Football is my life, and as a huge NFL fan, I love to prove I know my stuff. That’s why I essay to answer the ever-elusive question: “how many overtimes in NFL?”.
The rule is quite simple actually: for the regular season and playoffs, there is only one overtime period and the team that scores the first points wins. Anymore overtimes than that are just unheard of.
In regard to the length of the overtime period, it is 15 minutes long and it is divided into two halves with a 2 minute break in between. Now if the game is still tied after the 15 minute period, the game ends in a tie.
I’m sure you can imagine the humongous level of anticipation that builds up within the stadium during overtime. It’s so intense! The feeling of sitting there and having both your team and the opposing team playing their hearts out for that final score has no match.
I can remember multiple times where I held my breath in expectation just to be let down slowly after both teams put up an extraordinary game, but without any points to split the two. Those were some crazy nights.
Speaking of amazing, let me tell you about the time I saw the longest overtime NFL game ever: an entire six-overtime thriller between the Texans and the Jaguars! Naturally, the stadium was electrifying, and we were all on our feet cheering at the top of our lungs. The game lasted over 4 hours and it took a total of seven quarters for the Texans to pull of the win. What a show!
Whenever I think back of that night, I’m filled up with joy and excitement. Most of all, I’m thankful for being able to experience such a game. As a fan, there is no greater feeling than a well-fought overtime game that ends with a victory for your favorite team.
To further highlight how intense and important these games can be, some teams even carry out two-line drill overtime-winning plays. These plays are usually the last resort for a team and in some cases, winning these type of games can take a team to the playoffs. So it’s not just entertainment, but professional life-changing events.
Furthermore, there are special qualities that the coaches, the players and the leading staff must bring to the table in order for a team to be successful in an overtime situation. A good coach is someone who knows how to read the game, knows how to motivate the players and understands the strategy of the game. A winning player, on the other hand, needs to be tough, focused and mentally prepared to fight until the very end, no matter how exhausted they are.
Finally, I must point out that the number of overtime games has been on a steady rise over the past few years. This could be due to the improvements teams make to gain an edge over their rivals, but regardless of the reason, it certainly adds an exciting factor to NFL games.
So to conclude, the number of overtimes in NFL games is, although it might seem complicated at first, quite simple: one overtime period with the first team that scores winning the game. This coveted win is sought-after by both teams, and when it’s achieved, the feeling of success and joy that the players, the fans and the staff share together is simply priceless.