After two weeks of football, we’ve seen two ties in the NFL. The first came when the Steelers tied the Browns in Week 1. The second was also in a divisional matchup, this one between the Vikings and Packers in Week 2.
Those ties could have playoff implications, especially since they happened among division rivals. But two weeks and two ties? The truth is in all likelihood we won’t see another tie game this year. Since the NFL instituted sudden-death overtime in 1974, there’s never been a season that featured more than two tie games.
NFL ties since sudden-death overtime began in 1974
| Year | Game Date | Away Team | Home Team | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Game Date | Away Team | Home Team | Points Scored |
| 2018 | Sep 16, 2018 | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers | 29 |
| 2018 | Sep 9, 2018 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cleveland Browns | 21 |
| 2016 | Oct 30, 2016 | Washington Redskins | Cincinnati Bengals | 27 |
| 2016 | Oct 23, 2016 | Seattle Seahawks | Arizona Cardinals | 6 |
| 2014 | Oct 12, 2014 | Cincinnati Bengals | Carolina Panthers | 37 |
| 2013 | Nov 24, 2013 | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers | 26 |
| 2012 | Nov 11, 2012 | San Francisco 49ers | St. Louis Rams | 24 |
| 2008 | Nov 16, 2008 | Philadelphia Eagles | Cincinnati Bengals | 13 |
| 2002 | Nov 10, 2002 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Atlanta Falcons | 34 |
| 1997 | Nov 23, 1997 | Washington Redskins | New York Giants | 7 |
| 1997 | Nov 16, 1997 | Baltimore Ravens | Philadelphia Eagles | 10 |
| 1989 | Nov 19, 1989 | Kansas City Chiefs | Cleveland Browns | 10 |
| 1988 | Oct 2, 1988 | New York Jets | Kansas City Chiefs | 17 |
| 1987 | Sep 20, 1987 | Green Bay Packers | Denver Broncos | 17 |
| 1986 | Dec 7, 1986 | Philadelphia Eagles | St. Louis Cardinals | 10 |
| 1986 | Oct 19, 1986 | San Francisco 49ers | Atlanta Falcons | 10 |
| 1984 | Nov 4, 1984 | Philadelphia Eagles | Detroit Lions | 23 |
| 1983 | Oct 24, 1983 | New York Giants | St. Louis Cardinals | 20 |
| 1982 | Dec 19, 1982 | Green Bay Packers | Baltimore Colts | 20 |
| 1981 | Oct 4, 1981 | New York Jets | Miami Dolphins | 28 |
| 1980 | Oct 12, 1980 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Green Bay Packers | 14 |
| 1978 | Nov 26, 1978 | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers | 10 |
| 1976 | Sep 19, 1976 | Los Angeles Rams | Minnesota Vikings | 10 |
| 1974 | Sep 22, 1974 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Denver Broncos | 35 |
In total, there have been 24 ties since 1974 and there were none in the 2017 NFL season. Interestingly, it almost seems like ties are contagious. In the four years in which there were two ties in the NFL (including this season) three of the four came in back-to-back weeks. I’m no statistician, but I can’t imagine the odds are great for that to occur.
Here are five more fun facts on NFL ties
1) Three teams involved in this year’s ties also have some of the most ties in NFL history. The Packers lead the league with six ties, followed by the Vikings and Eagles with four each and then the Steelers and Bengals with three each. No other team has more than two ties since sudden death overtime was introduced to the NFL in 1974.
2) Among active NFL head coaches, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has coached the most ties with three. Mike McCarthy is close behind with two ties of his own while coaching the Packers.
3) After the Eagles and Bengals ended a 2008 game in a 13-13 tie, Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb admitted he didn’t even know ties could happen. ”In college, there are multiple overtimes, and in high school and Pop Warner,” McNabb said. ”I never knew in the professional ranks it would end that way.” He wasn’t alone, many of his teammates admitted they also didn’t know NFL games could end in a tie.
4) Twenty-one of the NFL’s current 32 teams have played in a tie. The teams that have never been part of a tie are the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.
5) Since sudden death overtime was initiated in 1974, the longest stretch of seasons with no ties came between 1989 and 1997. The average number of years between ties is 1.91. So in all likelihood, there will be no more ties in 2018 and we’ll see winners decided in all the remaining games this season.
Or at least that’s what we’re hoping. And until then, maybe the NFL will read our ideas on how to fix overtime so that professional sporting events do not end in ties going forward.
