Patriots: Overtime rule change proposal denied at league meetings

Directly inspired by the Chiefs’ loss to the Patriots in last season’s AFC Championship Game, an overtime rule change proposal was denied Wednesday.

Unless you’re a fan of the New England Patriots (or you’re not a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs), chances are you may have had some less-than-positive feelings about the way last season’s AFC Championship Game ended.

The first half of the pivotal contest was largely snooze-worthy (again, unless you’re a Pats fan), as the Chiefs couldn’t get much of anything going offensively, while the Patriots methodically worked their way down the field for a two-touchdown lead at halftime. The second half, though, was all fireworks, with both teams trading possessions and points at breakneck speed.

Fittingly, the game went to overtime. There, the Patriots won the coin toss, elected to receive the ball, marched down the field, scored a touchdown, and punched their tickets to Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the league’s MVP and the leader of that dangerous Kansas City offense, never got a chance to even set foot on the field in the game’s extra period.

Chiefs fans were understandably salty about the outcome, while Patriots fans couldn’t care less.

Detractors of the rulebook argued that both teams should have a chance to score in overtime, especially considering the significance of the stakes in this particular game. Supporters of the status quo argued that the Chiefs had multiple opportunities to stop the Patriots’ offense and force them into either a punt or a field goal attempt. If either had occurred, Mahomes and the K.C. offense would have had a shot, at least.

It wasn’t quite the controversy of the egregious pass interference no-call in the NFC Championship Game, but it still prompted plenty of discussion and debate. As a result, some floated the idea of a possible solution: a rule change proposal that would give both teams an opportunity to receive the ball on offense in overtime.

Unfortunately for those same salty Chiefs fans (or for anyone who supports the idea of a rule change), the proposal was ultimately shot down on Wednesday at the NFL’s Spring League Meeting in Florida.

Supposedly there was “some support” among league owners to bring the proposal to a vote at least, but not enough support to make it happen in the end. So for the time being, it appears the rules will stay the same.

Which team suggested the overtime rule change proposal in the first place, you might ask?

Surprise, surprise: it was none other than the Kansas City Chiefs.