NFL is behind the times with OT rules

[FantasyFreak]

Tonight, we were robbed. A coin toss should not decide the outcome, the way it does. It's not right. College has it better than the NFL. They need to fix this. Amazing game, but the fact Allen couldn't touch the ball again because of a toss of the coin, was a travesty. This has always been my opinion, but tonight, just hit it home even further.

Coin toss should not dictate win probability. Unlike games like hockey, soccer, basketball, and live turnover of possession with constant action, the puck drop, toss up, kick off, have little meaning. Baseball, a game similiar, in the aspect you have "offense and defense" defined for a set amount of time keeps it even. The NFL does not. It's just a really poor way of doing it, and they are robbing teams, and the fans.

[DJB]

Just a heartbreaking way to lose because of a coin flip.

Have to go to college rules.

[FantasyFreak]

Just a heartbreaking way to lose because of a coin flip.

Have to go to college rules.

I agree. It would really put a spin on our FF game! But seriously, it's the only league I can think of that doesn't have parity with OT. It's junk. I don't understand how they don't see how it is not only fairer, but will actually boost their ratings. Imagine 4-5 back and forth's before a winner is decided. Again, we as FF people may even need to alter out OT scoring points, and hope that MFL etc. would bring that as an option, or 9 TD passes could be a real thing, but for the actual game of football, not worrying about FF, parity is sorely needed.

[killer_of_giants]

Just a heartbreaking way to lose because of a coin flip.

sudden death overtime is garbage and has always been, but you lost because you couldn't hold the chiefs for 13 seconds.

but it should just be another 15 minutes of football.

[remedy29]

This has always been a complaint about NFL OT. In my opinion, too bad. The NFL OT rules are fine.

Teams have 60 minutes to ensure the game doesn't go into OT. If they can't do it in 60 minutes, too bad, then that team certainly did not deserve to win.
In Buffalo case, all they had to do was prevent KC from getting into FG range with 13 seconds. They had the kickoff and defense at their disposal to do so. They failed. They lost. Deservingly so.

If the complaint is the coin toss, then modify that. Perhaps have one coin toss at beginning of the game. Let the team that wins toss decide which half of regulation they get the ball in, or if they want to have the choice in OT to receive the ball first.
Or, just let the home team receive the ball, and give them home field advantage.

Easy, now no more complaints. Each team will know the situation heading into OT, and they'll have 60 minutes to ensure the game doesn't go into OT. In the Bills case, they could have went for 2 at the end, if they didn't think their defense could hold a 3 point lead with 13 seconds.

I hate complaints. Just win baby.

[Pac_Eddy]

Disagree.

If you can't stop a team from driving the length of the field for a TD, the loss is earned. Is there data on that the coin flip winner has a significant advantage? Is there corresponding data for college?

I think college OT is nuts. A game that goes into overtime at 3-3 can end up 34-37.

Bills played a great game. So did the Chiefs.

[dondickenson]

Obviously Bills have nothing to complain about fairness-wise. The rules were in place and they had every opportunity to win in regulation and win the coin toss. 99% win probability with 0:13 left, and completely bungled it. Will Special Teams and Defensive Coordinators EVER study end of game tactics? Or will they keep costing their teams games?

[Edit: why not squib kick and waste time? Would have left KC with a single play. Why rush 4 on the final play(or two even) when KC needed a very specific type of play and that involved immediate quick passes? Just such bad coaching and execution, Bills really deserved to lose and asked for it with those terrible, high school level mistakes in the final 0:13. Your average Madden obsessed teenager would call it better]

That said, I would like to see the OT rules changed to each team gets one possession minimum in the future, but by an odd twist of fate, the Chiefs tried to get that to be the rule in 2019 after they lost to the Pats in playoffs the same way, and they only got the support of 2-3 other teams total, so it was dead on arrival. Bills were not one of those teams.

[dynastyninja]

Disagree.

