What is an Octopus in Football?
Football is one of the most exciting sports and in the US, it is the most popular. Still, even die-hard NFL fans are unaware of all the possible scenarios and situations that one game may give them. It’s unpredictable who will win until the end.
We all know the rules and how every bit of the game is played, but we still don’t have names for every possible scenario. One of these situations is called “an octopus”. Do you know what it is and when does it happen? If you’re a true NFL fan, you should know about this one.
The octopus play is a rare event, and it was impossible to occur before 1994. This year, a new rule was introduced into the NFL, and that’s the 2-point play after a touchdown. That’s when the octopus was first possible. Since then, we’ve witnessed many matches in which the octopus happens, but the name was coined not too long ago.
What does octopus in football mean?
So, what is an octopus in football? The octopus happens when the same person who scores a touchdown will then score the 2-point play. This only happened three times in the entire history of the NFL, so you understand how rare it is.
Touchdowns are scored by wide receivers the most. So, when the player scores a touchdown, and the coach decides to go for a 2-point play instead of the standard kick and an additional point, there’s a chance for the same player to score again. If that happens, that’s an octopus.
Who came up with the name?
Scott Hanson, the famous NFL Network broadcaster who’s energetic and passionate about football, is the first to call the 8-point play by the same player an octopus. This happened in 2022 when he first used it in a broadcast.
How often does this happen in the NFL?
Although it is a rare event, it happened 188 times in the history of the league when someone scored an octopus. It wasn’t called this way back in the day, but when the term was first coined, it remained as such.
There were 11 octopi in the previous season and eight so far this season. Each year, we witness around 10 octopi by different players. Although multiple players scored an octopus, only a few managed to do it more than once. Do you know who they are?
Only two players did it more than twice. Randy Moss achieved this three times in his career, but there’s a player to score 8 points in one play four times during his career. That player is Todd Gurley who may not have played long enough to score even more but was excellent during his prime.
Why would there be an octopus at the Super Bowl?
No one can predict the outcome of the Super Bowl, but there are always scenarios. Depending on how the game goes, the score in the final minutes may be a reason for the coach of one team to ask his players to go for an 8-point play.
For example, the score is 20-12, and the losing team has one possession left. They will most certainly go for an 8-point play. To do that, they must first score a touchdown, and when the ball is ready to be kicked for the additional point, they will try to rush or pass another touchdown, which gives them the additional two points to tie the game and go into overtime.
A Super Bowl overtime is different in some segments. The duration is different and applies only to the Super Bowl. If you want to know how long are NFL games and how the overtime is played, just follow the link.
How to earn money from the “octopus”?
Many NFL fans love betting on NFL games, especially the Super Bowl. If you’re a passionate fan and want to earn from it, you can bet on some of the betting sites. You can do this by placing an NFL octopus bet – which means you will gain a lot of money by simply predicting that one will happen.
To do this, of course, you must first know what is an “octopus” in football betting. With everything written above, you’re now ready for the challenge, and you can bet on the following NFL game or do it on the Super Bowl. An octopus in the Super Bowl is rare but does happen. Jalen Hurts scored an octopus in Super Bowl LXII to tie the game 35-35.
If you feel like this can repeat, you may earn a lot of money. To be sure, first, analyze the map of NFL teams, see how teams play and if there’s a chance for an octopus. Only when you’re sure there’s a chance, you should place a bet.