Whenever a team wins a coin toss in overtime and proceeds to march down the field and score the game-winning field goal, the cries come out that the NFL's overtime system is flawed.
Well, what now?
The Cardinals showed they had what it takes to overcome any unfairness inherent in the overtime rules by stripping Aaron Rodgers and scoring six with the defense. In doing so, they kept their season alive, but they also furthered the argument for the winner-takes-all format of overtime in the NFL.
You see, in the NFL, no matter what the game plan, no matter what the conditioning program and no matter what the play call, winners and losers are determined by one thing and one thing only: execution. In overtime, that truth is magnified with extreme intensity. Many argue that it's just not fair that only one team gets the ball, but if a team wants to win, the only thing it needs to do is make plays. That's exactly what the Cardinals did on Sunday — they made a play.
What's even better is that the Packers had their chance on their first offensive play in overtime, when Rodgers overthrew an open Greg Jennings deep down the middle of the field. Had the two connected, Jennings might have taken it to the house for the game-winning touchdown. At the very least, the Packers would have been in field-goal range. But the pass fell incomplete.
Chalk that one up to a failure to execute.
So on second down, the Packers picked up 14 yards, only to have them taken away by a holding call. That sent the Packers back to their 10-yard line. Again, execution.
Two plays later, Michael Adams stripped Rodgers and Karlos Dansby won the game.
From a football standpoint, it was beautiful. After 11 offensive touchdowns and a forgettable defensive day for both teams, the Cardinals' defense won the game.
And even though the common belief seems to be that the team to get the ball first is the team that will win the game, this isn't the first time the Packers have been in this situation (does "We want the ball and we're gonna score" ring a bell?). The fact is, regardless of a flip of a coin, the better team tends to win the game.
On Sunday, the Packers won the coin toss, and many folks undoubtedly cried that in doing so, they won the game. But those same people can sometimes forget that football teams are comprised of three units. When coaches preach the importance of defense and special teams, it's not just lip service — it's the truth. Defenders of the current overtime system need only point to Arizona's win as Exhibit A.
