Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Vermeil’s Eagles at Coryell’s Chargers in Week #13, 1980, is a fine example to start things. Birds rallied from a 19-0 halftime deficit. With well over 2 minutes left in regulation, Jaws connects with Montgomery in the endzone to make it 22-20 before having no choice but to kick the PAT. Had the 2-pt-conversion only existed.

What other examples of NFL games that would have had much more end-of-game suspense in such an event?

And why DID the league have to take so long to adopt it?

74_75_78_79_ wrote: And why DID the league have to take so long to adopt it?

Because it was a COLLEGE rule and the PROS were better than the colleges.

I wish it had never been adopted. AFAIC, it's totally stupid.

rhickok1109 wrote:I wish it had never been adopted. AFAIC, it's totally stupid.

Well, the Falcons certainly wish it was never adopted.

Matt, sorry to hijack your thread... but what does everyone think of the defensive 2 point conversion that was implemented recently? I'm on the fence.

ChrisBabcock wrote:Matt, sorry to hijack your thread... but what does everyone think of the defensive 2 point conversion that was implemented recently? I'm on the fence.

I have no problem with it.

John Grasso wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote: And why DID the league have to take so long to adopt it?

Because it was a COLLEGE rule and the PROS were better than the colleges.

It was easier for the coaches without the two-point conversion. With it, they had to make more decisions. I read somewhere (don't recall where) that the NFL (coaches in particular) didn't want the college and AFL two-point conversion because it was simpler without it.

rhickok1109 wrote:I wish it had never been adopted. AFAIC, it's totally stupid.

Agreed, at least for the NFL. It was -and I still view it as- an amateur football rule.

Sort of like how youth and middle school football has the kick worth 2pts and run/pass worth 1. Or like the Kansas Tiebreaker and pigtail playoff games. All stuff that's OK for youth, HS and college but never struck me as "professional".

Seemed weird to me when the NFL added the 2-pt. Almost gimmicky, though obviously it existed in football but didn't feel right to be at the NFL level. Still seems amateurish to see it in NFL games even after all these years and despite the fact that roughly 2/3rds of my lifetime to date there has been two-point conversions in the NFL.

As for defensive 2-point. Never liked it in college. Hated it when the NFL added it. Still think it's stupid. Completely asinine to have a reward -or even have the possibility of a reward- for a team giving up a TD.

SixtiesFan wrote:

John Grasso wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote: And why DID the league have to take so long to adopt it?

Because it was a COLLEGE rule and the PROS were better than the colleges.

It was easier for the coaches without the two-point conversion. With it, they had to make more decisions. I read somewhere (don't recall where) that the NFL (coaches in particular) didn't want the college and AFL two-point conversion because it was simpler without it.

No doubt the coaches would want it gone. Why work when you don't have to? I am not interested in sports in order to make coaches happy or their lives easier.

The extra point in toto has been an artificial deal since it first existed. There is no purity to it, never was. It was simply there to break ties. Almost akin to a shootout. Shootouts are artificial, and I don't want them in NFL football.

So no college overtime for me. Play actual football, with kickoffs and punts. The two point conversion is more like actual football, with running and passing and stuff. Which is better. Intercepting and running the ball back are also more like football plays than blowing the whistle once the defense has the ball. That was always wrong to me anyway, what if the defense fumbles? Well if they can fumble, they can advance the ball too, and should be rewarded if they make it all the way to the goal. Again, this is an actual football play, why do I not want to see it completed?

Another improvement was moving the 1 point kick back. So they are missed and it requires some skill for kickers of NFL caliber. All of the changes made have been improvements on what was always an artificial element of the game.

I totally agree with Jay Z.