I Hate The NFL Overtime Rule

Quite frankly, I don’t like the NFL’s new overtime rules.  This isn't elementary school, it's the National Football League.

SO WHAT ARE THE NEW RULES?  Well, they'll kick in during this year's playoffs.

Under the new playoff OT rules, each team is guaranteed a possession.  If no one scores during the first two possessions of overtime, the game ends automatically on the next score.   In other words, if the team that wins the coin toss gets a field goal on its opening drive, the other team has a chance to match that score or trump it with a TD.

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I DON’T LIKE IT!  This isn’t elementary school field day where everyone takes home a blue 1st place ribbon!  They have 60 min to win the game.  Winning it on the first possession of OT is no different than winning it on the last drive of regulation. 

Also, it's a total fallacy that a team that doesn't get the ball doesn't get a chance to win.  Of course they do!  They had every opportunity to play defense and stop the other team's offense - in regulation. If you can't play D when it matters, you don't deserve to win.

This new rule says to me, "If your defense sucks bad enough to give up 3 or 4 first downs when it matters most, then your offense shouldn't be punished by the game being over due to your D giving up the field goal."  Well, I say if the offense had executed during regulation, they wouldn't have to worry about it. 

If they were going to change the rule, they should have made it where both teams get the ball no matter what the first team does.  Someone will be crying because they didn't even get a chance to answer the opening score.

WAS IT NECESSARY?  It’s classic over-reaction move. New Orleans’ Garrett Hartley makes the game-winning field goal in last year’s NFC Championship game and, all of a sudden, rules that have been in place for years are suddenly changed.

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It’s one thing to evolve; it’s another thing to coddle.  Most people don’t like a game to end with just one possession after a team has one big play or two and then kicks a field goal. 

Guess what?  Life isn't fair - the NFL shouldn't be either.