Dropping the PAT would affect scoring leaders

By Saleem Choudhry

A hot-button topic in the National Football League so far this offseason has been the possible elimination of the extra point. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell raised the issue during an interview on NFL Network in January and debate about the matter has seemingly intensified in the weeks since his comment.

"The extra point is almost automatic," Goodell said. "I believe we had five missed extra points this year out of 1,200 some odd (attempts). So it's a very small fraction of the play, and you want to add excitement with every play.”

Jamaal Charles would be the 2013 leading scorer under the proposed scoring change.

The Commissioner is correct in that the extra point has become “almost automatic.” NFL teams across the board converted a record 99.6 percent of all extra point tries during the 2013 season. But in essence, the PAT has always been somewhat of a given. Only once in the modern-era (1946-present) has the successful conversion percentage of the extra point dipped below 90 percent (89.7 in 1976). The efficiency of kickers, however, has steadily improved. Since the strike-shortened 1982 season, the conversion rate on a kicker’s try after a TD has never fallen below 95 percent.

One of the solutions tossed around to replace the extra point is to raise the scoring total of a touchdown from six to seven points. After a TD is scored, the offensive team would still be given the option to attempt what we now know as a two-point conversion. If the try is successful, it would result in an additional eighth point. A failed attempt would result in a reduction of one point or just six points added to the scoreboard.

If this rule was put into place, how would it impact the yearly scoring leaders and/or the all-time scoring output? New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who was the 2013 scoring champion with 158 points, would not have claimed the scoring title under the suggested scoring format. He would have finished in a tie for second place with 114 points. Under the new scoring system, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (who finished 18th in scoring) would have won the league title with his 19 touchdowns totaling an adjusted 133 points.

Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater would experience one of the biggest drops. His 150 points, which ranked second in the league and benefitted greatly from a single-season record 75 PATs, drops to only 75 adjusted points and a 34th overall ranking.

What if this proposed rules change had always been the standard for scoring? A glimpse at the all-time leading scorers shows actually only minor changes at the top. Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson remain first and second respectively on the adjusted list. One player who elevates the most is wide receiver Jerry Rice who is the game’s all-time leader in touchdowns. His 1,464 adjusted points advances him from 31st to 10th on the all-time leading scorers list.

Here is a quick look at the 2013 top scorers and the all-time leading scorers under the proposed scoring changes.

2013 Adjusted Scoring Leaders
Adjusted Rank	2013 Rank	Name	Pos.	Games	TD	PAT	FG	Pts	Adjusted Points
1	18	Charles, Jamaal (KC)	RB	16	19	0	0	114	133
2T	1	Gostkowski, Stephen (NE)	K	16	0	44	38	158	114
2T	6	Tucker, Justin (BLT)	K	16	0	26	38	140	114
4	31	Graham, Jimmy (NO)	TE	16	16	0	0	96	112
5	8	Vinatieri, Adam (IND)	K	16	0	34	35	139	105
6	3	Novak, Nick (SD)	K	16	0	42	34	144	102
7T	4	Hauschka, Steven (SEA)	K	16	0	44	33	143	99
7T	5	Crosby, Mason (GB)	K	16	0	42	33	141	99
7T	9	Carpenter, Dan (BUF)	K	16	0	32	33	131	99
7T	13	Folk, Nick (NYJ)	K	16	0	27	33	126	99
11T	34	Lynch, Marshawn (SEA)	RB	16	14	0	0	84	98
11T	34	Thomas, Demaryius (DEN)	WR	16	14	0	0	84	98
13	6	Dawson, Phil (SF)	K	16	0	44	32	140	96
14T	37	Bryant, Dez (DAL)	WR	16	13	0	0	78	91
14T	37	Moreno, Knowshon (DEN)	RB	16	13	0	0	78	91
14T	37	Davis, Vernon (SF)	TE	16	13	0	0	78	91
17T	11	Suisham, Shaun (PIT)	K	16	0	39	30	129	90
17T	12	Feely, Jay (ARZ)	K	16	0	37	30	127	90
19	40	Marshall, Brandon (CHI)	WR	16	12	0	0	76	88
20	41	Forte, Matt (CHI)	RB	16	12	0	0	74	86

All-Time Adjusted Top 40
Adjusted All-Time Rank	All-Time Rank	Name	Pos.	TD	FG	PAT	2PT	Pts	Adjusted Points
1	1	Andersen, Morten	K	0	565	849	0	2,544	1,979
2	2	Anderson, Gary	K	0	538	820	0	2,434	1,896
3	7	Blanda, George	QB-K	9	335	942	0	2,002	1,676
4	3	Hanson, Jason	K	0	495	665	0	2,150	1,655
5	4	Carney, John	K	0	478	628	0	2,062	1,584
6	5	Vinatieri, Adam	K	0	448	660	1	2,006	1,558
7	8	Elam, Jason	K	0	436	675	0	1,983	1,547
8	6	Stover, Matt	K	0	471	591	0	2,004	1,533
9	9	Kasay, John	K	0	461	587	0	1,970	1,509
10	31	Rice, Jerry	WR	208	0	0	4	1,256	1,464
11	10	Johnson, Norm	K	0	366	638	0	1,736	1,370
12	11	Akers, David	K	0	386	563	0	1,721	1,335
13	12	Lowery, Nick	K	0	383	562	0	1,711	1,328
14	13	Stenerud, Jan	K	0	373	580	0	1,699	1,326
15	14	Longwell, Ryan	K	0	361	604	0	1,687	1,326
16	15	Murray, Eddie	K	0	352	538	0	1,594	1,242
17	16	Del Greco, Al	K	0	347	543	0	1,584	1,237
18	47	Smith, Emmitt	RB	175	0	0	1	1,052	1,227
19	17	Mare, Olindo	K	0	356	487	0	1,555	1,199
20	20	Leahy, Pat	K	0	304	558	0	1,470	1,166
21	18	Janikowski, Sebastian	K	0	345	454	0	1,489	1,144
22	19	Christie, Steve	K	0	336	468	0	1,476	1,140
23	21	Turner, Jim	K	1	304	521	0	1,439	1,136
24	55	Tomlinson, LaDainian	RB	162	0	0	0	972	1,134
25	23	Bahr, Matt	K	0	300	522	0	1,422	1,122
26	30	Groza, Lou	T-K	1	234	641	0	1,349	1,116
27	22	Feely, Jay	K	1	329	444	0	1,437	1,109
28	24	Wilkins, Jeff	K	0	307	495	0	1,416	1,109
29	60	Moss, Randy	WR	157	0	0	4	950	1,107
30	27	Bakken, Jim	K	0	282	534	0	1,380	1,098
31	62	Owens, Terrell	WR	156	0	0	3	942	1,098
32	28	Cox, Fred	K	0	282	519	0	1,365	1,083
33	26	Moseley, Mark	K	0	300	482	0	1,382	1,082
34	25	Dawson, Phil	K	1	337