Patrick Mahomes on new OT rules: You ‘win the game in whatever way’

Earlier this week, NFL owners voted to modify postseason overtime rules so that each team will possess the ball at least once before a game is decided. But during the regular season, teams will still have to do overtime as they have been since the 2012 season: where it’s possible for a team to lose in overtime without an offensive snap being played.

As a high-profile player in two of the overtime postseason games which led to the playoff rule change — the Kansas City Chiefs’ disappointing loss to the New England Patriots in 2018’s AFC Championship and Kansas City’s thrilling win over the Buffalo Bills in their 2021 Wild Card matchup — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has now seen it from both sides.

“I wish it would have happened a couple of years earlier when I played against Tom [Brady] in the playoffs,” said Mahomes during a Yahoo! Finance Presents interview released on Thursday. “I’ve had it both ways. I’ve had it where I’ve lost — and obviously, against the Bills this last year, we won on the first possession.”

But Mahomes also said that he understands the reasoning behind making the change only for postseason games.

“It’s definitely different — especially in the playoffs,” he noted. “You can understand in the regular season, because you don’t want to just continue to add quarters on guys as we continue to add games and all this different type of stuff. Every play is another shot on your body, I guess you would say. So definitely, in the regular season, you understood it.

“But in the playoffs, it does hurt whenever you play a game that you feel like you should have a chance to go out there and win, and you don’t get a chance because the other team makes some plays and they score a touchdown before you even get the ball.”

Kansas City’s quarterback has also figured out that overtime strategies will be changing.

“It will change your game plan on how you do overtime — especially when you’re in those playoff situations,” he explained, “Do you take the ball first? Do you try to see what they do first [so] you can decide whether to go for a field goal or touchdown? There’s ways you’re going to have to scheme and do things. I think it depends on what team you have and how the flow of the game is going.”

But above all, the former MVP is remaining philosophical about the change.

“To me, it is what it is,” he emphasized. “Whatever would have happened out of it, I would have been able to go out there and play. I’m sure there will be moments where you feel like it’s a good decision — but then there will be moments where you score that touchdown first, and you feel like it’s a bad one.

“I think you just go out there and play — and try to win the game in whatever way.”