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Why is 2 minute defense so bad in college and pro football now?

Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:13 pm
Posted by Geauxgurt
Member since Sep 2013
13977 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:13 pm
It is amazing how bad defenses have become at both the pro and college levels when teams have 2 minute drills to end halves. You can almost guarantee these teams are going to move the ball down the field in a handful of plays.

I know teams blew leads and let down on final drives. The Saints were notorious for this even in their glory years, but why is it so hard to see a team actually making a stop in those situations anymore?
Posted by H-Town Tiger
Member since Nov 2003
61128 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:22 pm to
quote:

why is it so hard to see a team actually making a stop in those situations anymore?


They do, all the time, you just don’t notice
Posted by Geauxgurt
Member since Sep 2013
13977 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:23 pm to
quote:

They do, all the time, you just don’t notice


Sure, it happens, and perhaps more often than not, but the rate at which teams are succeeding in these situations on offense is absurd now.
Posted by Rize
Spring Texas
Member since Sep 2011
20121 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:28 pm to
quote:

Sure, it happens, and perhaps more often than not, but the rate at which teams are succeeding in these situations on offense is absurd now.


Bills vs Rams had several 2 minute type drills and they both drive the field multiple times.

Football would be way better if the entire game was that way
Posted by TexasTiger08
Member since Oct 2006
30813 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:29 pm to
It’s bad. The game has evolved, with the help of rules, and a huge percentage of games come down to the last possession. All it takes is a big catch or defensive PI and you’re in scoring range. You also have to factor in kickers routinely banging them in from 60+.
Posted by castorinho
13623 posts
Member since Nov 2010
88604 posts
Posted on 10/12/26 at 11:42 pm to
quote:

Sure, it happens, and perhaps more often than not, but the rate at which teams are succeeding in these situations on offense is absurd now.
That's not true. I was looking for data on this when you posted the thread. Not one source I could find has all the numbers especially recent ones and I'm too lazy to put it together but there's bits and pieces in several articles.
The general conclusion is that although offenses have higher success rate in these situations vs the rest of the game it's still rare and we only notice when it doesn't happen. For instance, these same Bills had a chance to tie/win the game last week with right around 2 mins left and couldn't do it.

Also just this week, the Cowboys, Browns, Seahawks, Chargers were in this situation and didn't deliver.
This post was edited on 10/12/26 at 11:48 pm
Posted by Plaza21
Member since Oct 2026
8 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 12:00 am to
Defensive Coordinators stop blitzing late in games. That leads to easy drives.

DBs are poorly coached in that they grab too much and don’t look for the ball. So you can guarantee some PIs will be thrown when teams are throwing every play.

If DBs stopped touching the WRs on their routes and instead looked and played the ball defense would be far better

I also think the biggest issue is personnel choices late in the game. For instance tonight, Rams need to drive the ball 75 yards with 1:30 on the clock…if you are the Bills there should be 0 LBers on the field at that point. You gotta play 4 down lineman, and 7 DBs. You can’t have LBers trying to cover pass plays. Very few can do it. So if you aren’t rushing the QB to disrupt timing, then you need your best cover guys on the field. That’s why in a 2 minute drill defense the first team that figures out to put their LBs on the bench will have tons of success. If teams dress 7 DBs (CBs and Safeties) all need to be on the field for those special late minute situations
This post was edited on 10/13/26 at 12:23 am
Posted by grich31
Youngsville, La
Member since May 2008
2416 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 12:25 am to
A prevent defense just prevents teams from winning
Posted by UncleFestersLegs
Member since Nov 2010
17355 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 5:40 am to
You also go for every 4th down. Mathematically this is a big advantage for the offense.
Posted by SloaneRanger
Upper Hurstville
Member since Jan 2014
14798 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 6:57 am to
You must have watched the Bills-Rams game too.
Posted by RemouladeSawce
Uranus
Member since Sep 2008
18804 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 7:14 am to
I don’t think we’re seeing anything “now” per se that we haven’t seen for a decade. I don’t think defenses got worse as much as passing games are just really effective. Sometimes the D isn’t playing prevent and is just getting their arse kicked

Offenses have never been faster at getting plays in/run

There’s 4-5 viable offensive targets and at least one of them will have a decent matchup

Depending on where other team’s kickoff lands, a leg like Brandon Aubrey may only need 1 first down to FG range
Posted by VolsOut4Harambe
Baw Land
Member since Sep 2017
15255 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 7:51 am to
It's by design. Most 2 minute defense strategy involves allowing short gains and a cushion.
Posted by H-Town Tiger
Member since Nov 2003
61128 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:18 am to
quote:

but the rate at which teams are succeeding in these situations on offense is absurd now.


you/all of us likely notice it more, if there’s data on the success rate over time that would be interesting. Though this is pretty much the theory behind the run and shoot and fast paced offenses “if it works in 2 minutes why not do it all the time”
Posted by VA LSU fan
Virginia
Member since Dec 2007
9219 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:18 am to
A few factors

Teams know they are going for it on forth down, so it is usually four pass plays

The threat of a turnover is no longer as big, because this is your last possession

For some reason defensive coordinators think the clock will move faster than it does.
Posted by Master of Sinanju
Member since Feb 2012
12269 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:24 am to
This is an interesting video that goes into the statistics of it.

Posted by lsupride87
Member since Dec 2007
113589 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:39 am to
quote:

For instance, these same Bills had a chance to tie/win the game last week with right around 2 mins left and couldn't do it.
That after the bills AND Pats already had quick drives under 5 minutes to each take the lead

This post was edited on 10/13/26 at 8:40 am
Posted by castorinho
13623 posts
Member since Nov 2010
88604 posts
Posted on 10/13/26 at 9:19 am to
Yeah fair enough, I was just remembering the ending.

But the underlying points remain based on the data I was looking at last night.
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