking those 5 yards to the end of the kickoff, we could've accepted that penalty differently (half the distance to the goal) and went for the 2 point conversion from the 1 yard line.

If they didn't like the 2 point conversion from the 2 yard line, then why didn't they try again from the 1 yard line? Makes no damn sense to me.

[Typ0]

We were up 15 to 7 before the extra point. I would've gone for 2. Did you remember earlier this year when we went for 2 against the Rams? It was a great decision. We need to be aggressive on the road.

If you remember, the Dolphins had a penalty on that extra point attempt too. Instead of tacking those 5 yards to the end of the kickoff, we could've accepted that penalty differently (half the distance to the goal) and went for the 2 point conversion from the 1 yard line.

If they didn't like the 2 point conversion from the 2 yard line, then why didn't they try again from the 1 yard line? Makes no damn sense to me.

so you could gurantee it's a two possession game and you would risk leaving it where one possession could tie it up. That's not too smart IMO.

[Lexwhat]

So you chase the points on the chance to go up 10?

When we showed earlier in the game we couldn't punch it in from that distance on 3 straight tries?

This is incorrect. It was only 1 attempt from the 1 yard line, and Fred Jackson ran it that time.

1st and Goal from the 5 yard line: Jackson gains 1 yard.
2nd and Goal from the 4 yard line: Jackson gains 3 yards.
3rd and Goal from the 1 yard line: Jackson gains 0 yards.
4th and Goal: Field goal.


I would've run Marshawn Lynch. Hell, even Corey Mcintyre !!

[OpIv37]

We were up 15 to 7 before the extra point. I would've gone for 2. Did you remember earlier this year when we went for 2 against the Rams? It was a great decision. We need to be aggressive on the road.

If you remember, the Dolphins had a penalty on that extra point attempt too. Instead of tacking those 5 yards to the end of the kickoff, we could've accepted that penalty differently (half the distance to the goal) and went for the 2 point conversion from the 1 yard line.

If they didn't like the 2 point conversion from the 2 yard line, then why didn't they try again from the 1 yard line? Makes no damn sense to me.

I see your point, but I'm sure the coaches didn't want to take points off the board after the XP already went through. Still, at that stage of the game, you have to go for it. Even if you fail, it would still take a touchdown and a 2-point just to tie.

[Lexwhat]

so you could gurantee it's a two possession game and you would risk leaving it where one possession could tie it up. That's not too smart IMO.

It depends on who the opponent is and what the situation is.

The Bills were actually running the ball effectively against the Dolphins. If we accepted that penalty differently on Miami, we would have gotten the extra point attempt at the 1 yard line.

Our O-Line is so big, and I think we could have gotten a push against the Dolphins D-Line. Put in a tough runner like Lynch or McIntyre, and I think we could have gotten 1 yard.

[Lexwhat]

I see your point, but I'm sure the coaches didn't want to take points off the board after the XP already went through. Still, at that stage of the game, you have to go for it. Even if you fail, it would still take a touchdown and a 2-point just to tie.

When the game started, I was fully prepared to see the Bills lose. It's a tough divisional road game, and Miami is coached very well (better than the Jets). The Dolphins are a young, motivated, and hungry team that believes in each other. Meanwhile, the Jets have a bunch of overpaid vets, and I don't think Mangini has developed good team chemistry. I think we win easily next weekend.

So anyways, when I watched the game, I knew we had to be aggressive to beat the Dolphins. The way we beat the Raiders is the same way the Dolphins beat us. The Dolphins stay calm and are capable of getting back into the game. That's the reason I wanted to go for it on 4th and 1 in the 1st quarter, and also for that 2 pointer.

[Forward_Lateral]

What? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You ALWAYS kick the extra point when it guarantees you are up by 2 scores. No coach anywhere would go for 2 when they are already up by 8, it's ******ed.

[RockStar36]

I'm with HAMMER on this one.

