Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
Titans Propose Change to NFL's OT Rules
Under coach Mike Vrabel, the Tennessee Titans have been one of the NFL’s best teams in overtime.
Nonetheless, they believe that the league’s method of breaking ties beyond regulation can be better.
The Titans are one of three teams that have submitted a proposal to change overtime rules beginning with the 2022 NFL season, and theirs is one of a kind. League owners will review the proposals along with recommendations from the competition committee, which will be submitted next week.
Tennessee left open the possibility that one team could win in overtime without the opponent having an offensive possession. That would only happen if the team that receives the kickoff to start the extra period scores a touchdown and adds a successful two-point conversion.
The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles each proposed that both teams get at least one offensive possession.
As currently written, overtime rules state that the team that receives the kickoff to start overtime wins if it scores a touchdown on its opening possession. No PAT or two-point conversion is attempted
The NFL released the proposed rules changes Wednesday. The only other suggested changes were to anti-tampering rules. Baltimore, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay all suggested that teams be allowed to keep their personnel staffs in place through the NFL Draft before executives move on to other teams.
Since Vrabel became head coach in 2018, Tennessee has gone 5-1 in overtime games during the regular season. That is tied with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders for the most such victories (no other team has more than three). Only Baltimore, with eight, has played more overtime contests.
Three of those games were last season. The Titans lost to the New York Jets in Week 4 when kicker Randy Bullock missed a game-tying field goal with 15 seconds to play. They notched victories over Seattle (Week 2) and Indianapolis (Week 8).
Each contest was decided by a field goal, and in all three cases both teams had the ball at least once.
In 2020, Tennessee defeated Houston 42-36 when it got the kickoff to start overtime and drove 82 yards capped by Derrick Henry’s 5-yard touchdown run. The Texans never got the ball. The Titans also defeated Baltimore in a game when each team had possession.
In 2018, the defeated Philadelphia when Corey Davis’ 10-yard touchdown reception with five seconds to go trumped the Eagles’ field goal on their lone possession.
