I just watched an amazing NFL divisional playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs which ended badly in overtime regardless of which team won. 

What a finish!  Each team scored twice and together put up a total of 29 points on the scoreboard in just the last 2 minutes of the game. The game went to overtime and that’s when everything went to hell in a handbasket.

Now I didn’t have a rooting interest in either team in this game, but I have always believed that the NFL overtime rules are grossly unfair.  Overtime in the NFL consist of 15 additional minutes of play.  If one team scores a field goal, the other team gets a series of downs to try to tie the score or win with a touchdown.  However, if one of the two team scores a touchdown, the game is over, and they win.  If no touchdown is scored by either team, whichever team is ahead at the end of the 15 minute period wins the game.

A flip of a coin determines which team goes on offense first.  Given the high-powered offenses of today’s NFL, when teams are evenly matched the team that wins the coin toss has a huge advantage;  if they score a touchdown on their first position, the game is over, and they win.  The other team loses even though their offense never gets on the field again.

Teams are usually fairly evenly matched in the playoffs.  Until today in the 10 playoff games in the last 10 years that have gone to overtime, the team that has gotten the ball first in overtime won 9 times.  Today’s Bills-Chief game made that 10 out of 11.  The Chiefs won the coin toss, and the Buffalo offense never took the field again.

One thing was clear, in the last two minutes of the Bills-Chief game the offenses of both teams were seemingly unstoppable.  It was very clear to me that regardless of which of the two teams won the coin toss, that team would score a touchdown on their first position in overtime and the game would be over.  I have no doubt that if Buffalo had won the toss, they would be going to the Division Championship instead of the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s abundantly clear that the NFL overtime rules, at least for the playoffs, need to be changed.  Right now when a playoff, division championship, or Superbowl games are tied after regulation the current rules are equivalent to simply tossing a coin to determine who wins the game – no more play – win the coin toss, your team wins, and the other team loses.  That’s no way to decide the victor the most important and thrilling games on the NFL schedule.

Cajun 1/23/2022