NFL changes overtime playoff rules in wake of Chiefs-Bills thriller

Separately, Buffalo Bills to receive $850m from New York taxpayers to build new stadium

Orchard Park, the new home of the Buffalo Bills, with the proposed $1.4 billion stadium to be completed by the start of the 2-27 season

The NFL is changing an often controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs.

Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted Tuesday night to approve a proposal presented by the Colts and Eagles.

Beginning this season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, their opponent will still get a possession. In recent seasons, that touchdown would have ended the game, as it did in the Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling 42-36 win over the Buffalo Bills in January. In that game, many fans and players felt the Bills and their star quarterback Josh Allen should have been given a chance to hit back in what had been one of the most memorable contests in recent history.

“We should never let a football game be determined from a coin,” Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said after January’s game. “Like, I think that’s the most craziest rule in sports. Like, you can fight your entire fight the whole game, and then the game comes down to a 50-50 chance of a coin toss. Like, this ain’t Vegas. Like, we’re not at the casino table. Like, this ain’t no 50-50 bet and there ain’t even no 50-50 bet. And it’s just crazy that that was the outcome.” 

Under previous rules, the 10-minute overtime in the regular season only continued if the team getting the ball first failed to score or kicked a field goal. Should the side receiving the kickoff make a field goal, the team that first played defence would get a possession in which it can score a touchdown and win, or kick a field goal and play would continue if time allowed.

In the postseason, when there are no ties, overtimes continue until someone has more points.

Since the previous overtime rule was instituted for the regular season in 2012, the team that wins the coin toss has won the game half of the time (76 of 152 games). However, both teams have had at least one possession in 82% of the games (124 of 152).

Those numbers change slightly in the postseason. Since 2010, when that rule was instituted for the playoffs, seven of the 12 overtime games have been won on an opening possession touchdown, and 10 of 12 have been won by the team that won the coin toss.

Meanwhile, New York State and county taxpayers will be asked to commit $850m in public funds toward the construction of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium which has a projected price tag of $1.4bn as part of a 30-year lease agreement reached this week.

New York state will commit $600m in funds, which will be in included in the budget due on Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a press release. Erie county will commit $250m toward the project, with the NFL and the Buffalo Bills committing $550m in financing.

The dollar amount is considered to be the largest public commitment for an NFL facility. The deal is meant to secure the NFL team’s long-term future in Buffalo, with the proposed 60,000-plus-seat facility to be built across the street from the Bills’ current stadium.

Although the taxpayer burden of 60% is considered high, the agreed upon funding falls in line historically. The state and county have shared about 73% of the cost to build, maintain and upgrade the Bills’ existing facility, now called Highmark Stadium, which opened in 1973. Under the proposed agreement, the Bills will be responsible for covering any costs that run over the budget.

“I wanted to accomplish two major goals: Keep the Bills in western New York, keep them in the state of New York because this is not just a western New York point of pride, it’s a point of pride for all New Yorkers,” Hochul, a Buffalo native herself, said during a press conference. 

The second goal, she said, was “making sure that it made sense for our taxpayers in terms of our commitment and our return on the investment, which will be paid off in the next 22 years.” 

Without going into detail, Hochul said the project will create 10,000 union jobs with the commitment recouped by the economic activity generated by the team. The state previously projected the Bills – the only NFL team actually based in New York – generate $27m in direct annual income for the state.

The announcement came as the Bills’ stadium proposal was approved at the NFL’s owners' meetings in Florida. Owners also approved granting the Bills what’s called a $200m G4 loan to go toward construction costs. Under the G4 program rules, Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula are required to at least match the loan.

The NFL’s $200m contribution was already factored in as part of the funding package.

The Bills are expected to recoup part of their cost of construction by having season-ticket holders for the first time pay one-time seat-licensing charges, potentially doubling the price of their ticket package.

Hochul did not include the stadium commitment in the $216bn budget proposal submitted in January, but it will be added this week. Hochul said there are numerous options at her disposal to draw upon the necessary money to fund the project.

The Buffalo News previously reported the largest commitment of taxpayer funds for an NFL stadium involved the Las Vegas Raiders, with $750m of public funds directed toward constructing the $1.97bn Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020.

There have been, however, higher splits of public-private funds for NFL facilities, the newspaper found. Taxpayers covered 86% of the $720m cost to build the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008. The public commitment for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in 2000, covered $425m of the $450m construction costs.

The Bills’ existing facility was deemed too expensive to renovate. A state study in November pegged renovation costs at $862m. The Bills project the new facility could be built in time for the start of the 2026 season.  Although the stadium will not feature a roof, the Bills plan to have 80% of seating protected from the elements.