John Harbaugh is of the opinion that the NFL needed to change its overtime rules.
He just didn’t like the way it was changed.
After seemingly countless controversies over how playoff overtime games ended, the NFL changed the rule so that, put simply, both teams get the opportunity to possess the ball in the extra period in the postseason. It used to be that if the team that won the coin toss scored on their first overtime drive, then the game was over.
Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens voted in favor of the rule change. That was to the chagrin of their head coach, who had objected to it both to the team and at the owner’s meetings when the rule was changed.
He explained why he doesn’t like it during an appearance Friday on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
“Even though our team voted for it, they voted for it over my objection, because I don’t think it solves the problem,” Harbaugh said. “The only way to solve the possession – possession is nine-tenths of the law – it’s the most important aspect of the game or anything. The way we tried to mitigate it last year with field position, which is two things: possession and field position, and that got three votes. So now we’re just going to add possessions, well how many possessions are we going to add and when is it going to stop? Are we going to extend the game into the fifth quarter, the sixth quarter? We keep tacking plays on. I’m not bashful about saying it to you, you're my friend, I love you, (but) I said it to the whole league.
“I’m not for it, I don’t think it’s the answer, I think there will be a better way to do it at some point in time, but we did have to do something. I really respect Jeff Lurie, the Eagles and some of the teams that are really trying to do something to make it more fair. That’s kind of where we’re at with it, but this thing still is full of holes just in terms of adding more plays to the game and really what have you really solved?"
Is it a step forward? Sure. Is it still flawed? Also, sure.
Regardless, the willingness to make changes to the overtime rules is encouraging. For Harbaugh’s sake, hopefully the flaws of it won’t be evident in a huge playoff game.
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