It's Time to Reevaluate the NFL's Overtime Rules

In 1974, the NFL established a rule to allow for one sudden-death overtime period in case the game resulted in a tie at the end of regulation. Since then, there has been many a game decided by which team got the ball first in the overtime period, rather than which team played better that day.

The Green Bay Packers’ Monday night game against their division rival, the Chicago Bears, was an example of one of those games.

Hashing it out on the frozen tundra at Soldier Field, the Pack simply outplayed the Bears. They were far superior in nearly every statistical category. Except, of course, the score board.

While the Bears looked completely inept on offense, the boys from Lambeau looked anything but. There was nothing spectacular about the Joe Philbin offense, but it was certainly solid. Aaron Rodgers completed 61.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He got everyone involved, finding ten different guys for a reception.

In contrast, Kyle Orton was sacked three times, threw two INTs, and ended the game with a passer rating of 48.7.

The one bright spot for Chicago (other than their defense, which usually goes without saying) was Matt Forte, and he only averaged 3.2 yards per carry. But he did lead the Bears offense on a crucial drive late in the fourth quarter that would tie the game with just over three minutes to play.

And yet, the Packers managed to lose their fifth straight. Final score: Chicago 20, Green Bay 17.

How, you ask? Because not only did the Bears catch a couple of lucky breaks, they got the ball first in the overtime period. Equipped with excellent returners, all Chicago had to do was get their sputtering offense to move the ball about twenty or so yards to get into field goal range and set up a relatively easy 38-yarder for Robbie Gould.

Now I have to admit, the Bears really stepped it up at the end. Even Kyle Orton had a few crucial, and somewhat clutch, throws. But to have a tied game decided this way doesn’t seem fair. There’s no way of knowing what might have happened had both teams gotten a chance to score (a la college football), but I would have liked to see that ending much more.

If the NFL could adopt overtime rules similar to college football, their league’s crucial (and not so crucial) matchups, would end in a far more reasonable manner.

Get rid of the clock, give each team a possession, and let them go at it. They might need to move the line of scrimmage back from the 25 yard line though. Too many NFL kickers could make that field goal (about 42 yards) in their sleep. But the concept remains the same.

With their victory, Chicago, who was desperate for a win in order to keep their season alive, can still contend for the NFC North title (with a little help from Minnesota losing to Atlanta this past Sunday).

I am not outraged at the outcome of the game (I am actually very indifferent to both the Packers and the Bears). I am outraged at how it was determined. And I’m kind of surprised that others aren’t angry as well.

But then again maybe they are, and I just don’t know about it. I only hope that if there are other dissenters out there, they speak up as well.

There is a viable option. Let’s use it.