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Arizona Cardinals: Overtime change coming in 2017

By Scott Allen

Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) lines up for a field goal prior to missing it in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) lines up for a field goal prior to missing it in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) lines up for a field goal prior to missing it in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) lines up for a field goal prior to missing it in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL will start experiencing shorter overtime periods in 2017

The NFL was busy on Tuesday.  One change they implemented was shortening the overtime period starting in 2017.  The Arizona Cardinals played a full 15-minute overtime against the Seattle Seahawks last season.

That game ended in a tie.  The idea supposedly is to reduce ties in this case, reducing overtime to 10 minutes.  However this could have the reverse effect.  This could add to the list of ties.

Teams may have to change their mindset in terms of how they play the overtime period.  Last season there were two ties.

Certainly the shortened period could have some coaches deciding to be more aggressive in their overtime play calling.  As of right now, each team gets a chance to posses the ball in overtime unless the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on their first overtime possession.

That scenario clearly did not play out in the Cardinals-Seahawks game last October.  In fact both teams squandered opportunities to win the game.

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Shortening the overtime period by a mere five minutes probably doesn’t change much.  So why do it?  If player safety is in mind, then alright.

Even if safety is the mindset here, is saving five minutes really changing anything?  Personally, I don’t see it.

Changing the overtime to 10 minutes in the grand scheme of things isn’t that huge of a deal.  So if it isn’t, is the NFL doing it for the sake of making change?

The game is changing and the NFL has been constantly been looking for ways to improve the overtime period.  Only time will tell if this makes any kind of difference.

I applaud the NFL for trying to make the game more competitive.  Is this really the way to do that though?

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