The NFL’s overtime format remains the most perplexing post-regulation format in all of sports.
Sunday night’s divisional round playoff contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills was among the best games I’ve ever seen.
Everybody watching that game wanted to see Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills take the ball after Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs scored an opening drive touchdown in overtime.
Sadly, Allen and the Bills never had a shot.
In 2010, league owners adopted the current modified sudden-death format that allows Team B to possess the ball if Team A scores a field goal.
The time to take the next step is now.
There is no reason why both teams shouldn’t be allowed at least one offensive series in overtime. Regardless of what happens on the opening possession. If the game is still tied after each team has had a series, the next score wins.
Why is this so difficult?
Think of the drama it could create. Team A scores a touchdown. Team B responds with a touchdown. Team B must now decide to tie the game with an extra point or win the game with a two-point conversion.
For changes to be made, 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners must vote to approve. Something that did not happen when the Chiefs proposed changes in 2019. If fact, the Chiefs both-teams-get-to-posses-the-ball proposal never even made it to vote.
Under the current format, the coin toss means more than it should…and that is a travesty.
