The NFL had a chance to fix their no good, awful overtime rules once and for all, but sadly, they only went halfway.
The league’s owners met in Palm Beach, Florida, this week to reevaluate the current overtime rules, which allow one team can win the coin toss, take possession of the ball, score a touchdown, and win the game without the other team’s offense ever getting on the field. The owners did approve a rule change allowing both teams to have a chance with the ball, but the new overtime rules will only apply to the postseason.
So, since the team that wins the coin toss frequently goes on to win the game, the coin toss will continue to be a ridiculously important factor in determining the winner of all overtime games in the regular season. It will also be a disproportionately important factor in overtime games in December when teams are vying for playoff position.
Since the 2010 season, the team that wins the toss has had to score a touchdown to win the game and prevent the other team from taking the field. There have been 12 instances of playoff games going into overtime in the last 12 years.
In those contests, the team that wins the toss is 10-2.
Pressure for the NFL to change the rules came to a head last year when the Kansas City Chiefs came back to defeat the Bills 42-36 in the wildest ending to a game in NFL history. Images of Bills quarterback Josh Allen sitting on the bench and not even getting a chance to possess the ball after turning in one of the most heroic performances in playoff history sparked immediate discussion about changing the rules.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
“It’s potentially the greatest 20-30 minutes in football that I’ve ever seen ever, just watching the game,’’ NFL Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay explained, “and to think it ended that way definitely brought up the idea hey, was that fair to everybody? That did, no question that started the discussion.
“That data was compelling to us, and to the league,’’ McKay added,
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