Author
Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
What NFL Teams Were Most Affected By Old NFL Overtime Rules?
The NFL has passed a new rule for regular-season overtime games, giving both teams a chance to possess the ball no matter what happens on the first OT possession.
So BetKentucky.com, as part of our Kentucky sports betting coverage, collected all NFL regular-season overtime games that involved a team scoring a touchdown to win without the other team touching the ball during OT. The data was collected over the past 5 full NFL seasons with the old OT rules and we found 14 games match these criteria.
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Which Teams Were Impacted the Most By NFL OT Rules?
Season | # of Games | Team Most Affected |
2024 | 6 | Falcons (2 Losses, Missed Playoffs) |
2023 | 2 | Colts (Loss, Missed Playoffs) |
2022 | 1 | Broncos (Loss) |
2021 | 4 | Colts (Loss, Missed Playoffs) |
2020 | 1 | Texans (Loss) |
This research was prepared for BetKentucky.com, where the best Kentucky sports betting promos are always on offer.
Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons Had Little Luck in OT
None of the 32 NFL teams was impacted by the NFL’s lack of multiple overtime possessions in the regular season more than the 2024 Atlanta Falcons. They had two losses under such circumstances.
That puts Atlanta in a unique position, as the only NFL team between 2020 and 2024 to lose multiple games in one season under the NFL’s old overtime rules. Under that system, a team could lose the coin toss, allow a touchdown on the opponent’s first OT possession and never get a chance on offense.
Four other teams are on our list and Indianapolis Colts playoff chances took a hit twice under the old rules. The Colts finished 9-8 in both 2021 and 2023; both times, Indianapolis would have made the postseason with one more win.
The 2022 Denver Broncos and 2020 Houston Texans also lost a single game after allowing a TD and never getting an offensive drive in OT – unlike the college game, which for years has allowed both teams to get a turn on offense in overtime.
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How Many Teams Have Been Affected In All?
How Many Teams Who Lost Missed Playoffs By 2 Games or Less? | 5 of 14 (35.7%) |
Folks monitoring Indianapolis Colts betting in Kentucky and looking for trends might find the new rule to be interesting and perhaps even fairer.
Overall, five of the 14 teams that were negatively impacted by the NFL’s lack of multiple OT possessions (or 35.7%) missed out on the postseason by two games or less. That speaks to the importance of every game in the league’s regular season and explains the impetus for giving both teams a shot at scoring in extra periods of play going forward.
Over the past five NFL seasons, 2024 had the most games (six) in which teams lost because of a coin flip (and an inability to get a stop on defense on the other team’s OT drive). The 2021 league year saw four games under such circumstances.
NFL betting apps in Kentucky launched in time for the 2023 season, so this fall will be the third year for legal, regulated wagering on the NFL in the state.
The Falcons are perhaps the perfect example of the NFL’s evolving OT rules. In Super Bowl 41, Atlanta lost the coin toss, allowed the Patriots to score a TD, and New England won 34-28 in the first Super Bowl to go overtime without the Falcons touching the ball in OT. Shortly thereafter, postseason rules were changed so both teams could get the ball. Now that rule will be the standard for the regular season as well.
At bet365 Kentucky Sportsbook, the Colts have +10000 odds to win Super Bowl 60 in February 2026. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites at +650.
USA Today photo by Kyle Terada
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