The penultimate game of Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season was a close one right up until the end, with the Detroit Lions beating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. Cris Collinsworth was in the building calling the game for Sunday evening football on NBC. Fortunately for the Lions and their fans, Collinsworth wasn’t the one calling the team’s plays.

As the Rams approached the goal line for what would ultimately be the winning touchdown, Collinsworth appeared unaware of the rules for overtime in the NFL.

With the Lions forced a first down from inside the Los Angeles 20-yard line on the first possession of overtime, Collinsworth’s commentary focused on how Detroit could best set up a field goal.

“You start thinking about it, right?” Collinsworth said. “You start thinking about how much you need before you line up and kick the ball? You start thinking about which side you want your kicker to kick the ball? It’s so easy now. I don’t think you see them taking big chances. I just think they’re playing under control, really getting to third down and maybe kicking it.”

“You start thinking about it, right? You start thinking about how much you need before you line up and kick? You start thinking about which side you want your kicker to kick from?”

Cris Collinsworth seemed to think it was a sudden death OT. photo.twitter.com/2b78jnA3QQ

— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2024

That’s a strategy a team might consider in sudden-death overtime. The Lions were inside the 20-yard line when Collinsworth made the comments, and kicked a field goal from about 35 yards out. That’s well within the reach of any NFL kicker, especially in a dome. So if you’re in that part of the field in sudden-death, there’s certainly some logic to trying to kick a field goal on third down to create a second chance in the event of a bad snap.

There is one problem, of course. When the Lions had the ball, it wasn’t sudden-death overtime.

During overtime, Collinsworth’s partner, play-by-play man Mike Tirico, said the Lions needed a touchdown to end the game. He said this more than once, including just before Collinsworth’s aforementioned comments.

Mike Tirico said several times, prior to Cris Collinsworth’s comments, that the Lions would win by *touchdown* on the opening drive of overtime.

Example: https://t.co/6cghRBhllp photo.twitter.com/gg2Ga2DuXJ

— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2024

Even *right before* Cris Collinsworth’s comments, Mike Tirico said, “A touchdown (by the Lions) wins the game, and the Rams will never touch it.” photo.twitter.com/emWH0AnCIw

— Terrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2024

The rules for overtime in the NFL are as follows.

If the team that first has possession of the ball scores a touchdown, the game is over. Otherwise, the team that starts the overtime period is guaranteed possession unless the opening possession lasts the full 10 minutes or the defense scores. If the game is tied at any time after the first possession, it becomes sudden death.

The rules are different in the postseason. And to be fair, overtime was a real sudden-death game for a long time, including Collinsworth’s entire playing career. But the current rules have been in place for over a decade.

In a different situation, Collinsworth’s comments — even on the first possession of overtime — might have made more sense. If the Lions were facing a third-and-long and were on the outside of their kicker’s range, it might make sense to play conservatively, pick up a few yards and make the field goal more certain. Getting to the sweet spot might also make more sense in inclement weather.

But none of those situations were at play here. It was the exact opposite. Detroit had no problem moving the ball in overtime. The Lions trailed by only one-third in overtime — and it was a third-and-one. There was no reason to think things would get out of hand, but if they did, the situation was still largely in their favor.

(Photo credit: NBC)