Unlike many, Mike Tomlin isn’t in favor of expanding the NFL’s overtime rule

The NFL has become a league where the knee jerk reaction to the previous season has been so strong it has resulted in rule changes. We all remember the NFC Championship game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams where an egregious defensive pass interference non-call resulted in every pass interference call being able to be challenged the next season.

Remember how that worked out?

It didn’t. The rule lasted just one season before the league went back to the way the rule was called prior to the non-call which sent the Rams to the Super Bowl.

After the 2021 season the narrative has all been surrounding the league’s overtime rule, and this is a direct result of the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills overtime game in the AFC Divisional round.

The NFL overtime rule used to be a sudden death format, the first to score points were deemed the winner. This left teams who never had a chance to even receive the ball, and match the score, feeling as if they weren’t given a fair shot. The league changed the rule and barring an opening drive touchdown in the extra frame, the opposition will have a chance to match the score, or win the game by besting the point total.

After the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes left the Bills and Josh Allen stunned on the Arrowhead sideline, now fans and pundits alike are calling for another expansion of overtime. Some are calling for a college overtime type rule, while others are merely asking for the other team to always get a possession.

For those counting at home, don’t put Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in the group of people who want to expand the playoff format. Rather, he would like to see the NFL go back to the sudden death format.

In Tomlin’s mind, both teams had 60 minutes to decide the game, if you can’t get it done in that time frame the first team to score should be the winner. This per Albert Breer from the NFL’s league meetings in Florida.

Tomlin is a member of the NFL’s Competition Committee, and he was asked if he believes there will be enough votes to change the overtime rules. Obviously, Tomlin is just one vote of many who dictate the rules, and changes, every offseason.

According to Judy Battista, Tomlin isn’t sure they’ll have enough votes to make a dramatic change to the rule.

The NFL will have a tough decision on their hands as they vote on this potential change. Will an expanded overtime format only be for playoffs, or regular season games too? There is a lot of minutia to dissect before this becomes a reality in the NFL.

In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft at the end of April.