Nobody seems to go for 2 anymore when it makes perfect sense. I've seen it multiple times throughout the league and a few times with the Bills. They should've gone for 2 to make it 17-7 when they had the chance.

[DBrown77]

never chase the points unless you have to.

[madness]

It's pointless to argue. Our ass got handed to us either way.

[Ingtar33]

leading by 8 = 1 score lead
leading by 9 = 2 score lead
leading by 10 = 2 score lead

as a result, if you score a TD, and are leading by 8, you KICK the extra point, you don't go for 2.

[Coach Sal]

What? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You ALWAYS kick the extra point when it guarantees you are up by 2 scores. No coach anywhere would go for 2 when they are already up by 8, it's ******ed.

Absolutely correct.

Show me a coach ANYWHERE tht would go for two there and I'll show you a coach who isn't employed very long.

I'm sure glad many of you are not making decisions on the Bills sidelines on Sundays. Wow.

[Typ0]

It depends on who the opponent is and what the situation is.

The Bills were actually running the ball effectively against the Dolphins. If we accepted that penalty differently on Miami, we would have gotten the extra point attempt at the 1 yard line.

Our O-Line is so big, and I think we could have gotten a push against the Dolphins D-Line. Put in a tough runner like Lynch or McIntyre, and I think we could have gotten 1 yard.


it does not depend on who the opponent is. as was previously stated, not making it a two score game is quite silly.

[TheBrownBear]

What? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You ALWAYS kick the extra point when it guarantees you are up by 2 scores. No coach anywhere would go for 2 when they are already up by 8, it's ******ed.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. I can't believe there are actually people here that would even consider going for two in that situation. Even a moran knows to kick the extra point there.

[ParanoidAndroid]

So much can happen during the course of a game that it is always practical to take the one until it becomes absolutely necessary late in the game. There are several ways that a team can lose in regulation by one point if a coach decides to go for 2 at the end of a half or 3rd quarter and fails.

[BlackMetalNinja]

You do not go for 2 until you have to go for 2. Pretty common mantra for coaches, especially NFL coaches.

[Mr. Pink]

Judging by this thread I wanna throw my name in the hat for next Buffalo Bills coach when Dick is done.

I vow to NEVER punt. I will design every series to contain 4 plays to pick up 10 yards. I don't care where I am on the field but I'm not punting, ever.

I vow to NEVER kick fieldgoals, unless I need one to tie or win the game at the end of regulation.

I vow to NEVER kick XPs either. I mean if my players can't get two yards we only deserve 6 points.

I will carry only a punter on my roster, he can kick field goals if necessary - in my end game scenario and kick off. That means I will sign some big fat guy who takes 5 guys to tackle him, that way I never ever don't get those 2 point conversions or get stuffed on 4th and short.

Who would be interested in me as a head coach?

[HAMMER]

My example from Sundays game was a bad one, I just edited it, some of you know what I am getting at. There have been at least two cases this year where the extra point only puts us up by 6. Why would you not go for two in that instance? Jauron has done it twice this year, we have won both games but why not go for two and ensure a TD and an extra point doesn't beat you?

[Typ0]

My example from Sundays game was a bad one, I just edited it, some of you know what I am getting at. There have been at least two cases this year where the extra point only puts us up by 6. Why would you not go for two in that instance? Jauron has done it twice this year, we have won both games but why not go for two and ensure a TD and an extra point doesn't beat you?

Because there is a lot of time left on the clock and infinate possibilities where you will need a point more than two points. Think of it this way...you have a 50/50 shot at getting two and 99.9% shot at getting the one. You score 35 tds a year. Which choice renders more points?

Going for 2: 6 * 35 + 17.5 = 227.5

Going for 1: 6 * 35 + 34.5 = 244.5

I hope you can see what I did there without too much difficluty. Now, consider these observations are in the exact situation you are talking about over and over. You score more points overall by going for one. You go for one unless 2 points are absolutely needed near the end of the game when there isn't going to be much more scoring.