Tim Benz: No, the NFL shouldn't adopt the XFL's goofy, artificial scoring rules

As we outlined in Monday’s “First Call” post, former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Hines Ward lost his XFL coaching debut over the weekend 18-15 to the St. Louis BattleHawks. Ward’s San Antonio Brahmas blew a 12-3 lead, yielding 15 points in the final 90 seconds of the game.

But the late collapse is a little bit more understandable when you consider how St. Louis took advantage of some of the XFL’s modified scoring rules.

Trailing 15-9, Anthony Becht’s team converted a “three-point” conversion from the 10-yard line after a touchdown to make the score 15-12.

the first XFL 3pt conversion this year pic.twitter.com/pQBTm9VW5F

— alex (@highIightheaven) February 19, 2023

Then, instead of an onside kick, the XFL (in the fourth quarter) allows for the scoring team to maintain possession if they convert a “fourth-and-15 snap” from their own 25-yard line. If they fail, the defensive team picks up possession at the spot of the ball.

St. Louis converted its attempt, so it kept the ball.

THE BATTLEHAWKS CONVERT ON 4TH AND 15 TO KEEP POSSESSION pic.twitter.com/uwwTbDlmX7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 19, 2023

Eventually, that drive ended in a game-winning touchdown.

OH MY GOSH. AUSTIN PROEHL. XFL LEGEND. THE BATTLEHAWKS HAVE THE LEAD. THIS IS MADNESS.

The @XFL2023 script writers went crazy with this one! AJ McCarron with a wild comeback in his first #XFL game. pic.twitter.com/2fctFuAmvf

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) February 19, 2023

Yes. A very exciting ending. And a very quick turnaround in the game.

Of course, in the modern world of instant overreaction, that led to a slew of posts about whether or not the NFL should adopt some of these scoring changes.

The answer is “no,” the NFL should not do that. Some of the XFL’s ideas are intriguing, such as the modified kickoff format and its NHL-style overtime approach.

But the fourth-and-15 possession play and the three-point PAT are dumb.

It’s just more artificial offense in an era that needs less of it. Doesn’t the NFL give away enough free yards with bogus roughing-the-passer penalties, ticky-tack pass interference calls and flags for hits on (clears throat) “defenseless” receivers as it is?

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More cheap points don’t necessarily mean better football. Sure, closer games mean more exciting television. But now you are just broadcasting a bastardized version of the game.

A lot of people love the fourth-and-15 play because onside kicks are so hard to convert these days. Hence, the experiment gives the trailing offense more of a shot.

Yeah, well, onside kicks are hard to execute for a reason.

If your team is trying an onside kick late in the game, it is only doing so because it was down substantially earlier in the contest. Therefore, it needs that last gasp to maintain a slight chance.

If you get a kickoff after a score and you are so desperate to hold onto the ball that you are trying an onside kick in the first place, it shouldn’t be an easy task to accomplish. Right?

Certainly not as easy as completing one throw in the current NFL would be.

The idea is just one more glaring spit in the face of what defense is supposed to mean in the game.

In terms of the three-point play, quite honestly, a bonus 10-yard pass shouldn’t be worth the same amount of points as a 55-yard field goal, when the ball is freely spotted after a score.

Sure, you may think these are fun ideas now. Just wait until the Steelers are up 15 with less than 90 seconds left, like Ward’s Brahmas were, and they blow a lead to Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

The radio postgame show phone calls whining about how “it’s not fair” will flow all the way through afternoon drive two days later.

Defense can still be fun. At least it should be, if the NFL allows it anymore.

The best game in the history of Heinz Field/ Acrisure Stadium was the 23-14 Steelers win over the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008-09 AFC Championship Game. And seven of those points were, quite famously, thanks to the Steelers defense.

Take it away, Troy.

It's #NationalHairDay, so it's only right we drop a Troy Polamalu highlight.

Jan. 18, 2009: The @steelers safety sealed a Super Bowl berth with a pick-six in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game. @tpolamalu pic.twitter.com/UqieIVvmz4

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) October 1, 2018

But real defense made that a real game for the ages. Hitting. Contact. Ferocity.

If the NFL doesn’t allow those elements to be allowed back into sport, then maybe it will have to rely on hokey gimmicks like the XFL’s scoring tricks to make things interesting late.

Maybe just try playing the game the way it was played before Twitter came along and jumped on whatever fad of the moment existed and ear-wormed it’s way into becoming an actual contemplation for change.

Football was doing just fine on its own. And if the first 58 minutes of the game are interesting, the last two definitely will be. If one team dominates for the first 58, we don’t have to bend the rules to make the losing team feel like it played a closer game than it really did.

Sometimes you just lose by a lot. Tough. Deal with it.

Or find a kicker who is good at onside kicks.