Report: Both Teams To Possess Ball In Overtime As NFL Makes Changes To Playoff OT Rules

It appears that the uproar over the ending of Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs game in the AFC Divisional Playoffs has been heard by the league. 

On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the NFL has agreed to change its overtime rules in the playoffs, giving both teams an opportunity to possess the football. According to NFL.com “If the score is tied after each team’s first possession, sudden death ensues.”

“Playing Rule Proposal 1 was amended,” Rapoport posted to Twitter. “Both teams are now guaranteed a possession in overtime — but it’s now postseason only. It was approved, per source.”

Playing Rule Proposal 1 was amended. Both teams are now guaranteed a possession in overtime — but it’s now postseason only. It was approved, per source.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2022

The chatter around making a change to the league’s playoff rules really took off after the Bills were denied an opportunity to possess the football in their overtime loss to the Chiefs. The end of that game was so wonderfully frenzied that fans of football wanted to see more. 

Down 26-21, Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the Bills on what appeared to be a career-defining, 17-play drive late in the fourth quarter to give Buffalo a three-point lead on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis on fourth-and-13. Buffalo converted the two-point conversion attempt to take a 29-26 lead with 1:56 left in the fourth quarter. 

Five plays later, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with Tyreek Hill for a 64-yard touchdown, giving Kansas City a 33-29 lead. Six plays after Kansas City took the lead, Allen connected with Davis for his fourth touchdown catch of the night, giving Buffalo a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds on the clock. 

It was an absolutely wild two minutes, with three lead changes and 22 points scored. And yet, the game was still not decided. 

Mahomes took over from the Kansas City 25-yard line, and somehow went 44-yards in two plays — Buffalo allowed a 24-yard gain to Kelce with eight seconds on the clock — and kicker Harrison Butker sent the game into overtime on a 49-yard field goal.

In a game in which 25 points were scored in less than two minutes, both defenses were gassed by the start of the extra period, meaning that the team that won the coin toss would more than likely end the game on a touchdown. Kansas City won the toss, marched down to the Bills eight-yard line on seven plays, ending the game on Kelce’s lone touchdown catch of the game. 

Allen and the Bills — who put up 422 total yards of offense — never had a chance to respond, ending one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history on a sour note.

“We should never let a football game be determined from a coin — like, I think that’s the most craziest rule in sports,” Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins said after the game. “You can fight your entire fight the whole game and then the game comes down to a 50-50 chance of a coin toss? Like, this ain’t Vegas. We’re not at the casino table.”

The day after the game, I offered a suggestion for the NFL regarding how to fix their overtime rule. 

For the playoffs, if the team possessing the ball first scores a touchdown, the opponent should be allowed one possession to do the same. It will add another level of intrigue as the team facing the deficit will more than likely face a fourth down on their lone possession, and we’ll never be forced to say that a quarter flip decided a playoff football game. 

Should the opponent score and tie the game — they get the option of going for the win with a two-point conversion — then we go to sudden death, with the next team to score being the winner. I don’t understand what the argument would be against this idea, though I’m sure the NFL will have one. 

It appears the NFL couldn’t find an argument against the idea. A tip of the cap to the NFL.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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