In what turned out to be one of the most insane NFL playoff games, perhaps in the history of the league, the Kansas City Chiefs finally edged the Buffalo Bills in an overtime thriller. However, due to the league's current overtime rules, Buffalo's season ended without having a chance to respond.
Many have taken to social media to voice their complaints, while some have chosen to back the NFL's current overtime rules (weird stance, but whatever). Since Sunday night, stars, rookies, former, and current players alike have all weighed in on the situation. First and foremost, here's what Saquon Barkley had to say about the Bills-Chiefs ending.
So whoever win the coin toss win the game?
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) January 24, 2022
Pretty much. Teams who win in overtime win the coin toss more often than not. Former tight end for the Carolina Panthers, Greg Olsen had this to say about the NFL's overtime rules and the coin toss.
If you are still arguing, in a game like that, it’s not in best interest of EVERYONE that both Mahomes and Allen get the ball in OT I don’t know what to tell you.
In a game where neither team could stop the other at the end, a literal coin flip determined the ending.
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) January 24, 2022
Even the NFL's younger stars acknowledge a change needs to be made. Detroit Lions standout rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown sees the coin toss as having too much power. Based on the math, St. Brown is not wrong with his take here.
Great game by both teams 🤯🤯 but the overtime rules have got to change!! No coin flip should have that much power
— Amon-Ra (@amonra_stbrown) January 24, 2022
And then, of course, there are people like Keenan Allen who are defending the current overtime rules in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers star receiver points out that the defense needs to make a stop and the coin toss doesn't matter.
FYI…these OT games are not decided by a coin toss! Defense wins championships…don’t ever forget it!
— Keenan Allen (@Keenan13Allen) January 24, 2022
Although that's true, it's extremely rare when it happens. More often than not, the coin toss winning team scores a touchdown and it's game over. Additionally, if defense is that important, wouldn't that mean we deserve to see the opposing defense have a chance to make a stop as well? This is an incredibly flawed argument and makes no sense whatsoever. If anything, this argument points out the NFL needs to make the change immediately.
We'll see what happens, as this will be a hot topic throughout the offseason. The NFL typically goes through a thorough process to make potential rule changes. There is a handful that must be changed, but the overtime structure is at the top of the list.