Chiefs at Steelers (1 Viewer)

[Sarnoff]

Never understand with the new rules why you want the ball first especially when your defense has been so good all night and the other team's offense was so bad.

Actually, the proper decision under the new rules is to choose to kick off, then do an onside kick. Recover and kick the FG, you win without the other team touching the ball. If you don't recover, the new kickoff spot is deep enough that they still have to go some distance against your defense just to try the FG. All you really have to do is keep them out of the end zone.

Is this true? If you onside kick it in OT and recover, you only need to go down and kick a FG?

There is discussion in Woz's thread about deferring or kicking off. It's correct that recovering an onside counts for an "opportunity to possess the ball" for the receiving team. The first article points out an even better play is to receive, kick a FG if you can't get the TD, then surprise-onside kick to ice the game. The opponent will probably be too shocked to even consider an onside in that scenario and your chances of recovery are improved. Just fall on the ball and you can walk off the field with a W.

All it takes is balls big enough to try it. Seems like something Belichick might try in the Super Bowl if it went to OT.