Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs' kicker Cairo Santos explains how the PAT changes his kicks

Published May. 28, 2015 10:46 p.m. ET

foxsports

In the past, kickers might've been able to get away with a half-hearted point-after attempt

Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos says that won't happen now that those kicks are 13 yards longer.

"I think (with) the 20-yarder you can get away with miss-hits," Santos told ESPN. "They'll still go in. But (from) 33, it starts to get in that awkward range where a miss-hit might not go in."

Lazy boots that graze an upright will be tougher to score, according to Santos. And now, if a defender comes bursting through the line and tips a PAT, it's a live ball.

NFL teams made 29 of 31 field goal attempts, or 95.1 percent, from 33 yards last season. That's a four-point drop off from the NFL's PAT spot last year from 20 yards out.

"We just have to adjust," Santos said. "They'll make the rules and we just have to keep kicking. And we went through it last preseason, so it's not something completely strange or out of nowhere. We'll just be out here practicing and getting comfortable with that feel of lining up."

(h/t ESPN)