While I was watching the Jets / Dolphins game, somebody conversationally mentioned that somebody would win either by 6 points or 3 (concerning what score was going to win a total points pool, and making the point that they don’t bother with the point after in overtime - and yes, I know that a tie is still possible, too). I said, “somebody could win by 2, actually”. Another guy thought a second and said “yeah, but that would be really wierd”.
Has a safety ever happened in overtime as far as anyone can remember?
(BTW, my high school was once on the losing end of a 4-3 football game. Our quarterback was also our field goal kicker, so the result actually made the Sports Illustrated “oddities” column because the same guy “scored” all the points in the game and his team lost)
In 1988 or 89, the Vikings beat the Rams 23-21 in overtime. The Vikings blocked a Ram punt and it rolled through the end zone for a safety. Even stranger, the Vikings first 21 points came on 7 field goals.
I remember watching that game. The Vike who blocked the punt was disconsolate over his failure to cover the ball for the TD until a teammate (John Randle?) explained it to him.
I was merely disconsolate because the Rams lost a game to the Vikings. When the Rams were in LA, victories over the Vikings were hard to come by and were usually the result of some weird play, as was the game described above.
Lacking a rule book I am 95% certain that a game can be won 1-0.
Somewhere in the 80’s the NFL instituted a rule allowing for a situation where 2 teams who were in a scoreless tie headed for overtime. Either one of the teams has the option of awarding their opponent 1 point and the win.
Now before you tell me I’m nuts check it out. It sounds pretty lame to me too and strikes deeply at my competitive nature but if it isn’t out there now it was repealed. Of course I see no reason to repeal this rule as I can not see anyone essentially saying I give and then facing their fans.
The score of a forfeited football game, at least in college football, is 1-0. However, I don’t know if there has ever been a forfeited game in the NFL.
Most forfeits are usually after the fact in college ball (ineligible players are almost always the cause.)
I think that if any NFL team just walked out and quit during a game would face severe repercussions from the Commissioner’s office.
Again I bring up a line John Madden used during the very dreary 49ers/Broncos Super Bowl. “They’ll say afterwards that the Broncos never quit. Of course they didn’t, they don’t let you quit!”
The only possible excusable use for it is in that situation where a team is angling for a playoff spot, and due to tie-breakers, can’t give up more than 2 points. So, a 0-1 loss would save the playoff chances.
Many years ago the Redskins had this situation, where if they lost the last game by 1-0 they would make the playoffs, but a larger loss might mean they wouldn’t get in.
The Redskins never seriously considered forfeiting the game, but the newspaper articles at the time mentioned that they would in fact be punished by the league office if they did it.
By the way, a forfeit in baseball is recorded as a 9-0 game. The Washington Senators had to forfeit their last-ever game, when they couldn’t get the fans off the diamond in the ninth inning.
Getting back to the OP, I’ve always thought that the only true “defensive battle” in football would be one that was won 6-4 in overtime.
I don’t believe that since overtime has been adopted that any NFL game has ever been tied at 0-0 at the end of regulation.
There has not been a scoreless tie in the NFL since 1943. I believe the last 3-0 game was the infamous “snowplow” game between the Patriots and Dolphins played in a blizzard in Foxboro. The Patriots kicked a field goal late in the game, helped out by a work release inmate who drove a small snow plow on to the field to clear off an area on the field to allow the Pats’ kicker to make the field goal.
Tampa Bay played a 3-0 game early in its history also. The game was played in a heavy rainstorm.
There are rarely scoreless ties on the high school level anymore. You have to watch soccer and hockey to see a scoreless tie.
When could the team opt to concede? Only at the beginning of the overtime period? Or at any time?
Suppose, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the exact hypothetical above. They want to try to win the game outright if they can. Can they also reserve the right to “opt out” if their opponent gets the ball deep in the red zone (say, right before a chip shot field goal attempt, or 1st and goal from inside the five?)
