re: Was Morten Andersen really that good?

quote:

---

Not sure if your premise is correct, but I'd guess with more wide open offenses, there are more opportunities to get inside the 30 yard line to kick field goals. I'd also imagine that players have perfected their techniques more. Soccor style was relitively new at that point. Now they have kicking academies, etc. Probably better kicking shoes and better footballs as well. Not sure if Astroturf has anything to do with it. Are there more Domes now than the 80s/90s?

---

About 20 years ago, the NFL also instituted the rule whereby a missed field goal was placed at the spot of the kick (not the line of scrimmage). This discouraged some of the longer, high risk, field goals because of the disparity in field position on misses. Notice Andersen's FG% increased in the late 90s. Could be a correlation as some of the longer FGs (many missed) were now turning into punts.