For the second week in a row, an NFL football game has ended in a tie. In week one of the NFL season, the Browns and Steelers tied 21-21 after a missed field goal by both teams in the fourth quarter. In week two the Vikings and the Packers tied 29-29 after Vikings kicker Daniel Carson missed three field goal opportunities to win the game. Could all of these be prevented and the games made more interesting if the overtime rules changed? In the NFL regular season the following overtime rules are used according to NFL.com:

At the end of regulation, the referee will toss a coin to determine which team will possess the ball first in overtime. The visiting team captain will call the toss.

No more than one 10-minute period will follow a three-minute intermission. Each team must possess, or have the opportunity to possess, the ball. The exception: if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening possession.

Sudden death play — where the game ends on any score (safety, field goal or touchdown) — continues until a winner is determined. If the score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, the result of the game will be recorded as a tie.

Overtime rules that allow no possibility of ending in a tie are absolutely necessary. They would make the games much more interesting and leave less question when deciding which teams deserve a place in the playoffs. For example, college overtime rules leave no opportunity for a tie. According to ncaa.com: teams take turns starting a possession on their opponents 25 yard line until one of them scores. These rules result in an extremely fair and exciting overtime for both the athletes and the fans. Ties make both teams feel like losers, and if the NFL would have gotten rid of them a long time ago, the Cleveland Browns might have won their last away game more recently than October 2015.