IS NFL OVERTIME WORTH FIXING?

Going into their playoff matchup last week, most people expected the Indianapolis Colts, winners of nine straight, to roll over 8-8 San Diego. The Chargers had other ideas however, and behind running back Darren Sproles' spectacular effort, had the game knotted at 17 as the fourth quarter clock ticked down to 0:00. San Diego won the coin toss and never gave up the ball, eventually winning on Sproles' 22-yard scamper some three and a half minutes into the extra frame. So Indianapolis, who breezed through the second half of the season, was eliminated after picking incorrectly on the most basic question: heads or tails? While the simple answer is to play better defense, it's not always that easy. There is something that is just unfair about overtime in the NFL and that needs to be fixed.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 44% of the overtime games since 2006 have been won on the first drive by the team that won the coin toss. All in all, 64% of OT games have been won by the team that gets the ball first. That's a really startling statistic, suggesting that NFL overtime, in it's current incarnation, really isn't fair for both teams. So, can anything be done to even the playing field? I don't think the College Football OT rules would translate well in the professional ranks. Another idea, as suggested by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, says a team should essentially be able to match a field goal with a possession of their own. But this one comes across as confusing and gimmicky, something the NFL doesn't want or need.

One interesting suggestion is to leave overtime in the regular season alone, but change it in the playoffs to one full quarter of action. The coin toss would still determine which club would get the ball first, but the first possession wouldn't determine the outcome. It would be similar to the system used in the NHL, where five minutes of overtime (and, if necessary, a shootout) are played in the regular season, but the playoffs see continuous action until a team wins. Of course, now the football OT wouldn't be sudden death, but it would mean the outcomes would be decided by the players 100% of the time.

The Colts, of course, are still sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV (for the record, I'm happy about that). With any luck though, teams in that situation in the future will at least get a shot of their own. And who knows? Maybe Bill Polian will demand changes...again.


**For the record it was my dad that came up with the new playoff OT idea. Thanks Pops.