Last November, Bob Costas warned the NFL to change its unfair overtime procedures before a team gets screwed by losing the coin toss in the Super Bowl. While that didn’t happen last Sunday (overtime seemed inevitable until Cincinnati’s final drive suddenly petered out), the NFL’s current rules marred the epic Bills-Chiefs divisional round game.
“Just play defense” doesn’t have the same appeal it once did, especially not in a game during which the offenses were unstoppable. Even the spot-and-choose alternative would have short-circuited at Arrowhead Stadium on that remarkable Sunday night nearly four weeks ago. If the Bills had specified that the first drive of overtime would start on the one-yard line, the Chiefs would have gladly taken possession 99 yards from pay dirt — and likely would have scored a touchdown on the opening drive.
Costas, in November, renewed his argument that, for the postseason, each team should be guaranteed one possession. As the NFL’s…