The NFL is by far America’s favorite sport. Yet the game
itself could be so much better.
The NFL, for the most part, has remained a high-quality
television product by pushing back on some of the things that have tripped up other
sports. Their replay system is limited and usually not time-consuming. Their use
of commercials has become smarter in recent years, as has its use of the NFL
RedZone Channel and less restrictions on local markets for television.
The game itself though? Oh, it could be so much better. A combination
of concussion-related tweaks, over-reactions to non-problems, and rejection of good ideas has caused some on-field issues.
Have no fear – I am here to help. If the NFL would institute
the following six tweaks, the sport would become an even better TV product.
Read along with me, and then tell me why I’m either a genius, or a moron.
Stop The Clock For 1st Downs Under Two Minutes
As a fan of college football, I have never understood why
the NFL doesn’t stop the clock after a first down under two minutes before
halftime or the end of the game. It’s one thing if you don’t get a first down
and get tackled in bounds, you should get punished. But why should a team get
punished for getting a first down?
It’s not like re-setting the first down chains takes all
that much time, a couple seconds max, so why not reward teams for making good
plays? It would make end of game scenarios more exciting, while not putting the
onus on refs to run like maniacs to spot the ball because the game literally
rests in their hands.
Eliminate the Extra Point
The extra point has been the most meaningless play in
football my entire life. Then the NFL somehow made it worse by making it mean
something.
Does anyone enjoy seeing a missed extra point? Does anyone
think a football game should be decided by an extra point?
Even worse, moving the kick back to the 15-yard line removed
the only interesting part of an extra point – the fake. Let’s eliminate the
extra point entirely. If the teams want the extra point, just give it to them.
If they want to go for two, they go for two.
As a bonus, I think this would increase the number of
two-point conversions even further since that one point is always there whenever they want
it. Despite my loathing of teams going for two too early in games, it’s an
interesting strategic play.
No Points for a Safety; Possession at the 20
The safety is the strangest reward in sport. You’ve played
such good defense that the other team has literally been pushed off the field of play. What do you get? Two points
and the ball on your own side of the 50. Huh? How is that suitable?
The safety is such a dumb rule that many times a team takes
a safety on purpose late in games to run out the clock. That alone should prove
how stupid it is.
Instead of the two points, give the defensive team the ball
at the opponent’s 20-yard line, likely guaranteeing them at least a field goal
and making a touchdown very likely. Now that’s a punishment!
Eliminate the Kickoff; A Real Play for an Onside
Everyone who likes the kickoff return is old. For people my
age, the kickoff return makes us think of Rocket Ismail. For people older than
me, they invoke Gale Sayers. For people younger than me, they brag about Devin
Hester.
Sadly, the kickoff return hasn’t been a serious part of
football for about a decade. It’s simply too dangerous. Do I miss it?
Sometimes. But the kickoff return we all know and love is never coming back.
So instead of everyone watching the ball sail into the
end zone, simply give the ball to the opposing team at the 20 yard line after
every touchdown and get right back to play.
Instead of the usual onside kick, let a team have one chance
to get 25 yards from their own 25-yard line. If they get it – no matter how
many yards you get – they get the ball at the 50. If they don’t get it, the
other team gets it at the 50. For teams that are down big, we could get multiple onside play attempts, and that would be so awesome.
A version of this has been proposed, and sadly rejected, in
the past. No reason to keep up the charade as the onside kick percentages fall
lower and lower every year.
The Fifth Quarter (Regular Season Overtime)
Is there a dumber overtime in sports than what the NFL does
in the regular season? They shortened it to 10 minutes, and added the “both
teams get a possession” rule, to what, improve the odds of ties? Who wants a
tie?
Most overtime games lately go nearly the full 10 minutes
anyway, since teams are trying to run out the clock to get that field goal in
with as little time remaining in case of a miss, so it would not add any undue stress on players. As a bonus, it
might encourage more teams to go for two and the win late in games. More excitement
is a good thing.
First to Six (Playoff Overtime)
Is there a dumber playoff overtime in sports than what the
NFL does? It’s sudden death, but not really. Though there’s incentive to score
a touchdown on the first drive, it becomes a contest to kick a field goal starting
with the second possession. Field goals are not exciting.
Since we’ve eliminated the safety, the only points you can
get are three for a field goal or a six for a touchdown. What’s 3 + 3? First to
six win the playoff game. If teams want to go for a field goal strategy to win,
that’s fine, but they need two of them to match one touchdown.
Imagine the scene of a playoff game when a team in a tie
game in overtime has a 4th and short in the red zone. Go for the win? Go the
field goal to get closer to a win?
More strategy equals more fun and more possessions. That’s
all I want from the NFL.
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