NFL Championship Sunday superlatives

Best history: Two overtime games in one day 

Prior to Sunday, there had been six overtime games since the NFC and AFC championship games began in 1970. For the first time ever on Sunday, there were two on the same day.

The only other overtime game in AFC championship game history came in January 1987 following the 1986 NFL season. The Denver Broncos beat the Cleveland Browns, 23-20.

Meanwhile, the NFC championship game has seen its contest head to overtime in five of the last 12 years. The only other overtime NFC championship game prior to January 2008 was the Atlanta Falcons vs. the Minnesota Vikings in January 1999.

Worst non-call: Pass Interference against Nickell Robey-Coleman covering Tommylee Lewis

The NFL can emphasize its record-setting overtime day all it wants, but this week it’s probably going to fall on deaf ears, as most fans are discussing the terrible officiating from Sunday.

The worst call of all came in the NFC championship. On third-and-10 at the Rams 13-yard line with under two minutes to play and the game tied, Drew Brees targeted wide receiver Tommylee Lewis. But defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman broke up the play.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say he knocked out Lewis before the ball arrived.

It is the most obvious missed pass interference penalty of the season and maybe ever. It’s just so obviously a pass interference foul, and there’s no excuse for not throwing the flag on that play.

Even Robey-Coleman was expecting a flag.

Because of the no-call, the Saints settled for a field goal, taking a three-point lead. But there was enough time for the Rams to move into field-goal position themselves and tie the game. Had the penalty been called, New Orleans could have ran the clock down to four seconds and then kicked the field goal to win.

Having said that, the Saints had other opportunities to win the game. They held a 13-0 lead, and at home where they were 6-0 during the playoffs with Brees as quarterback, it shouldn’t have come down to that play.

The Saints also attempted a pass on first down after the two-minute warning when it would have been wiser to be conservative and let the clock run with a running play. Not doing that allowed the Rams enough time to drive down and tie the game with their own field goal.

Biggest play: John Johnson III interception, Los Angeles Rams

Furthermore, the Saints won the coin toss and had their chance to score a touchdown — like the Patriots did — to win the game in overtime. Instead, Dante Fowler pressured Brees, forcing one of his passes to flutter. It resulted in a John Johnson III interception for the Rams.

With the turnover, the Rams gained possession at their own 46-yard line. The Saints did a great job of pressuring Jared Goff, but he made some terrific throws in traffic to move the Rams onto the edge of field-goal range.

From there, it was all Greg Zuerlein, as the Rams won, 26-23.

Biggest bonehead penalty: Dee Ford, offside, Kansas City Chiefs

There’s plenty of officiating to be dissected in the AFC championship game as well, but the penalty with the biggest impact was a correct call: a Dee Ford offside that overturned a Patriots interception.

With 54 seconds remaining on third-and-10, a ball tipped off Rob Gronkowski’s hands and ended in a Chiefs interception. But instead of Kansas City taking over with under a minute to go and a four-point lead, Ford was lined up offside, which nullified the pick.

Then on third-and-5, Brady found Gronkowski for a 25-yard gain to the Chiefs 4-yard line, and the Patriots reached the end zone a play later. Although Kansas City was able to force overtime, the Ford penalty may have (the Patriots did have three timeouts) cost the Chiefs their first trip to the Super Bowl in half a century.

Biggest turning point: Johnny Hekker fake punt conversion, Los Angeles Rams

As previously mentioned, the NFC championship was 13-0 early, and the Saints appeared capable of running away with it at home. Instead, the Rams went for a fake punt on their own 30-yard line early in the second quarter, and it changed the complexion of the game.

Hekker completed a 12-yard pass to Sam Shields on fourth-and-5 to move the chains. Before that play, the Rams had 10 yards in the first 16 minutes of the game. They slowly got things rolling offensively after that, finishing the game with 378 yards.

Los Angeles outgained New Orleans, 378-290.

Strangest review overturn: Julian Edelman muffed punt, New England Patriots

There were about 248 reviews in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game, but this one stood out the most.

On a Kansas City punt about halfway through the fourth quarter, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman muffed the return, and the Chiefs recovered at the Patriots 26-yard line. But after review, the muff call was overturned, and the ball went back to New England.

Watching the replay, there’s no evidence to suggest Edelman didn’t touch the ball. On the other hand, there’s also no visual evidence to argue he DID touch it. The call on the field was he did, so overturning this call was quite puzzling.

But as if the football gods realized the referees got it wrong, Brady threw an interception — off the hands of Edelman no less — two plays later and the end result was the same: Chiefs ball deep in Patriots territory.

Where were the football gods in the NFC championship?

Best field goal: Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams 

Maybe they were there but just on the Rams sideline.

Following Brees’ overtime interception, Goff avoided a sack to complete a 12-yard pass to Tyler Higbee. But at the Saints 42-yard line, the next three plays were a struggle, and the Rams gained only 3 yards.

That made Greg Zuerlein’s attempt a 57-yard field goal. If he missed it, Brees would receive his redemption chance with excellent field position and needing only a field goal to win.

He didn’t receive that chance, though, as Zuerlein’s kick would have been good from about 70 yards.

Most tiring argument: NFL overtime rules

The hot take Sunday night was the NFL needs to change its overtime rules. Brady and the Patriots scored a touchdown to win, robbing the Chiefs of a chance to possess the ball in overtime. The critics argued the Patriots won the game because they won the coin toss.

That’s rather shortsighted since approximately three-and-a-half hours before that coin toss the Saints won their overtime coin flip but didn’t win the NFC championship.

While I would be in favor of the league changing its rules to allow both teams at least one possession, college football overtime rules are not superior to the NFL’s. College football overtime is a gloried shootout, and there’s a reason why sports fans hate that certain international soccer and hockey events end like that — it’s not the best way to determine a winner.

Are the NFL overtime rules the best way? No, they could be better. But they're the best football overtime rules we have.

Biggest losers: AFC quarterbacks not Named Brady, Manning or Roethlisberger

With the Patriots winning another AFC championship, this streak (it’s sort of a streak) will stay alive for at least one more season. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl every year but one since 2003.

The lone except was Joe Flacco in 2012.

That’s just pure and utter dominance. Granted, Brady accounts for eight of those 16 years, so he’s doing most of the heavy lifting. But Manning took two different teams to the Super Bowl twice during that span, and “Big Ben” has three appearances too.

Rivers, Mahomes, Watson and other AFC quarterbacks will have to wait one more year.