The NFL made one change to overtime but did not make another change: The league’s 32 owners voted to require both teams to get a possession in overtime, but it voted down a proposal to extend regular-season overtime to 15 minutes, as it is in the playoffs. That could create some interesting scenarios and unintended consequences.
If the team that receives the overtime kickoff runs down the clock and scores on a long, slow drive, the 10-minute overtime period won’t give the team that gets the ball second much time for a score of its own.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said he likes the concept of guaranteeing each team an opportunity to possess the ball, but he acknowledged that there’s an element of clock management at play, where the team that gets the ball first may try to run out the clock on the opening possession of overtime.
“I’m all for both teams getting the football. At least it gives you a chance. It gives you a fair chance,” Bowles said. “Now, if one team holds the ball long and you’re in the two-minute mode, we’ll see.”
The proposal to extend regular-season overtime to a 15-minute period didn’t pass at this league meeting, but it seems likely that it will come up again. A full 15-minute overtime period with both teams getting a possession seems like a fairer way to determine a winner than a shortened 10-minute overtime that leaves one team in hurry-up mode.
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