The chatter regarding the Eagles' trademark play has taken attention away from other proposed rules, including a change submitted by the Eagles.
The suggested change in regular-season overtime to guarantee a possession for both teams passed. But it came without a corresponding expansion of the extra period from 10 to 15 minutes.
At 15 minutes, the team that wins the coin toss would be far more likely to choose to kick (unlike the 49ers did in Super Bowl LVIII) and, if the first team to get the ball scores seven points and the second team scores a touchdown, to go for two.
At 10 minutes, the team that wins the coin toss will be far more likely to take the ball. That team will also be far more likely to slow-play its drive, hopeful to leave the other team with as little time as possible to match a touchdown.
Here's where an unintended consequence could happen. As the clock ticks and the team that receives the opening kickoff to overtime gets closer to the end zone, the defense could be inclined to let the offense score a touchdown. That would allow the team that kicked off to have more time to match the touchdown — and possibly to beat it and win the game with a two-pointer.
So as the defense tries to let the other team score, the team with the ball might refuse the opportunity. It could get awkward and clunky and weird.
Alternatively, and as Simms pointed out on PFT Live, the defense on the opening drive also might take more risks, accepting that the downside will be ending up with more time to match the touchdown and perhaps win with a two-point conversion.
With 15 minutes, each team would get a real and legitimate possession. If both teams score touchdowns (and if the first team converts the single-point PAT), the second team would have to decide whether to go for the win or let the rest of the period play out in a sudden-death format. The prevailing thought is that the team that scores the second touchdown would go for the win.
Here's where another unintended consequence could happen. If the goal is to match regular-season overtime to postseason overtime, the strategy should be the same for both the regular season and the playoffs. In this scenario, the team that wins the toss in regular-season overtime will likely choose to receive. The team that wins the toss in postseason overtime will likely choose to kick. In other words, regular-season overtime and postseason overtime won't be the same.
Our prediction? After one or more overtime games result in the team that loses the coin toss getting very little if any time to score and/or allowing the team that gets the ball first to score a touchdown, the owners will increase overtime in the regular season to 15 minutes.
