In the first playoff game played under the new postseason overtime rules last January, Tim Tebow made it all irrelevant. Tebow hit wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card game. A touchdown ends the game immediately even with the new rules. Had Denver merely kicked a field goal on its first possession, the Steelers would have received a possession, a new wrinkle to the league's old overtime format.
The overtime rules changes were only in effect for the playoffs, until today. The league will now adopt the postseason overtime rules for the regular season, starting immediately.
New OT rules passed. Same system for regular season as the postseason.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 28, 2012
For more on how the modified overtime rules work, head to NFL.com.
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