50+ yard field goal attempts (per game, per team) and success rate are at an all-time high this season.
For the first time ever, the success rate on 50+ yard kicks is slightly higher than from 40–49 yards.
Data source: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/kicking.htm
Data viz: https://www.formulabot.com/
by No-Comfortable-9418
9 Comments
This graph is a great way to explain to youngin’s why Scott Norwood’s “wide right” wasn’t the choke that I sometimes hear nowadays. At 47 yards in 1991, that was a bit better than a coinflip field goal. Of course, the Bills seem to have a tails on both sides of the coin they flip.
wild to see 50+ fgs basically as common as 40–49 now. dudes used to hit like 30% in the 80s, now it’s 60+%. kickers just built different + better turf, and coaches actually let them try. it’s not a hail mary anymore, it’s just normal
There has been a rule change that allows teams access to the kicking balls prior to the game.
https://www.essentiallysports.com/nfl-active-news-mike-tirico-confirms-nfl-s-new-rule-change-that-allows-teams-to-bring-their-own-balls-for-field-goals-pat-mcafee/
Also interesting is the trend that there are fewer 0-29 yard field goals. Teams are getting more aggressively in the red zone.
Less 0-30 yard field goals, and more 50+ yard field goals.
Honestly this translates into more red zone activity on 4th, and field goals which are a legit celebration when made. Thats just better TV anyway you slice it.
steph curry changing the nfl now?
I really want to see a game of field goal HORSE added to the Pro Bowl Skills game this year. “Doink off the right upright from 55 yards.” “75 yards, kicking from the left out of bound lines.”
Maybe a kick for accuracy and distance competition to start with, then four semifinalists who play a HORSE bracket.
Some guy posted that his son went to a high school kicking camp. His son kicked a 58 yd FG and came in 15th in a competition. Will they have to narrow the FG bars in the future?
Could be the actuary in me, but I don’t like how the top graph has the steps and progress doesn’t show up until the decimal rounds up. I’d prefer to use the total FG values from lower on the linked source and divide by games to get the actual unrounded value.
Additionally, I wonder how much of this is that it’s early in the season and we haven’t had much, if any, wet or windy weather that would heavily impact kicking.