Falcons kicker Matt Bryant doesn’t have to worry about weather during home games played in a dome, which shouldn’t make the change in extra points too much of an issue for him in 2015.
Bryant said moving the line of scrimmage back to the 15-yard line isn’t a “big deal” to him, but he does think it has the potential to be a big deal for kickers who do their work outdoors in cold-weather stadiums. Bryant said he thinks the rule change “can make things interesting” in places like Buffalo, Chicago and Cleveland because of the impact that the elements could have on big kicks that we’ve taken for granted.
“A 33-yarder, it’s not the hardest kick in the world. It’s not a gimme, either,” Bryant said, via ESPN.com. “You’re talking about possibly having to tie a game and it’s 34-33 and you’ve got to kick it to tie it and possibly go into overtime. That will make things interesting for those teams. How bad would that to be to miss the playoffs because of a 33-yard extra point? It will make things interesting for those teams up there, I would say.”
Giants kicker Josh Brown shares some of Bryant’s thoughts and said he thinks it will add value to kickers who prove themselves reliable in the elements. That may be true, although it seems at least as likely that kickers with a high percentage of makes will continue to draw less attention than those who miss in big spots.