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The Longest NFL Game Ever Played

  • Revisit the 1971 AFC Divisional Playoff, the longest NFL game ever
  • With 14 Hall of Famers and an NFL record, this remains an all-time classic
  • Bet on rare NFL overtimes at the BetUS Sportsbook, with the latest odds available

 

The longest NFL game in history took place on Christmas Day. The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins played in the 1971 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, which featured 14 Hall of Famers, two overtimes, and 82 minutes and 40 seconds of professional football. Miami edged Kansas City, then shut out Baltimore before losing in Super Bowl VI. This playoff game is an all-time classic and is worth revisiting.

The Longest NFL Game Ever Played
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes warms up with the ball - Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

 

What is the Longest NFL Game in History?

NFL football games typically have a game time of 60 minutes or one hour. This is how long NFL games last. But with the Chiefs-Dolphins game on Christmas ‘71, the 82 minutes added an extra period and a half plus some change. This longest NFL game was played between two legendary franchises and helped make the players bigger figures in NFL lore.

Kansas City had just won a Super Bowl two seasons ago, while the Miami Dolphins were a rising power. The Chiefs struck first by leading Miami 10-0 after one quarter, only for the Dolphins to return the favor and tie it up 10-10 at halftime. They exchanged touchdowns until they tied 24-24 and needed two overtimes. Garo Yepremian kicked the winning field goal for Miami.

Running back Ed Podolak set an NFL playoff record of 350 all-purpose yards with 110 receiving, 85 rushing, and 155 on returns.

This game remains the longest game in NFL history as of the start of the 2024 season.

 

What is the Most NFL Overtime Ever?

With its two overtimes, the Chiefs-Dolphins 1971 playoff game also counts as the longest NFL overtime game. It is rare for NFL games to need overtime (when the game is tied after four quarters) and even rarer for them to need extra overtime. An NFL game will end in a tie if teams are still tied after overtime during the regular season.

But in the playoffs, teams play until a winner is decided. This includes the Super Bowl, which has only needed overtime twice in its 58-year history. The Chiefs (again) needed overtime to edge the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. At the same time, the Patriots completed their legendary comeback against the Falcons just a few years before at Super Bowl LI.

The longest NFL game can be at the Super Bowl. However, this will be extremely rare. Instead, there are the longest plays in Super Bowl history.

 

How Long is the NFL Overtime?

The NFL’s overtime rules change depending on the situation. In the regular season, there is only one 10-minute overtime period. “Sudden death” rules apply, where the game ends whenever a team scores. However, there will be as many 15-minute NFL overtime periods as necessary to decide a winner.

Each team gets at least one try to score. If the team with first possession doesn’t score a touchdown, or if the score is tied after each team has had possession, the next score ends. This change in the postseason OT rules happened in 2022 following the controversial finish to the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills’ AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Thus, any playoff team can now set a new record for the longest football game ever. However, it would be extremely difficult as the teams must be tied for over two overtime periods.

 

Can an NFL Game End in a Tie?

NFL games have ended in ties. Even with much overtime in the NFL, scoring becomes difficult at times. Only 3.4% of games played in overtime resulted in ties (17 of 494) since the introduction of the sudden death OT rule in 1974 until 2012.

In 2012, the league modified the OT rules, which led to slightly more ties. Of the 83 regular-season games that needed overtime (until 2016), only five (6%) ended in a tie.

Finally, in 2017, the NFL shortened overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes to reduce the risk of injury. Through week 3 of the 2024 season, only seven of the 105 games (6.7%) that needed overtime resulted in a tie. The most recent game was between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants in 2022, which finished 20-20.

Fans can bet on whether a game will need overtime. The sports betting odds at BetUS are long since overtime happens infrequently.

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