When a football team is down 14 points, they should go for two after scoring a touchdown.

Statistically speaking, it’s a no-brainer. The upside of making the conversation far outweighs the downside of missing it.

They shouldn’t go for it when they’re feeling lucky, or when they have the momentum. They should go for it every single time if they want the best chance to win the game.

That, of course, is easier said than done though.

The past hundred years of football lore and wisdom says to kick the ball. It’s just in the past few seasons that statistics were introduced to help coaches make smarter decisions.

But being smarter doesn’t necessarily mean more popular.

Kicking the extra point is safe. It keeps your name out of the paper.

So the coach has a decision. Is the objective to avoid the risk of criticism or to win games?

-Brandon