Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
NFL owners approve rule change for OT in playoffs
It took a few years, and for many fans that probably was too long.
Still, the NFL has heard the cries of “unfair” and has adjusted its overtimes rules.
Only for the postseason, though.
The NFL is changing the sometimes controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs.
Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted to permanently approve a proposal presented by the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.
Beginning this season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, the opponent still gets a possession. In recent seasons, that touchdown would have ended the game.
That second possession of overtime would extend beyond the initial 15-minute period if needed. Should that team tie the game, it then would become sudden death.
Outcries began back in the February 2017 Super Bowl when Tom Brady completed an incredible comeback from a 28-3 deficit to tie the game. The Patriots won the coin toss, marched to a touchdown and beat the Falcons.
In the 2018 season, New England won the AFC title on the first series of OT without Kansas City getting the ball.
When the same thing happened in Kansas City during this January’s divisional game between the Bills and the Chiefs, won by KC, a groundswell became an uproar.
Since the previous overtime rule was instituted for the regular season in 2012, the team that wins the coin toss has won the game half of the time (76 of 152 games). However, both teams have had at least one possession in 82% of the games (124 of 152).
Those numbers changed quite a bit in the postseason.
Since 2010, when that rule was instituted for the playoffs, seven of the 12 overtime games have been won on an opening possession touchdown, and 10 of 12 have been won by the team that won the coin toss.
Head coaches laud NFL’s diversity moves at league meetings: No NFL head coach is more enthusiastic and upbeat than Pete Carroll. So it shouldn’t be at all surprising that his response to the NFL’s moves to enhance opportunities for minority coaches was, well, especially enthusiastic and upbeat.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Carroll said. “Way, way, way overdue.”
The previous day, to ensure more opportunities for diverse candidates, the league added requirements on the hiring of offensive assistant coaches, and women in general. That included adjustments to the Rooney Rule adopted in 2003 and amended frequently in attempts to enhance opportunities for people of color and women for nearly all league and team jobs.
Beginning this season, all 32 clubs must employ a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority to serve as an offensive assistant coach. The person will receive a one-year contract and work closely with the head coach and offensive staff to gain experience.
“Inclusion is very important,” said Washington’s Ron Rivera, the only Hispanic head coach and one of five minorities in that position in the NFL. “We’ve opened up a process for candidates and ensured ourselves of finding better candidates.
“Creating a minority position committed to working directly with the head coach and the offensive coordinator and the quarterbacks, taking part in game planning, is a hell of an idea.
“One thing that has been shown is the next head coaches in this league have been funneled through the quarterback coach position. This will create positive opportunities, I believe.”