Cowboys News: Stephen Jones Supports Changes to OT Rules for Playoffs

As the NFL considers making a tweak to its overtime format to ensure both teams see the football, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones has offered his support for new rules.

In an interview with #PFTPM on Thursday (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio), Jones let it be known that there has been some "traction" for a change:

"We hadn't had our [Competition Committee] call yet, which we will, so it's tough for me to know where the Committee's leaning. I certainly tend to lean toward the new rule. ... I certainly watched every play of that Kansas City-New England game, and you kind of would have liked to have seen what would have happened if Kansas City got another shot at it, and then how the thing would have ended up. It was football, in my mind, the game at its best. I certainly don't have a problem with guaranteeing each team a shot at it. ... It''s certainly something that had some traction there in the room, and certainly saw some people who were very interested in it. But we'll get on a call there, take a long, hard look at it, and I'm sure membership's gonna get to see it.”

This comes after the Kansas City Chiefs proposed rule changes following their loss to the New England Patriots in the 2019 AFC Championship Game.

Back in January, New England won the overtime coin toss with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Tom Brady proceeded to lead the Patriots to a touchdown on the opening drive of the extra period, preventing league MVP Patrick Mahomes and the prolific Chiefs offense from ever taking the field.

Under the current format, which has been used since 2012, a touchdown on the opening drive ends the game. Any other result, though, gives the other team an opportunity to control the football.

Kansas City's proposal would guarantee both teams at least one possession.

After the Chiefs submitted the proposal back in March, the league voted to table it until its May meetings.

"The fact that it's being talked about I think is good," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in March, according to Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. "We're not the only ones that are in that mix [of wanting a change to overtime]. ... We'll just see how it all works. I've always kind of had this feeling about it, even before our game. This isn't the first time this has been brought up. It's been brought up a few times here."

The rule change was initially proposed for both the regular season and the postseason. Following the March vote, though, it is expected that the format tweak is only being considered for the playoffs at this time.

While the Chiefs and Cowboys appear to be among those in favor of change, Atlanta Falcons president and competition committee chairman Rich McKay said in March that he believes "overtime is in a pretty good place."

Twenty-four teams must vote in favor in order for a rule change to be implemented.