The SECRET to the NFL's NEW playoff OT rules

in overtime Kyle Shanahan took the ball first many people are criticizing him for it he was asked about it after the game and here's what he said the new with the new rules for overtime goes into the decision to take the ball first uh it's just something we talked about with you know that none of us have a ton of experience of it but we went through all the analytics and talked with those guys and we just thought it' be better we wanted the ball third um both teams matched and scored we wanted to be the ones who had the chance to go in and um we got that field goal so we knew we had had to hold him to at least to a field goal and if if we did then we thought it was in our hands after that Ryan I laughed about it um during the game late during the game because I I was I think that the new overtime rules are confusing and I noticed that Michael David Smith our old colleague from fan housee actually wrote a what are the overtime rules story for pro football talk do you think that John Bree had a what the overtime rules story for CBS sports.com you had to have right John I did yeah of course you of course you did so breach what are the new overtime rules because I think people are still confused about them despite seeing them take place in the overtime during Super Bowl 58 superb Al 58 last night all right most importantly both teams get at least one possession so if the Ford Anders had scored a touchdown the game would not have been over the Chiefs would have been guaranteed a possession I think that part is pretty clear the second part this is where I saw the most confusion whether this was on Twitter whether this was just talking to people over the past 24 hours getting texts is that the clock did not matter if the Chiefs had not scored on that final play with three seconds left time would have run out in the quote unquote first quarter first overtime period they would have taken a quick break they would have flipped sides they would have started the second quarter of overtime and then they would have kept playing so the Chiefs would have got the second team gets to finish their possession no matter what the clock says so the clock does not come into play there uh if the Chiefs had kicked a field goal on that series it would have gone to sudden death over time which is what Kyle Shanahan was talking about that they called they they wanted the ball first because they wanted the ball for that third possession which is where you win it on a field goal in the sudden death portion uh so those are the three main rules so knowing that and I think I think I guess I'm sort of thinking back on the on the fourth and one where the it was it fourth and one or fourth and three where the Chiefs went for it on fourth down in overtime I they were out they were were they outside of bucker range like clearly outside of bucker range uh Bron I'm glad you brought that playup because I think that is really the key to this whole thing they were in their own territory at that point they were at their own 34 yard line they obviously couldn't punt right like correct you you lose they're trailing but if they had gotten the ball first you're punting there you don't have a choice like that's the difference right there if you get the ball first you have fourth and one of your own 34 you are punting because if you don't get it the other team's already in field goal range and they can win it with a field goal uh whereas if you are the team that has the ball second you're going for it there because you don't have a choice so that I mean to me that one play was the huge kind of the play you can point to to why having the ball second is more important Wilson do the uh winds over Wilson analytics have they have they properly calculated how bad Kyle Shanahan's mistake was and whether it was a mistake yeah I don't think it was a mistake I understand what he's saying when he does the math that he wanted the third possession he was working under the assumption that they would Score first and they were steamrolling the the Chiefs early on in that game mostly with Christian mcaffrey and it's not unreasonable to think that they could have scored a touchdown there um and by the way Joan Jennings was open the problem is they didn't block Chris Jones on that final play where they had to settle for the field goal in overtime um so if they just block Chris Jones and that seems like a pretty important part of any sort of game plan uh Brock py would have had time to get the ball to to Joan who had won on a little return route I believe so I get it I understand what he's saying and you know some speculation why it's not this podcast it kle shanan didn't know the rules he knew the rules it turns out and they went through it with their analytics department so I can see both sides the the point breach makes I get it you're not going to go for it on fourth and one on your own 38 yard line if you have the first possession uh unless you're Dan Campbell and you would hope and by the way hope isn't a plan you would hope after you punt it you can slow up Patrick Mahomes and that never seems to work you have to score touchdown there and I think in addition to the fourth and one that Bree talked about the inability to block Chris Jones is also something you can point the finger at as to why they didn't score a touchdown on that first overtime drift now it is worth noting that I believe Lindsey Jones of the ringer.com uh was in the in the locker rooms afterwards and Chris Jones as well as other Chiefs told her that and I think they told other reporter us that they have been practicing pron excuse me big cough coming I saw I got you saw the cough button though um that they had been practicing these new overtime rules since training camp and that they had been anticipating the possibility of having the situation unfold and other 49ers players made it seem like they were a little less clear about the rules I'm not say I'm not like K shanon is one of one of the all-time great coaches I'm not suggesting that he didn't know the rules I just think that in the moment as it's all unfolding the way it did that the Chiefs definitely were more confident in their game plan and what they were going to do and you can go back to the uh you know what like one what is Bill bich you know when belich and the Patriots won all these games and also like an old Bill Walsh line about if you're the one who's keeping a calm head when things