List of NFL tied games

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Prior to 1974, the National Football League's rules provided for "sudden death" overtime only in playoff games. As a result, tied games were a common occurrence in regular season, which happened if neither team had more points after regulation time.

In 1974, the NFL instituted one fifteen-minute overtime period for all games tied at the conclusion of four quarters of play. Any score in that overtime period resulted in "sudden death," and the game would be immediately ended with the scoring team winning the game. Now, a tied game results only when neither team scores in overtime.

Since that major rule change, ties in the NFL are very rare. During the 24 years following the change, there were 15 tied NFL games. In the subsequent decade of seasons (1998-2007), there was only a single tie. That game occurred in 2002 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field, in which many team records for both teams were broken in a 34-34 tie.

Visiting Team Score Home Team Date
Pittsburgh Steelers 35 - 35 Denver Broncos September 22, 1974
Los Angeles Rams 10 - 10 Minnesota Vikings September 19, 1976
Minnesota Vikings 10 - 10 Green Bay Packers November 26, 1978
Green Bay Packers 14 - 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers October 12, 1980
New York Jets 28 - 28 Miami Dolphins October 4, 1981
Green Bay Packers 20 - 20 Baltimore Colts December 19, 1982
New York Giants 20 - 20 St. Louis Cardinals October 24, 1983
Philadelphia Eagles 23 - 23 Detroit Lions November 4, 1984
San Francisco 49ers 10 - 10 Atlanta Falcons October 19, 1986
St. Louis Cardinals 10 - 10 Philadelphia Eagles December 7, 1986
Denver Broncos 17 - 17 Green Bay Packers September 20, 1987
Kansas City Chiefs 17 - 17 New York Jets October 2, 1988
Kansas City Chiefs 10 - 10 Cleveland Browns November 19, 1989
Philadelphia Eagles 10 - 10 Baltimore Ravens November 16, 1997
New York Giants 7 - 7 Washington Redskins November 23, 1997
Atlanta Falcons 34 - 34 Pittsburgh Steelers November 10, 2002

[edit] Selected game details

  • Steelers 35, Broncos 35 (September 22, 1974) - In the very first regular season NFL game to go into overtime under the new rule, Pittsburgh and Denver play the league's first five-quarter deadlock as neither team was able to penetrate enemy territory in the extra period with the exception of a missed 41-yard field goal by the Broncos. The Steelers would go on to win Super Bowl IX later that season, the team's first of their four Super Bowl championships in the decade.
  • Giants 20, Cardinals 20 (October 24, 1983) - Neil O'Donoghue of the Cardinals blows three overtime field goal attempts, including one from extra-point distance, in the only five-quarter tie in Monday Night Football history.
  • Philadelphia Eagles 37, San Francisco 49ers 34 (January 3, 1994)- Although this Monday night game ended with a deciding score, initially it appeared that it would end tied. The Eagles missed a game-winning field goal attempt as the overtime period expired. That would have left the game a tie. However, a penalty against the 49ers defense allowed a re-kick, and the Eagles were granted one untimed down. On the second attempt, the field goal was good and the deadlock was barely averted, preserving the fourth of what would eventually be seven consecutive tie-free seasons. The 49ers would go on to win Super Bowl XXIX later that season, giving Steve Young his own Super Bowl outright without being Joe Montana's backup.
  • Giants 7, Redskins 7 (November 23, 1997) - Late in the second quarter, on a Sunday Night game, Washington quarterback Gus Frerotte ran for a 1 yard touchdown. But in an unusual celebration, spikes the ball and butts his head against the concrete padded wall behind the endzone, spraining his neck, and knocking himself out of the game. The game finished regulation tied 7-7, but neither team is able to score in the overtime, and the NFL experiences its second tie in as many weeks.
  • Falcons 34, Steelers 34 (November 10, 2002) - Atlanta scored 17 points in the final 7:44 of the fourth quarter, including a 11-yard touchdown run by Michael Vick with 42 seconds left, to tie the game and force overtime. Both teams had potential game-winning field goals attempts blocked in the overtime period. In the final seconds of the overtime, Plaxico Burress caught a 50-yard pass from Tommy Maddox, but was tackled inches short of the goal line as time expired. As of the start of the 2008 season this was the last game to end with no winner.

[edit] References