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With the NFL approving changes to extra points on Tuesday, the point after attempt will be more difficult than ever before in 2015, at least for kickers. Two-point conversions are unchanged outside of defenses being able to return turnovers for two points, but extra points have been moved back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line. As a result, instead of kicking a 20-yarder after a touchdown, kickers will be kicking from 33 yards out on extra points.
Given that the difficulty level has gone up and there is now increased pressure to successfully convert extra points, it's no surprise that kickers aren't fans of the changes. Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater, for example, spoke with the Lions' official site on Wednesday and had this to say:
"I wasn’t too thrilled (when I heard), but it’s something where what can I do about it?" Lions kicker Matt Prater told detroitlions.com Wednesday. "I’ll have to deal with it and make them all."
Prater went on to say that he thinks longer extra points could be most impactful later in the season at places like Lambeau Field and Soldier Field, where the conditions will likely be less than ideal from a kicking standpoint. Considering the Lions will play at Green Bay in mid-November and wrap up the 2015 regular season at Chicago in January, Prater will get to test out that theory.
On the bright side for Prater, he didn't seem to have an issue with field goals that were 33 yards or shorter last season:
Yup. Matt Prater, fyi, was 11 for 11 on kicks of 33 yards or shorter last year https://t.co/YIaJCwSNis
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) May 19, 2015
Hopefully Prater will be able to keep those numbers perfect this year when extra points become 33-yard kicks.