Big news came out regarding the NFL today. First, an explanation, then, a rant. NFL owners voted by a 28-4 margin to change the overtime rules, at least in the playoffs to begin with. Currently, when an NFL game is tied at the end of regulation, there is a coin toss to determine possession, and it begins just like any other football game. First team to score in overtime, wins. It's pretty simple.
However, there have been a lot of rumblings in the last couple of years that this is an unfair way to do overtime. In nearly 60% of the games, the team that wins the toss wins the game. The most dramatic instance in recent memory happened in the NFC Championship Game when the Saints won the toss and ended up defeating the Vikings with a field goal to go on to the Super Bowl.
The new rule states that the team that gets the ball first can win on the opening possession by scoring a touchdown, but if they kick a field goal, the opposing team has an opportunity to extend the game with a field goal of their own, or win it by scoring a touchdown.
Rich McKay, the Competition Committee Co-chair said in a press conference, "[Sudden death] wasn't producing the fairest results based on field goal accuracy, field goal distance and drive start."
Okay, there's your explanation. Now, here's my rant.
Are we placing so much of an emphasis on offense that we are forgetting that defense and special teams have to be an integral part of the game as well? This isn't some kind of playground basketball game where you have to win by two. This is the NFL. In implementing this rule, I'm seeing two unspoken assumptions: 1) you can't expect your defense to win games late, and 2) kickers aren't really that important after all.
If you don't win the coin toss, then you need to 1) rely on your special teams to not give the opponent good field possession on the kick off, and 2) not allow your opponent to drive the ball into field goal range in the first place. Let's say the overtime kickoff results in a touchback, the offense still needs to drive roughly 40 yards just to attempt a 55 yard field goal. If you can't trust your defense to hold an offense to less than 40 yards on a drive, then maybe you don't deserve to win in the first place.
And I'm sorry, but making this rule because kickers have gotten better? Really? Isn't the job of a kicker to place the ball through the uprights? Shouldn't his team be rewarded if he can do that? Just ask any number of kickers that have missed critical field goals late in games.
When I was watching the Colts-Chargers playoff game a couple years ago, and the Chargers ran all over the Colts defense in overtime to win it, I didn't think, "Man, it's totally unfair that the Colts didn't get a chance to score." I thought, "Why can't that defense make a stop?" Your defense is a critical part of the game through four quarters, why does it suddenly become less important in overtime?
And, what's next? If a kicker hits a field goal as time expires to give his team a 2 point lead, should the other team get an opportunity to win the game? After all, it wasn't a touchdown that won it. A win is a win, and it doesn't matter if it is by 1 or 43. This new rule is not going to guarantee that 60% of the time the team to win the toss won't still win the game.
Well, bottom line: it is what it is... regardless of how stupid it is. Congratulations, NFL, you just fixed what wasn't broken.
0 comments:
Post a Comment