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Lamar Jackson’s failed two-point conversion in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers was in keeping with a current NFL trend. Photograph: Gene J Puskar/AP
The Baltimore Ravens were hardly having the best of days, but they’d successfully negotiated a last-ditch journey Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers by driving 69 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. The Steelers suddenly led by just 18-16 with 66 seconds left.
No doubt the Ravens would try a two-point conversion to tie the score and send the game into overtime. But the Steelers, expecting a Tim Tebow-like pop pass, called time out as quarterback Lamar Jackson got ready to take the snap. So the Ravens called another play.
The NFL would describe the play as “pass failed”, but Jackson took the snap and rolled to his left, something we know he is good at. But Pittsburgh also knew that and quickly sealed off Jackson’s paths – and his receivers. His desperation jump-ball pass tumbled to the turf.
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“It was a QB run,” Jackson said later. “They just stopped it. They did a good job.”
But it was not unusual. NFL defenses are doing a stunningly good job at thwarting two-point conversions this season. Through 11 weeks, NFL offenses have converted merely 26 of 83 two-point attempts, or 31.3%, compared with 70 of 127, or 55.1%, in all of last season.
Over the weekend, NFL teams made merely two of nine two-point conversions: a pass by the Cleveland Browns in a 35-14 loss to New Orleans, and a pass by Washington in a 26-18 loss to Philadelphia that ended with a magnificent tip-toe catch by tight end Zach Ertz.
Other than the fact that defenses are more prepared than ever (although that can also be said of offenses), there are no real explanations for the sudden dip in the two-point conversion rate. On Jackson’s attempt, Pittsburgh cornerback Joey Porter Jr simply made a superb play by forcing Jackson to roll to the sideline,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-offenses-struggling-two-point-093033596.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2024-11-20 09:30:00
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