Anyone who watched the NFL divisional playoffs and saw the Buffalo Bills fall to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime knew that a potential rule change could happen in the offseason.
The Indianapolis Colts submitted a proposal to change the overtime rules so that each offense is guaranteed one possession.
It is unclear if there will be consensus to make the change as it has been revisited before without success.
No matter how they decide to implement it (limited to the postseason only or throughout the entire season), the NFL needs to make the change.
Here are three benefits to making this change.
3. Makes Fans Happy
Footbal fans seemed more upset about the Chiefs’ win over the Bills than the players themselves.
Tough pill to swallow for Buffalo. Did everything correct and head home anyway. Josh Allen is a superstar — NFL overtime rules suck.
— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) January 24, 2022
although that game was great, it feels unfair to not give Josh Allen the ball there in OT. you know he would have put up a TD too. NFL needs to fix its overtime rules
— alex 💙💛 (@highlghtheaven) January 24, 2022
Josh Allen handled the situation well and tried to quell the fan outrage.
Josh Allen weighs in on the NFL overtime rules debate pic.twitter.com/oM69oNQ0KZ
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) January 24, 2022
Fans buy television packages (NFL Sunday Ticket and Amazon), purchase player jerseys, and pay to watch NFL games in person.
If they are not happy and question the legitimacy of a rule, the NFL has to evaluate whether it should be changed.
2. Offers A Fair And Reasonable Way To Conclude Game
The NFL is a league that prides itself on fairness.
Whether it is alternating who gets the kickoff at the beginning of the game and after halftime or how the draft order is established, fairness is the prevalent theme.
In this case, the current overtime rules do not allow for a fair way to settle a hard-fought and evenly matched game.
The NFL is the greatest league in sports because of the parity. The last team drafts first, the first team drafts last. Not allowing Josh Allen, the best player in today’s game, to touch the ball in overtime is one thing the @NFL must fix. pic.twitter.com/UqP4vE6nc0
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 24, 2022
A rule change promotes fairness.
1. Coin Toss Is Not Deciding Factor
The biggest benefit to new NFL overtime rules is that the coin toss does not become a determining factor in the outcome of the game.
It seems random and haphazard for the coin toss to be so important.
All the coin toss should do is determine which team gets the ball first and last in overtime.
NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano revealed telling statistics about how the coin toss impacts OT results.
According to Siciliano and NFL Research, the team winning the overtime coin toss has won 52% of the games.
This includes regular season and playoff games.
If you're arguing with a friend about the current @NFL overtime format today:
*Teams that win the OT coin toss (inc. playoffs) are 86-67-10 (won 52.8%)
*BUT, in the playoffs, teams that win the toss are 10-1@NFLResearch
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 24, 2022
However, in the playoffs, the coin toss is more of a determinant.
The playoff team winning the OT coin toss is 10-1.
Conclusion
Maybe NFL Research’s statistics make it easier for the NFL to change its overtime rules.
The NFL Competition Committee is expected to discuss this potential rule change as early as this week.
Opponents of the rule change believe that teams need to play better defense if they lose the coin toss.
Play better defense. Don’t cry about the rules.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) January 24, 2022
That is easier said than done especially after 60 minutes of grueling play in regulation.
It will be intriguing to see how the NFL Competition Committee handles this contentious issue.
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