Believe it or not, after four quarters of play a winner and loser of an NFL game could be decided by a coinflip.
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce scores a game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 AFC Divisional Round Playoffs
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Because of the current NFL rules, quarterback Josh Allen never got to lead his offense onto the field in overtime following Kelce’s touchdown
Under rule change proposals being considered, teams like the Atlanta Falcons would be ensured, or have a better chance at, at least one possession in overtime
At least that’s what some believe, stemming largely from contests like the 2021 playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
Because of this, teams like the Atlanta Falcons could be looking at new overtime rules.
But it isn’t either of the teams involved in the controversial game proposing a change to the overtime rules they played by this past postseason though.
Instead, it’s the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles and Colts proposed a rule change together, looking to amend Rule 16 to allow both teams the opportunity to possess the ball in overtime games during the playoffs.
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Their idea is to eliminate the portion of the current rule that ends a game following the scoring of a touchdown by the first team to possess the ball in the extra period.
Instead, the new version of the rule states, “After each team has had an opportunity to possess the ball, if one team has more points than its opponent, then it is the winner.”
If the two teams are still tied, then the next team to score would be declared the winner.
With this proposal, the only way one team could win without their offense touching the ball is via a safety against the first team to possess the ball, at which time the game would end.
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The Indianapolis Colts are proposing a rule change to the NFL’s overtime period which would ensure both teams possess the ball at least once
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Joining the Colts in their proposal, are the Philadelphia Eagles
If the rule had gone into effect five years ago, Matt Ryan and the Falcons would have been given the opportunity to tie the game in Super Bowl LI.
The overtime rules for regular season games will remain the same, with each team being given a 10-minute period and the first team to score a touchdown winning.
However, the rules are changing for the playoffs, and we should expect unfortunate circumstances like the Bills this past season to no longer happen.
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