With a vote of 28-4, NFL owners decided to pass a proposal of having a new method for deciding overtime games in the playoffs. I feel like it’s way too hard to type, so I’ll quote this already-written article.
The NFL owners voted to change an element in the overtime rule, giving the team that loses the coin toss at the start of overtime to get a possession if the coin-toss winning team scores a field goal with the first possession.
The proposal passed 28-4. As it is written, the rules change applies just for the postseason, but the owners also decided to discuss adopting the changes for the regular season at their next meeting, in May in Dallas.
The Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals voted against the proposal.
The Vikings voted against it? The Vikings, who last season got their Super Bowl hopes dashed after the Saints pounded the ball until they got Garrett Hartley to kick a quick field goal to win the NFC? Then again, it was Brett Favre’s fault for throwing that interception at the end of regulation…. right?
Later in the article, there was something that caught my attention.
The reason for the change was the increased accuracy of kickers since 1993. In 1994, the NFL moved kickoffs from the 35 to the 30, which created better field position for the teams that won the coin toss and received the kickoffs.
Really? the accuracy of kickers last season, was absolutely heinous if you ask me. Near the middle of December, 80.5 percent of field-goal attempts were converted successfully, the lowest since 2003. But maybe last season was just an anomaly. We’ll have to wait and find out.
