The rise of the NFL’s 2-point conversion

The NFL playoffs have already delivered high-stakes moments around a simple decision: After a touchdown, should your team kick for 1 point, or go for 2?

The 2-point try — where teams get to run one play to score from the 2-yard line — was initially a hit with coaches when it was introduced to the NFL in 1994, but its popularity soon faded. In recent seasons, that trend has reversed, with 2-point attempts becoming more common thanks to rule changes and to the growing role of analytics.

For fans, this trend has brought a welcome dose of strategy to what was once an automatic decision to kick. (Week 17’s game between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, which hinged on not one or two but three consecutive 2-point attempts in the game’s final seconds, typified both the strategic and emotional factors at play.)