The NFL overtime rules have gone through several iterations over the years. Currently, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, an overtime period is played. In the regular season, overtime consists of one 15-minute period with the first team to score winning the game. In the playoffs, each team is guaranteed at least one possession unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown on the opening drive. So can a team win an NFL game in overtime by a score of 7 points?
NFL Regular Season Overtime Rules
In the regular season, overtime is a single 15-minute period played under normal rules. Both teams have the opportunity to possess the ball at least once, unless the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening drive. If the team with first possession scores a field goal on the opening drive, the other team gets a possession to tie or win the game.
So in the regular season, it is possible for a team to win an overtime game by 7 points if:
- Team A gets the ball first and scores a touchdown on the opening drive. They go up 7-0.
- Team B then gets the ball but fails to score or only scores a field goal. Team A wins 7-0 or 7-3.
The key is that Team A has to score a touchdown on their first possession. If they only kick a field goal, Team B will get a possession to tie or win the game, so Team A could not win by 7.
NFL Playoff Overtime Rules
The overtime rules differ in the playoffs to try to give both teams a fair chance. In the playoffs, each team is guaranteed at least one possession regardless of what happens on the first drive. So if the team with the first possession scores a touchdown, the game is not over. The other team gets a chance to match that score or win the game.
Therefore, in the playoffs it is impossible to win an overtime game by a score of 7 points on the first drive. Even if Team A scores a touchdown, Team B will get at least one possession to try to match the score. The only way a playoff game could end with a 7-point margin after just one possession is if Team A scored a touchdown, and then Team B turned the ball over and Team A returned that turnover for another touchdown. This scenario is very unlikely.
The closest a playoff game could realistically end after just one possession is Team A scoring a touchdown while Team B fails to score, ending the game 7-0. But Team B is still guaranteed their possession no matter what.
Has a Team Ever Won an NFL Overtime Game by 7 Points?
While it’s theoretically possible to win an NFL regular season overtime game by 7 points on the opening drive, it has never actually happened before. There have been over 1,000 regular season overtime games in NFL history, and none have ended with that exact 7-0 or 7-3 score after just one possession.
The closest example came in 1996 when the Minnesota Vikings beat the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in overtime. The Vikings got the ball first and scored a touchdown, going up 20-6 after the extra point. The Falcons got the ball but were intercepted on their drive. The Vikings returned the interception for a touchdown to make the final score 27-6. So technically the margin of victory was 14 points, not 7.
In the playoffs, no team has ever won a postseason overtime game by 7 points after just one possession. Again, the rules make this impossible anyway unless there is a highly improbable defensive or special teams touchdown on the second possession.
The Longest NFL Overtime Game Ever
While no team has managed to win an NFL overtime game by 7 points after just one drive, there have been some extremely long overtime games that seemed like they might never end:
- On December 28, 1958, the New York Giants played the Baltimore Colts in what became known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” This NFL championship game was tied 17-17 at the end of regulation. In overtime, the Colts drove down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal to win 23-17 after 8:15 of extra time.
- On January 3, 1987, the New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 27-24 in what remains the longest overtime game in NFL history. The AFC divisional playoff clash lasted a total of 16 minutes and 50 seconds before Jets kicker Pat Leahy ended it with a game-winning field goal.
So while no team has managed to win an NFL overtime game by a score of 7-0 or 7-3 after just one possession, there have been some extremely long overtime contests before one team finally emerged victorious.
The Longest Field Goal Ever Kicked in Overtime
While game-winning touchdowns in overtime get most of the glory, there have also been some incredibly long field goals kicked to win NFL games in extra time:
- On November 13, 1970, the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions 19-17 on Tom Dempsey’s NFL record 63-yard field goal as time expired in overtime.
- On November 25, 2007, Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos kicked a 57-yard field goal in overtime to beat the Tennessee Titans 34-31.
- On October 27, 2013, Nick Folk of the New York Jets booted a 42-yard field goal in overtime to defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 30-27.
While field goals lack the explosiveness of a sudden death touchdown, overtime games have certainly been won in dramatic fashion by incredible long distance kicks.
Breakdown of Overtime Games Decided on First Possession
Let’s take a closer look at some statistics on how often NFL overtime games are ended on the first drive.
NFL Regular Season
- There have been 1,264 overtime games in the regular season as of 2022.
- Of those, 97 were won on an opening possession touchdown.
- That’s just 7.7% of all regular season overtime games.
- So around 92% of regular season overtimes are not decided on the first possession.
NFL Playoffs
- There have been 37 overtime games in the playoffs as of 2022.
- Of those, 8 were won on an opening possession touchdown.
- That’s 21.6% of all playoff overtime games.
- Around 78% of playoff overtimes need more than one possession to determine a winner.
The data shows that despite the allure of a sudden death touchdown, most NFL overtime games take more time to eventually produce a winner.
Famous Walk-Off Touchdowns in Overtime
While it doesn’t happen too often statistically, there have been some very memorable walk-off touchdowns to win overtime games in thrilling fashion:
- 2010 NFC Divisional Playoffs – Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 48-yard touchdown on the first drive to give the Green Bay Packers a 51-45 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
- 2018 AFC Championship – The New England Patriots won the OT coin toss and Tom Brady methodically drove down the field, capped off by a Rex Burkhead 2-yard touchdown run to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31.
- 2019 NFC Championship – The Los Angeles Rams got the ball first in overtime and Jared Goff hit Greg Zuerlein for a 57-yard field goal just over two minutes in to defeat the New Orleans Saints 26-23.
While overtime walk-off touchdowns are uncommon, the ones that have happened have created some of the most dramatic endings in NFL history.
The Future of NFL Overtime
While the NFL’s overtime rules have evolved over the years, there are still occasional discussions around potential further tweaks and changes:
- Adopting rules similar to college football which allow each team at least one possession starting from the opponent’s 25-yard line.
- Playing out a full 10 minute overtime period instead of ending on first score.
- Using rules similar to the NHL where teams play successive overtime periods until there is a winner.
However, for now the NFL overtime format remains touchdown wins on first possession in the regular season, and at least one guaranteed possession for both teams in the playoffs. So winning by 7 after just one drive remains an elusive rarity.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points:
- It is theoretically possible to win an NFL regular season overtime game 7-0 or 7-3 on the opening possession.
- This scenario is impossible in the NFL playoffs due to each team getting at least one possession.
- No team has ever actually won a regular season or playoff overtime by 7 after just one drive.
- Almost 80% of playoff overtimes and over 90% of regular season overtimes need more than one possession to determine a winner.
- While rare and exciting, overtime walk-off touchdowns have decided a minority of NFL overtime contests.
So in conclusion, winning an NFL game by 7 points in overtime is hypothetically possible but has not happened yet. While teams dream of sudden death overtime touchdowns, most NFL overtime games end up needing both teams to have possessions before a winner emerges.
