Even though the distance for two-point conversions didn’t change this week, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he think we’ll see more of them.
With extra points moved back to the 15, the kicks aren’t that much more difficult, but Harbaugh said there will still be a difference.
“It is going to encourage more two-point conversion tries,” he said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “There’s no question about it, especially in windy stadiums. Maybe later in the year when it means the most will probably see the most attempts.
“I know one thing, we’re going to spend more time defending two-point conversions and practicing two-point conversions because it’s going to be a bigger part of the game.”
Harbaugh’s a former special teams coach, so it figures that he’s going to have a different perspective on any changes in the kicking game. And he said he needs time to study the possibilities.
“I’m really interested in finding out more of the specifics — penalties, what if we jump offsides, what if they jump offsides,” Harbaugh said. “I can’t wait to see the details.”
Coaches are creatures of habit, so even the small act of shaking up their practice routines is notable. And if the weather encourages more coaches to abandon what is still a safe point for the chance at an extra one, then the league will have gotten the bump it was looking for.