The NFL is always looking for new and intuitive ways to make their game a better one.
That also includes finding ways to make field-goal attempts even more exciting than they already are. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, the NFL will adopt a technological development that features footballs with computer chips in them. They will be deployed throughout the 2016 preseason and in Thursday night regular-season games.
John Kryk of the Toronto Sun adds that the primary objective of the chip is to determine the potential impact of shortening the distance between the goal posts. The reason for all of this is because the NFL wants to measure how close extra-point and field goal attempts come to the uprights, which could be narrowed in the future, according to Dean Blandino, the NFL’s senior vice-president of officiating.
Must Reads
"The discussion has really revolved around narrowing the uprights," Blandino said. "That would be one way to affect both the extra point and the field goal. (Success rates) have continued to climb over the years as our field-goal kickers and that whole process has become so specialized, from long snapper to holder to kicker. We’ll do some studies this year."
There's no guarantee this study will result in changes being made to the width of the uprights, but this could play a major part in determining if that happens, or if the uprights remain the same.
"We’ll see what the data tells us," Blandino said. "The committee will discuss it and then make a recommendation for 2017 if they feel that we need to go that route. But I wouldn’t know at this point, without seeing how it goes this year."
Seifert also notes that NFL kickers converted 84.5 percent of their field-goal attempts in 2015, which was the second-most successful rate in NFL history. However, even narrowing the uprights by just an inch or two could have had a dramatic effect on the Bengals and the rest of the league.
In Week 5 with the Bengals and Seahawks tied as Cincinnati got into position to win the game in overtime, Mike Nugent doinked a game-winning 42-yard field goal in and gave his team a monster win. Had the uprights been narrowed even a hair, the ball may very well have bounced out and left the two teams to continue battling in OT with Seattle having the ball in good field position.
In a game of inches, even the slightest alteration to any aspect of the game could dramatically alter the outlook of how a season plays out. At the same time, making this change would add even more excitement, uncertainty and angst to one of the game's most simple plays.
And if field-goal attempts become even more challenging than they already are, then kickers will become more valuable as contracts like Justin Tucker's new $16.8 million deal will be commonplace.
What do you think about the NFL possibly narrowing the uprights?