are getting crazy you don't need to like like elevate your game you just need to maintain your cool and generally people will lose it around you more often than not in these situations um you know the Seahawks and the uh the Patriots the end of that game being a decent example and I think you could at least make the case Wilson uh even even though with your sardonic remarks there that there are that there was like a little bit of Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers not being as cool and as prepared as the chiefs were yeah I mean they faltered under the moment I don't think that means they didn't know the rules I just think that um like I would I would imagine Kyle shanan is perpetually prepared but this isn't the first time he shed in shrinked in in in big moments uh especially in the in the Super Bowl I'll say one thing real quick and it's that it doesn't make any sense to me to be playing for this imaginary third possession this is like me if I told my wife hey you know what if we ever have $50 million we're gonna go buy a mansion uh that's that's a great promise but if we never have $50 million that promise doesn't mean anything it's just so you're playing for this possession that might not ever happen and you look at what what are the options in overtime if you get the ball first and you punt now the Chiefs just need a field goal to win they have Patrick Mahomes and one of the three best kickers in the NFL if you kick a field goal now the Chiefs can go Dr drive a touchdown and win the game if you score a touchdown I think Chris Jones said that same ringer story that Andy Reid pretty much said they would go for two in that situation to make sure the other team didn't get a third possession so the Chiefs would have done everything possible to make sure a third possession didn't happen so in that case it just seems like it it favored the Chiefs by far to have the ball second here's the quote we talked through this for two weeks Joan said this is again from the ringer.com and Lindsay Jones uh who's a great writer and editor over there how we was going to give the ball to the opponent if they scored we was going for two at the end of the game we rehearsed it this is now writing the 49ers did not do the same multiple San Francisco players said after the game they were not aware that the overtime rules are different in the playoffs than they are in the regular season and strategy discussions over how to handle the overtime period did not occur as a team defensive lineman Eric Armstead said he learned the details of the postseason rule when it was shown on the allegiate stadium Jumbotron during a TV timeout after regulation fullback Kyle yek said he assume the 49ers asked to receive and they won the toss because that's what you do in the regular season when a touchdown wins a game I guess that's not the case I don't really know the strategy yuse Che said you know not a good look not a good look an interesting question here though that uh producer Harry mentioned and I I think it's really fascinating is what do you think the breakdown would have been with other coaches in the NFL because keep in mind this was the first time this overtime has ever happened because it's only in the playoffs they only implemented in 2022 and this is the first postseason overtime game we've gotten since they started it so this was the first time any coach had to make this decision do you think most coaches would have taken the ball second and Shanah hands the Oddball or do you think that they would have followed his steps and taken it first I I think um and I know Seth waler of ESPN said he talked to an analytics guy or analytics person from from an NFL team who said if you pulled NFL teams around the around the league you would not get a definitive answer about what is the best thing to do in that situation because the you know the imagin imaginary third position possession does technically come into play even though I agree with you breach you can't you know like hope is not a strategy as Wilson likes to point out to us frequently um having said that I think most coaches would have have would prefer to defer because this it's the closest we talked about this last night but it's like the closest comp you can really come up with is the college overtime rule where you start at the 25 and if you get the ball first and you you have to and you get to Fourth Down you kick a field goal the other team walks it off at the touchdown so you know the the the Chiefs knew once once they got held the 49ers M field goal a touchdown wins it and I think that that played into their strategy with once I I would not be surprised if there was a discussion on the sidelines with the Chiefs and hopefully NFL Inside the NFL or NFL films or whatever comes up with it but if if there was one that when the when the 49ers chose to take the ball that the chiefs were like let's try and time this if we get down to the end zone let's try and time it with the end of the quarter if we can and a running clock because it's gonna throw everybody off or at least some Defenders off to answer your question breach uh Dan Campbell's taking the ball first he's scoring a touchdown and he's going for two no matter what I will say one thing though that I think it took whatever 40 years 50 years but I think the NFL finally hit a home run with their overtime rule this seems like the right decision obviously you don't want to do this in the regular season because you don't need to drag out games but for a game to have guaranteed each possession this is exact what you want it made it a thrilling overtime nobody is arguing about it being unfair about the coin toss going one way it is just did Kyle Shanahan make the right or wrong decision that's what we're arguing about instead of the unfair rules of overtime so I think the NFL finally has gotten overtime right well and into your point breach if the 49ers score a touchdown kick the extra point and then the Chiefs go down on to the other side score a touchdown go for two and do not get it we are having a very very different did some bleep up discussion and it involves Andy Reid and going for two even though I think we all agree that we like the idea of trying to put put the ball in Patrick Mahomes hand to win the game versus you know kicking an extra point to tie it up and then you know trusting your defense to stop Kyle Shanahan's offense yeah I love overtime I hope we see more overtime and more Super Bowls