Mike Tomlin gives his take on overtime rule change

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is a member of the NFL’s Competition Committee, which is the NFL’s process for modifying or adopting rules and regulations. He was able to vote on the rule changes over the offseason, most prominently voting on the controversial overtime rules that allowed the game to end on a first-possession touchdown, which is now overturned. Tomlin revealed his stance on the controversy on a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

“I’m an overtime purist,” Tomlin said. “The rest of the committee laughs at me when the discussion comes up because I’m a sudden-death type guy, and always have been, but I lost that battle maybe a decade ago.

“I just believe if you play 60 minutes of football, all the teams have had a legitimate opportunity to state their case of winning the game, and I’m just trying to land the plane as quickly as possible after that, and so I try to keep that simple spirit and that simple component of it.”

The approved proposal was one of two on the table for owners, as the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts worked together to come up with it. The other proposal being considered would have required one possession for each team unless the team that receives the first possession scores both a touchdown and two-point conversion

One anonymous NFL head coach told reporter Tom Pelissero at the time the rule was passed he thinks many teams that receive the first possession will still opt for a two-point conversion anyhow, rather than giving the second team the opportunity to win at the end of the game.

The rules have been criticized ever since they were implemented, but never more so that during the AFC Divisional Round when the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills put on an instant classic, only to end with a Kansas City touchdown on the first overtime possession without the high-powered Bills offense getting to touch the football. The next time a postseason game goes to overtime, both teams will have a chance to score whether Tomlin, or anyone else is for it or not.

“But obviously, based on what has transpired, something needed to be done relative to last year, and I was for what we decided,” Tomlin said. “But largely when you’re talking about the subject of overtime, but in spirit , I’m a sudden death guy.”