List of NFL tied games
In the National Football League (NFL), a tied game occurs when a regular season game ends with both teams having an equal score after one ten minute overtime period. Ties have counted as a half-win and half-loss in league standings since 1972; before that, ties were not counted in the standings at all. NFL teams rarely play for ties. In general, tied games in the NFL are frowned upon by both teams and fans. Because tied games are rare, some players have not known they were allowed in the NFL, such as former  Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who said after a tie game against the Cincinnati Bengals that he did not know a tie was a possible result, and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris after his team tied the Detroit Lions in . Tie games were frequent in the NFL from its inaugural season in 1920 through 1973, when the league did not have overtime during the regular season. During this period, the NFL had a total of 258 tied games. Only three seasons (1934, 1950, 1952) went without a tied game, while five seasons (1920, 1923, 1926, 1929, 1932) had at  least ten ties. The most ties, 17, occurred in the 1920 season. Ties became uncommon after a 1974 rule change added one sudden death overtime period (15 minutes) to regular-season games if they were tied after regulation. Under the original overtime rules, any score by either team in overtime would win the game. The rules were modified in 2012; if the team that received the opening kickoff scores a field goal, the other team has an opportunity to tie or surpass that score, and if they are able to tie the score the next team to score any points  wins. The overtime rules were further modified in 2017, shortening the extra period from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for regular season games. There have been 27 tied games since overtime was introduced in 1974; 17 ties occurred from 1974 to 2011 under the original overtime rules, five ties occurred from 2012 to 2016 under the first modified rules, and five ties have occurred since overtime was reduced to ten minutes in 2017. Four seasons (1986, 1997, 2016, and 2018) had two ties since the introduction of overtime. The most recent tie game occurred on November 14, 2021, when the  Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers played to a 16–16 tie. The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only current NFL teams that have never recorded a tied game; the New England Patriots have never recorded a tie in an NFL game, but recorded nine ties as members of the American Football League (AFL). The Chicago Bears have played to 42 ties (all prior to 1974), the most of any NFL team, while the Green Bay Packers have recorded the most ties since the 1974 introduction of overtime, with six. Tied games (1920–1973). National Football League. From 1920 to 1973 , there were no overtime rules during the NFL regular season. American Football League (1960–1969). Like the NFL at the time, the rival AFL did not use overtime to resolve ties during the regular season. Upon merging with the NFL in 1970, its records and history were incorporated into that of the older league. Tied games (1974–2011). In 1974, the NFL introduced a single sudden death 15-minute overtime period for all games that were tied at the end of regulation. During these seasons, a total of 494 regular season games went to overtime, 17 () of which ended in ties. The  most common tie score during this era was 10–10, which occurred six times. Tied games (2012–2016). In 2012, the league instituted a modified sudden death overtime system. A total of 83 regular season games went to overtime during these seasons, 5 () of which ended in a tie. Tied games (2017–present). In 2017, the NFL shortened overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for preseason and regular season games with the intent of reducing the risk of injury. As of , a total of 69 regular season games went to overtime under these rules, 5 (7.2%) of which ended in a  tie.