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NFL Overtime Excitement
NFL 2012 Football
Patrick Peterson's OT 99-yard punt-return TD
In 2011, an impressive 66.8 percent of all games (171 of 256) were within one score in the fourth quarter.
With so many close games, it's no surprise that 13 were ultimately decided in overtime, including four OT victories by the Arizona Cardinals, a single-season NFL record.
Originally in effect for the 2010 postseason, the new rules for modified sudden death overtime -- which have been expanded to the regular season and preseason for 2012 -- were utilized for the first time during the 2011 postseason. Denver beat Pittsburgh in the AFC Wild Card round in the shortest overtime game in NFL history (11 seconds) and the New York Giants outlasted San Francisco in overtime of the NFC Championship Game en route to a Super Bowl XLVI championship.
From rookie Patrick Peterson's game-clinching 99-yard punt-return touchdown in the Cardinals' 19-13 overtime decision against the Rams in November to Demaryius Thomas' 80-yard game-winning touchdown catch in the Broncos' 29-23 overtime playoff victory against the Steelers, 2011 was full of exciting OT action.
Demaryius Thomas' 80-yard game-winning TD
The NFL teams with the best overtime records since the system was instituted in 1974:
| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL | ||
| Jacksonville | 7-4-0 | .636 |
| Denver | 25-15-2 | .620 |
| Washington | 22-14-1 | .608 |
| Buffalo | 18-12-0 | .600 |
| Arizona | 22-15-2 | .589 |
A sampling of individual overtime records:
Longest Overtime Touchdown Plays
| Source: NFL | |
| 99 Yards | (Pass) Ron Jaworski to Mike Quick, Philadelphia 23, Atlanta 17 (11/10/85) |
| 99 Yards | (Punt return) Patrick Peterson, Arizona 19, St. Louis 13 (11/6/11) |
| 96 Yards | (Run) Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 36, New York Jets 30 (9/6/98) |
| 96 Yards | (Kickoff return) Chad Morton, New York Jets 37, Buffalo 31 (9/8/02) |
Longest Overtime Touchdown Pass
| Source: NFL | |
| 99 Yards | Ron Jaworski to Mike Quick, Philadelphia 23, Atlanta 17 (11/10/85) |
| 82 Yards | Tom Brady to Troy Brown, New England 19, Miami 13 (10/19/03) |
| 82 Yards | Brett Favre to Greg Jennings, Green Bay 19, Denver 13 (10/29/07) |
| 76 Yards | Troy Aikman to Raghib Ismail, Dallas 41, Washington 35 (9/12/99) |
Longest Overtime Touchdown Run
| Source: NFL | |
| 96 Yards | Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 36, New York Jets 30 (9/6/98) |
| 60 Yards | Herschel Walker, Dallas 23, New England 17 (11/15/87) |
| 50 Yards | Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh 15, Atlanta 9 (9/12/10) |
Longest Overtime Field Goal
| Source: NFL | |
| 57 Yards | Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland 16, New York Jets 13 (10/19/08) |
| 53 Yards | Chris Jacke, Green Bay 23, San Francisco 20 (10/4/96) |
| 52 Yards | Mike Cofer, Indianapolis 27, New York Jets 24 (9/10/95) |
| 52 Yards | Matt Prater, Denver 18, Miami 15 (10/23/11) |
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