When the NFL decided to move the extra point back for the 2015 season, the idea was to add some excitement to one of the most boring plays in football.
After only one week of the preseason, two things have become clear: 1. The extra point is still boring. 2. Although it's boring, it's still slightly more exciting than it used to be -- just ask Titans and Eagles fans about that.
Through 17 preseason games, NFL kickers have connected on 55 out of 57 extra point attempts from the new 33-yard distance. The 96.5 percent conversion rate might sound high, but it's almost three percent lower than what kickers did last year.
During the 2014 season, NFL kickers hit 99.3 percent of their extra point attempts. In 2013, they connected on 99.5 percent.
The two preseason misses over the weekend came from Titans kicker Ryan Succop and Eagles kicker Cody Parkey. Interestingly enough, neither kicker has ever missed a regular season extra point in their career, going a combined 241 of 241.
Succop's kick came in the second quarter of Tennessee's 31-24 loss to Atlanta. The Titans kicker lined up on the left hash and missed right.
Parkey's kick came in the first quarter of Philadelphia's 36-10 win over Indy. The Eagles kicker lined up in the middle of the field and also missed right.
The big question is: Will the new extra point rule lead to more two-point conversion attempts?
It's impossible to say right now because coaches are generally more open to taking risks during the preseason. However, for what it's worth, there have been 12 two-point attempts in 17 preseason games (.71 per game) compared to 59 attempts during the entire 2014 regular season (.23 per game).
It will be even more interesting to see what coaches do in bad weather, which hasn't been a problem during the preseason. A 96.5 percent kick in good weather might drop to 85 or 90 percent during a winter game at Lambeau Field or outdoors in Minnesota.
