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NFL changes playoff overtime rules in response to Bills’ loss to Chiefs

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Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade.

In response to the Buffalo Bills’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of last year’s playoffs, the NFL has finally adopted a change to their overtime rules during the playoffs. Now both teams will get the ball on offense.

The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles proposed the rule change and it was approved by teams at the NFL Owners Meetings on Tuesday. If both teams are tied after a possession for each team, it moves to sudden death and the next score wins.

“Over the past decade, teams that won the overtime coin flip in the postseason were 10-2, including seven of those 10 wins coming on the opening possession,” tweeted Adam Schefter.

The Bills’ loss to the Chiefs was just the most recent. Kansas City tied the game at the end of regulation and then won the coin toss. They marched down the field to score a touchdown and win the game. Under the previous rules, if they scored a touchdown, the game was over.