The New York Giants had closed within eight points of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth quarter on Monday.
Given the league is a bunch of copycats, Brian Daboll decided to do what everyone else seems to be doing when faced with an eight-point deficit.
The Giants set up quickly for the play with a formation that is more often seen in college, especially by the University of Oregon.
Daniel Jones tried to throw a pass to his left where a wall of blockers were going to be set up.
The problem was Alex Highsmith blew through the Giants and blew up the play.
Call it futile.
Shades of the Colts fake punt against the Patriots in this Giants two-point conversion attempt pic.twitter.com/mezKlI3K3p
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 29, 2024
This practice, if you want to call it that, is because analytics show you are likely connect on 50% of two-point conversions. So, if you don’t make the first, you are still down eight and can try for two again if you score another touchdown.
Analytics be damned.
The logic tracks back 55 years. And it was used in a gigantic college football game in 1969.
Texas trailed Arkansas in a game between the top two college teams in the country, 14-0. In the second half the Longhorns scored to make it 14-6 — eight-point deficit — and Darrell Royal used the logic by having his Longhorns go for two.
The conversion worked. Texas trailed 14-8, scored another touchdown and Happy Feller kicked the PAT for a 15-14 victory in front of what turned out to eventually be three Presidents of the United States.
