What should've been a great finish to Super Bowl LI left me feeling very unsatisfied, thanks to the stupidity that is the NFL Overtime Rule.
Let's go back to the end of regulation of last night's incredible comeback/epic collapse. The Patriots scored nineteen 4th quarter points to tie the game at twenty-eight. The Patriots offense was on the field for all but about three minutes of the 4th quarter. Anyone who knows anything about football knows that the more exhausted a defense is, the easier it is to score on them. Naturally, when the Patriots won the coin toss everyone knew this game was over because the Patriots were going to score a touchdown, which leads us into the ignorance of the Overtime Rule in the NFL.
The NFL Overtime Rule states that if a team wins the coin toss and scores a touchdown on their first possession, the game is over. However, if they kick a field goal, the opposing team gets the ball. If the opposing team kicks a field goal the game goes on. If they score a touchdown or don't score at all, the game is over.
The rule is completely unfair. Last night's game was decided by a coin toss because everyone knew if the Patriots won the coin toss, they would win the game with a touchdown.
It is past time to make a major change in this rule. I would LOVE to have the NFL take a page out of the college game's playbook. Put the ball at midfield and play by the college football overtime rules, which gives BOTH teams an opportunity to have the ball regardless the situation. If the NFL had gotten into the 21st century and did this, last night's ending would've been much more satisfying.
1 of 1