As is standard NFL custom, they decided to fix something that was not broken and adopted a new set of rules for overtime. Before, it was simple and final, first team to score wins. Now, not so much.
To win an overtime game on a single drive:
- Team wins the toss and scores a touchdown.
- Team loses the toss and has a defensive score. (Interception return or safety)
- Team loses the toss and recovers an onside kick and scores either a touchdown or field goal.
If the first team to touch the ball scores a field goal, the other team would get a possession where a field goal would continue overtime and a touchdown would win it.
Once teams each have a possession, it reverts to sudden death where the first score wins no matter what type of score happens.
To further add to the confusion, this modified overtime was approved only for postseason games. Although, at the next owners’ meetings in May they are going to talk about extending it into the preseason.
Cam Inman of the media news group had an interesting take on twitter regarding the new rule in that it would have given the Raiders a crack at the Patriots in the Snow Job game. Of course, if the officials had called that game correctly, there would have been no need for the Raiders to have another crack.
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Notes: The Raiders resigned William Joseph. This is not a surprising move, and it gives them some depth and competition at a position of need.
Ricky Brown signed his second round tender.
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