On Sunday night in Kansas City, a rather familiar scene unfolded: one team triumphed in overtime, bringing an exciting game to a conclusion with neither team touching the ball.
In this case, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills, 42-36, with Patrick Mahomes connecting with Travis Kelce on an eight-yard pass to win the game in overtime.
It brought an end to a thrilling offensive showdown in which the two teams combined for 25 points in the final 1:54 of the game, a see-saw struggle that seemed to change every down.
Fans and experts, on the other hand, couldn’t help but be disappointed by the game’s conclusion, which saw the Chiefs win the coin toss and score on the first drive of overtime to win the game. Josh Allen, who threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns, never got a chance to touch the ball in the Bills’ comeback attempt.
This has happened before. In 2017, the New England Patriots came back from a 28-3 deficit in the Super Bowl to win on the first drive of extra, never allowing that season’s MVP, Matt Ryan, to touch the ball.
It happened again in the 2018 AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Chiefs, with the MVP of the season, Patrick Mahomes, never receiving a chance to touch the ball in overtime.
If you are still arguing, in a game like that, it’s not in best interest of EVERYONE that both Mahomes and Allen get the ball in OT I don’t know what to tell you.
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) January 24, 2022
In a game where neither team could stop the other at the end, a literal coin flip determined the ending.
What’s a reasonable argument for each team not getting a possession?
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) January 24, 2022
“They should have stopped them with 13 secs?”
78 points were scored. I’d argue both defenses should have tried to stop someone all game long no?
What he said. https://t.co/81075hK66R
— Peter King (@peter_king) January 24, 2022
The NFL just had its best weekend ever. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a better approach to postseason overtime. https://t.co/yTRtLUh1OG
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 24, 2022
I “understand” the need to limit OT in the regular season for player health reasons. You have to change the OT rule in the playoffs. Incredible game ends with one team not getting a chance. Absolutely terrible.
— Sir Lucas Closed Caption (@AndyGlockner) January 24, 2022
Imagine the biggest mistake you make all season is calling tails instead of heads.
— Ariel Epstein (@ArielEpstein) January 24, 2022
Again, consider how ridiculous it would be if in baseball the home team ties it up in the bottom of the 9th, then were allowed to bat in the top of the 10th and if they score it's a walkoff and the game is over.
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 24, 2022
that's NFL overtime!
Losing the OT coin toss isn’t always a game-over situation.. but when it’s two of the best offenses in the greatest offensive era in NFL history, and they end the game with TD-TD-TD, you know that neither team was getting a stop. That’s why that particular moment feels so unfair
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) January 24, 2022
I AGREE. LET’S RETROACTIVELY CHANGE THE OT RULES STARTING IN 2018. MAHOMES LEFT A SUPER BOWL ON THE TABLE THAT YEAR.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) January 24, 2022
At least half the State of the Union should be dedicated to proposals to fix the NFL overtime rules.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 24, 2022
Others believe that, while the overtime rules aren’t ideal, they are fair, and it is up to defenses to come up with a stop. Of course, both defenses were destroyed in this game by quarterbacks at the top of their game.
It’s possible that anything will change in the near future. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens proposed a new overtime rule in which one team chooses where the ball will be placed to begin the extra period, and the other team chooses whether to play offense or defense from that point. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, one idea offered a sudden-death rule, with the first side to score winning, while another suggested a game lasting seven minutes and 30 seconds.
With Sunday’s unsatisfactory conclusion to an all-time great game, perhaps other teams will demand a rule change.
Image Credit: Getty