NFL Overtime Proposal Needs More Time

I've heard some say that spending 10 minutes with Tim Tebow will change one's life. Mine, somehow, remains unaffected

After countless hours of reporting, waiting and even speculation, the announcement most everyone was waiting for finally happened at the 2010 NFL Combine.

"Some guy named Tebow is now at Podium C," said the crackled voice out of the main media room speaker last Friday.

Oh, that announcement.

(In defense of those present that slammed the lap tops closed, pulled out a handheld recording device and ran to the podium - almost as fast as they sprinted the sandwich line hours earlier when lunch was served - it was a welcomed pro football prospect to hear speak after being reduced to interviews mostly consisting of placekickers, punter and offensive lineman from the day prior.)

It was actually on Saturday, at the Combine, when the NFL announced something that made my ears perk. News was leaked that the league could change its overtime format for playoff games when the competition committee meets March 21 – 24 in Orlando, Florida.

As a vocal opponent to the current system, Saturday's announcement was a better potential prophecy than anything the almighty Tim Tebow might have said to me the day before (which he did answer, albeit brief, a question for a story I was working on).

According to NFL spokesperson, Greg Aiello, the proposed change to overtime in postseason games would assure that both teams get the ball at least once unless the first team scores a touchdown. If the first team scores a field goal on the overtime's initial possession, then the other team gets one turn with the football. If they tie the game with another field goal, the game continues until the very next score.

As far as fixing how NFL overtime playoff games end its, well, a start. But it's still not right.

[Have you ever been in a social situation where everyone is ready to go somewhere and trying to decide, collectively, where to go and what to do? And you know "that guy" (or worse even, "that girl") who rejects each individual suggestion without offering a better suggestion? Well today, and in this column, "that guy" would be me.]

It's been a few days since I learned of the proposal and already I have, at least, a couple problems with it. The current system places too much advantage on the team that wins the overtime coin toss and the potentially updated version would do the same (only then, teams would strategically choose to kick rather than receive the overtime kickoff).

If this overtime procedure was passed (by winning at least two thirds of the vote from the 32 teams) the disadvantage shifts from having to play defense first to having to take the initial possession. Based on good football sense, that team would play with an offensive strategy much the same as a normal situation. They would try to score and, if not, pin the opposition deep in its own territory. If able to get in scoring position they would be faced with a decision; go for a touchdown or kick the field goal.

And both present disadvantages.

By electing to kick a field goal you give the ball back to your opponent. They would have a much higher percentage for answering your field goal with a touchdown (or, at least a tying field goal) since punting would be taken out of the equation. Trailing by 3 points and with the ball in a "do or die" scenario, offenses would be using 4 downs from anywhere on the field. In other words, they'd be playing with 33% more downs to move the chains.

By skipping the field goal and going for a touchdown on the initial overtime possession, you risk not scoring at all and then giving the opponent the very same opportunity (and same high percentages that we dislike under the current format) to win by a long field goal.

"There have been various concepts that have been discussed in recent years, but this one has never been proposed," Greg Aiello said to the Associated Press about the postseason overtime format.

Maybe this one was once thought about by some league official before, but was decided against after further review.

On this proposal I'm throwing a red flag challenge, or a red-faced fit, whichever is permitted by fans like me. The NFL needs to get back to the drawing board, the film room or wherever they go and find a fairer and more complete way to handle overtime games in the playoffs.