Big Ben wants to go for 2 pts every time. (2 Viewers)

[Godsbrother]

Ben Roethlisberger on going for two points after every TD: 'Why not?'

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are going for two ... and two ... and two.

Until the season is over.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told reporters before the start of Tuesday's minicamp that he wants the Steelers' offense to attempt a 2-point conversion after every touchdown in 2016.

"Why not?" Roethlisberger said. "Put it in our hands. I want the ball. Any player would relish that opportunity."

In 2015, the Steelers led the league in 2-point attempts (11) and scores (eight), a 72.7 percent success rate. They probably would have attempted more had Roethlisberger not missed four games because of injury. The league saw a slight spike in 2-point tries last season after moving the extra-point attempt to the 15-yard line.

According to Roethlisberger, coach Mike Tomlin brought up the no-kick approach last year. The way Roethlisberger sees it, even if the offense converts one of two tries, that's as good as two successful kicks.

The night before each game, Pittsburgh's offense picks its seven favorite plays from the 2-yard line, where 2-point plays take place. Every practice starts with "seven shots," pitting offense vs. defense at the 2-yard line.

"When we get into that situation, we feel extremely confident," Roethlisberger said.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/16203896/pittsburgh-steelers-quarterback-ben-roethlisberger-wants-team-attempt-2-point-conversion-every-touchdown

 Could be the new trend in the NFL...

 

[Grahamburn]

Smart. Especially when you have a potent offense and consider their kicker struggles last season. 

 

[Shutout]

I support the theory of it but I think it might be a good recipe to get some players jacked up and be hard to defend (the team defending the situation that leads to a player getting hurt). Those are the classic "bang-bang" plays for the most part with a lot of defenders in a compact area.  Seems like a good recipe for players to take serious hits.  Would hate to lose a Gronk or Brown or Julio for extended time on a play that put you up 22-03 on Tennessee or something. 

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I support the theory of it but I think it might be a good recipe to get some players jacked up and be hard to defend (the team defending the situation that leads to a player getting hurt). Those are the classic "bang-bang" plays for the most part with a lot of defenders in a compact area.  Seems like a good recipe for players to take serious hits.  Would hate to lose a Gronk or Brown or Julio for extended time on a play that put you up 22-03 on Tennessee or something. 

The most common counterpoints I hear to the question of going for 2 every time are that (a) it would require crafting a whole new section of the playbook and (b) coaches are too paranoid about losing their jobs to step that far outside the box.

But up in Foxborough, they have a HC who's the most intelligent in the league and has the greatest job security in the league. So you have to ask yourself, if that guy hasn't attempted a single two-point conversion since the rule change despite the analytics being unanimous that it's a plus move ... why not?

I think the above may be a big part of the answer to that question.

 

[Shutout]

The most common counterpoints I hear to the question of going for 2 every time are that (a) it would require crafting a whole new section of the playbook and (b) coaches are too paranoid about losing their jobs to step that far outside the box.

But up in Foxborough, they have a HC who's the most intelligent in the league and has the greatest job security in the league. So you have to ask yourself, if that guy hasn't attempted a single two-point conversion since the rule change despite the analytics being unanimous that it's a plus move ... why not?

I think the above may be a big part of the answer to that question.

Yeah and New England is one of those teams that saw first hand how costly it can be having a player in for a "routine" after-touchdown play that is really not worth much in the grand scheme of things.

In Pittsburgh I think it is even more risky because if the Steelers go for it all the time, people are going to know to prepare for it, giving them some readiness for it and they know Big Ben is mobile enough to run it in so I would guess that most defenses would scheme to force the play to be extremely quick and, as a result, would bring pressure on the QB almost all the time. That, to me, is setting things up for Big Ben to take unnecessary hits right as he releases, people diving low in the knee range, etc.  Seems like something I wouldn't want to do with an aging starting QB that is so important to the team when it is not necessary.  

 

[LittlePhatty]

That's fine, as long as he asks the end zone for consent each time. 

 

[travdogg]

I think it'd be wise. The stats back it up, as teams convert over 50% of the time, the Steelers were well over that last year. It would  also help put much more pressure on opposing offenses. 

 

[Cold Dead Hands]

On board.

 

[spider321]

Gonna be tough without Le'Veon.

 

[Marauder]

I think it'd be wise. The stats back it up, as teams convert over 50% of the time, the Steelers were well over that last year. It would  also help put much more pressure on opposing offenses. 

Yeah, but I'm not sure how well those conversion stats would hold up if their opponents knew they were going for it all the time.   Especially late in the year when they have a lot of film on you and know what plays you like to run in that situation.

 

[Ilov80s]

I am guessing almost every QB, RB, WR, TE and offensive linemen in the league would say they want to go for 2 every time. 

 

[Ilov80s]

Gonna be tough without Le'Veon.

DeAngelo isn't your average back-up RB. Fantasy wise, if you look at the games Williams started in (and remove the last game of the year when he was hurt early), he was on a full season pace of 1955 yards and 19.5 TDs. Like Bell the year before, that is super elite production. 

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Smart. Especially when you have a potent offense and consider their kicker struggles last season. 

The Boz was 32/32 on extra points last season and 37/41 on FG's.

 

[cr8f]

NFL on Sirius said they scored on 8 of 11, if true it makes sense to go on most. Kicks aren't automatic anymore.

 

[Faust]

Mike McCarthy: 'Zero issue' with Packers going for 2