FOX NFL analyst Greg Olsen does not hate field goals. However, he dislikes kicking them in certain situations.
What Happened in the Giants-Bears Game?
As the Giants trail the Bears late in the 4th, @Joe_Davis and @gregolsen88 discuss a Giants decision earlier in the game where they elected to kick a field goal on 4th and goal from the half yard line, rather than go for the TD. pic.twitter.com/Nh26eD37qF
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 9, 2025
Olsen was on the call for the Week 10 game between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears.
In the fourth quarter, the Giants had a fourth-and-goal situation from the 1-yard line. The Giants were up 17-10. Instead of going for the touchdown, the Giants elected to kick the field goal to take a two-possession lead at 20-10.
The Bears ended up scoring two touchdowns in their next three possessions to take the lead and win 24-20.
At the time of the fourth down call, Olsen was highly critical of the Giants’ decision to kick the field goal instead of going for a touchdown. Brian Daboll, the Giants’ head coach during the Bears’ game, was fired the next day.
Was Daboll’s decision to kick a field goal the reason for the firing? No. However, it’s safe to say Daboll would have his job if the Giants had won that game.
Greg Olsen Explains Field Goal Debate
Olsen appeared on The Ryen Russillo Show this week to discuss all things football. During the conversation, Russillo brought up the Giants-Bears game and asked if Olsen hates field goals.
“I wouldn’t say I hate them. I hate goal-to-go field goals where I’m getting three points, and then I’ve gotta go kick off,” he said. “Generally speaking, unless it’s to win the game or an end-of-half scenario, or just a fourth and unreasonably long, a goal-to-go situation, I’m in four-down mode until I just can’t feasibly go for it anymore, and I’ll take three points.”
Olsen shares a similar philosophy to many of the newer coaches in the league, who are more aggressive on fourth down.
Through Week 8, there were 373 fourth-down attempts, the most in NFL history dating back to 1991, via The Boston Globe. The 58.7% success rate is also the best in NFL history through Week 8.
Olsen rejects the notion that teams should “take the points.”
“I love game-winning field goals. I love strategic field goals. I don’t love field goals under the notion of ‘take the points,’” Olsen added. “I hate the phrase ‘take the points.’ I hate when commentators say it, I hate when coaches say it, I hate when the media says it. I don’t know what ‘take the points’ means. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
We’ll see if Olsen expands on his field goal take during his next assignment, a pivotal matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.
