Months after Josh Allen and the Bills were defeated in an overtime playoff thriller against the Chiefs, the NFL has ensured there will be no more OT that doesn't guarantee each side a chance to possess the ball, at least in the postseason. League owners on Tuesday approved new playoff OT rules, as CBS Sports senior NFL reporter Jonathan Jones confirmed, ensuring postseason games cannot end in OT until both sides have the opportunity to score.
The Colts and Eagles had proposed this offseason to guarantee possessions to both teams in OT games, but this new rule will only take effect in playoff games. Previously, the first touchdown scored in OT could end the game, with both sides only getting a chance to possess the ball if the first team in possession failed to score a TD. Now, should the first team score a TD, the second team will still have an opportunity to possess the ball, and must match the other team's points to extend OT.
One NFL coach has already predicted, per NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, that teams who score a TD first in OT will then try for a two-point conversion, rather than allowing the second team to potentially score a TD and go for two to win the game on their terms. A field goal by the first team, meanwhile, would still allow the second team to win with a TD.
It's possible the regular-season OT rules, which will remain the same, will be updated to reflect the new postseason rules after the 2022 season.