If you can't stop a team from driving the length of the field for a TD, the loss is earned. Is there data on that the coin flip winner has a significant advantage? Is there corresponding data for college?

I think college OT is nuts. A game that goes into overtime at 3-3 can end up 34-37.

Bills played a great game. So did the Chiefs.

Bills would've done the same thing to KC if they won the coin toss. Sometimes offenses are just clicking regardless of what the defense does. Each team should touch the ball.

[BabyChark23]

Disagree.

If you can't stop a team from driving the length of the field for a TD, the loss is earned. Is there data on that the coin flip winner has a significant advantage? Is there corresponding data for college?

I think college OT is nuts. A game that goes into overtime at 3-3 can end up 34-37.

Bills played a great game. So did the Chiefs.

I agree with this. The toss didn’t decide the game. Even with the Chiefs getting first possession in overtime, the Bills still have a defense, right? They had every chance to stop them from scoring. Likewise, if the Bills had won the toss, the Chiefs defense would’ve had to step up and make a stop or rightfully lose the game. It’s a team game, offense and defense.

[dynastyninja]

The coin flip determined the winner of that game. It shouldn't be that way.

[Tvols]

Life is not fair but I like the extra 15 minute period idea.

[Ice]

The Bills now know exactly how KC fans felt 4 years ago when Brady gashed their exhausted defense. They tried to get the rule changed and no team cared then either.

I do wish both teams offenses at got 1 possession unless a safety or Turnover for a TD but the NFL is killing it in the marketing department so expecting the owners to mess with this rule is most likely a bridge too far.

[Yarnith]

Disagree.

If you can't stop a team from driving the length of the field for a TD, the loss is earned. Is there data on that the coin flip winner has a significant advantage? Is there corresponding data for college?

I think college OT is nuts. A game that goes into overtime at 3-3 can end up 34-37.

Bills played a great game. So did the Chiefs.

Actually yes it was proven definitively that the coin toss determines the winner in most OT games. That is why the OT in the NFL was changed so it requires a TD to win or the other team gets the ball. The biggest issue is with rules being purposefully adjusted for more offense, bigger pass plays and more scoring overall it makes this 1 drive win more lopsided than it once was. Situations like the longest game ever (Dolphins vs CHiefs Divisional playoff went dbl OT) wont happen as things stand. The rule is supposedly player safety as long games mean players are tired and more injury prone in the game or just wear and tear. That being said I donno if anyone asked the players their feelings about it. One thing is true, if ya wanna win just dont let it goto OT.

The Bills now know exactly how KC fans felt 4 years ago when Brady gashed their exhausted defense. They tried to get the rule changed and no team cared then either.

I do wish both teams offenses at got 1 possession unless a safety or Turnover for a TD but the NFL is killing it in the marketing department so expecting the owners to mess with this rule is most likely a bridge too far.

Pretty sure the Vikings felt the same way about Favres failed SB run. Its a thing.

[palevermilion]

"It's not fair!"

You had 60 minutes to win in regulation. And with the Bills specifically, you had 13 seconds left. Squib kick it and then make sure you cover the best TE in the NFL for 1 play. College OT rules suck.

[killer_of_giants]

"It's not fair!"

You had 60 minutes to win in regulation.

so did the chiefs, but didn't. why do they get 1st crack? if you reverse the situation, it still is unfair.
but that's only part of the point, it is also about the entertainment: i know soccer isn't big in the US, but the '70 world cup semifinal between italy and germany finished 4-3 in extra times after going 1-1 in regulation, and has been baptized "the game of the century". with a sudden death extra time, it wouldn't have been much to talk about (and the winning team would have lost, but that's not the matter here).

i honestly don't like a coin flip influencing a game that much, especially if the game has been banger so far. there is a relatively simple way to both make it more exciting, and more equal.

i do agree that blaming the loss on the overtime is wrong, especially in the multiple ways the bills have blown this.