NFL Sets New Record for Missed PATs in Single Week

The NFL’s decision to reposition the point after attempt continues to play havoc with the strategy of coaches and comfort level of their kickers. This past week, the league as a whole set a new standard for special teams ineptitude, with kickers missing an NFL-record 12 PATs.

The misses came from – in no order of shankitude – Ted Nugent (twice), Robbie Gould (twice), Kai Forbath, Matt Prater, Connor Barth, Jason Myers, Cody Parkey, Stephen Gostkowski, Steven Hauschka and Dustin Hopkins.

For some teams, the results were disastrous. Had Nugent made just one of his two shanks, the Bengals would have been in position to attempt a field goal to force the game into overtime, instead of throwing up a hail mary that was swatted harmlessly to the ground on the game’s final play. They lost 16-12.

Other teams, like the Redskins, preferred to bypass the danger entirely. In horrendously windy conditions in the nation’s capital, Washington opted to go for two – even when the game’s scoreline didn’t call for it – instead of risk a wasted scoring opportunity with a low-percentage 33-yarder. They won 42-24.

Notably, much of the country experienced weather anomalies last Sunday. The east coast was battered with cold and wind, including some light snow in Cleveland, while chunks of the west coast received a much-needed downpour during the late afternoon games.

Still, with Christmas on the horizon, more and more kickers will be subjected to such unfriendly conditions. In the race to the playoffs, having a kicker miss a PAT in the wind and rain is no less forgivable than a wideout dropping a catch or a defender missing a tackle.

The new “benchmark” comes just one week after teams set a season-high record of six misses; a mark that was obliterated in week 11. The last season to feature extra points being snapped at the two-yard line – 2014 – saw only eight misses all season.

For better or worse, the change is here to stay. It might not make the play more exciting, but it certainly makes the rest of the game more interesting. And for that reason, we won’t be returning to the status quo anytime soon.