Getty Image / Kevin Sabitus
Cris Collinsworth knows football, and no one would seriously argue he doesn’t. The longtime Sunday Night Football analyst knows the league inside and out, and even owns the data company Pro Football Focus.
But, Collinsworth made a huge mistake on Sunday night in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
The first SNF game of the season was a fantastic contest. After the Rams fell behind 17-3 on the road late in the 2nd quarter, they fought back. Eventually, they took a 20-17 lead in the 4th quarter before the Lions tied the game with less than a minute to go, sending the game to overtime.
Last year, the NFL changed the overtime rules for the NFL Playoffs, guaranteeing that each team gets at least one possession, no matter what happens on the opening possession of overtime. But, the rules in the regular season have mostly stayed the same since 2012. Both teams are guaranteed a possession unless the team who has the ball first scores an opening touchdown.
For some reason, the former NFL wide receiver thought that it was sudden-death from the start. Take a look.
Oh no, Cris. Thankfully for Detroit, they knew the rules. They ran the ball down the Rams’ throat on the opening drive of overtime and won the game on a David Montgomery touchdown run, 26-20.
That may have covered up Cris Collinsworth’s mistake to many, but some of us won’t forget.