Even the victorious coach, in this case Andy Reid, has expressed reservations about the NFL's overtime system.
Reid hailed Kansas City's good fortune one day after his Chiefs won the overtime coin toss and marched downfield for Travis Kelce's 8-yard touchdown reception to conclude an exciting divisional round game against Buffalo.
"I spoke with Sean McDermott following the game," Reid said of Bills coach Sean McDermott. "I'm sure that's something they're going to look at again." And I'm not averse to that - it's a difficult issue. It was fantastic for us last night, but is it fantastic for the game, which is the primary objective we should all be pursuing? To achieve parity, it presumably has to be capable of hitting both attacks and defenses."
Grim Reaper Chiefs
It was a near-perfect football game (minus an ending that felt incomplete with Allen not getting a chance to answer). And although nothing about these quarterbacks' performances seemed authentic, they also did not feel fluky. These were two metahumans performing at their peak, and the remaining twenty players on the field were unable to stop them.
Mahomes and Allen were also not playing under great conditions. According to Pro Football Focus, the Chiefs offensive line allowed pressure on 39.6 percent of the team's throw plays. However, it was irrelevant—Mahomes ended with a higher passer rating under duress than he did when the pocket was maintained clear.
While most of the commentary surrounding the Chiefs-Bills playoff game focused on the last minutes of play by quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, just as much, if not more, discussion focused on how the game ended, which featured the league's overtime rules.
According to NFL overtime regulations, the side who wins the coin toss and scores a touchdown on their opening drive wins. If they make a field goal, the other team gains possession of the ball and an opportunity to respond or win the game. That is a simplified summary, but it captures the substance of the issue of disagreement.
13 Seconds Chiefs
Occasionally, a miracle is required. And when you do, having a Mahomes is advantageous. With 13 seconds remaining against the tenacious Bills, the Chiefs trailed by three scores deep in their own territory, but Patrick Mahomes' ability to make the unthinkable possible salvaged the day in an incredible 42-36 victory. Mahomes set up Harrison Butker's game-tying field goal with two big completions, then led Kansas City to win in overtime with a touchdown drive. Andy Reid's defense was battered in the fourth quarter by Josh Allen – another quarterback in the high echelons of The Superstar Club – but Mahomes had that unique DNA feature shared by superstars. On certain days, he just will not allow his squad to lose, regardless of the odds. The Chiefs earned the opportunity to host the AFC Championship Game for the fourth straight year as a result of their epic victory. The Bengals are another deserving conference title contender.
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