Raiders special teams coach says new rule doesn't change much
You can dissect the NFL's new point-after rule change a hundred different ways.
One Raiders staffer sees the shift for what it is. The NFL turned a point-blank kick into a slightly-less-than-point-blank kick, and nothing more.
“The ball is still on the 2, if you want to go for two, the conversion rate is 48 percent," explained special teams coach Brad Seely. "The kickers are going to have to prove that they can’t convert those kicks from the 15."
Seely probably won't have to tinker his coaching style much with the new rule shift. One thing he'll have to add, though, is the defense's ability to score on blocked or missed attempts.
“We were just coaching that up yesterday in the OTA for our field goal team,” Seely said. “I said they’re going to change the rules today probably and we always have it in there on a PAT in a fire situation – throw it up. Nothing bad is going to happen. Just let it go. Now you’ve got to treat those PATs like field goals."
Other than that, it's much ado about nothing -- even in bad weather situations. Seely said he'd laugh at a team that uses a longer PAT and wind, rain, or snow as an excuse.
“It cracks me up, all these teams that are in the north are saying they’re at a disadvantage, they’re not at a disadvantage," he said. "They’re playing the other team on the same field."