George Pickens Didn’t Know NFL Games Could Tie Until Packers-Cowboys Game!

George Pickens joined the elite list of players, which includes Donovan McNabb, who didn’t know about the tie rule in the regular season.

George Pickens Didn’t Know NFL Games Could Tie Until Packers-Cowboys Game!

George Pickens (Image via Getty Images)

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Dallas Cowboys wideout George Pickens wasn’t aware of the tie rule in the regular season of the league until the game against the Green Bay Packers last week. The Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys tied the game 40-40 after one overtime at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The intensely fought game also became the highest-scoring tied game in Super Bowl era.

The tie rule has only come into action on 30 instances since overtime was introduced in 1974. Considering the rarity of the incident, the rule is not so popular and unknown to many players, one of them being George Pickens.

Speaking to Jane Slater of NFL Network right after the game ended, Pickens admitted that he thought the game would continue after overtime.

I’ve never been a part of a tie in my life. I didn’t even know football worked like that. I thought we just would start another quarter right now and keep going. But a tie? That’s a first time, yeah.

Surprisingly, players aren’t aware of a key rule that is important for strategic and clock management purposes. The admission also meant that Pickens didn’t understand the gravity of the sack on the quarterback Dak Prescott by the Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons in the final minutes of overtime.

However, this is not the first time a player has revealed that they weren’t aware of such a rule regarding a tie. In 2008, then-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb admitted that he wasn’t aware of such a rule after the Eagles tied 13-13 with the Cincinnati Bengals. A few of McNabb’s teammates also agreed that they learned about the rule during the fifth quarter or after the game.

In 2021, when the Pittsburgh Steelers tied with the Detroit Lions, running backs Najee Harris and Godwin Igwebuike also admitted he wasn’t aware of it. Harris’ case could be explained as a rookie mistake, but on the opposing side, Lions’ RB Igwebuike was a few seasons into professional football.

Aware or not, George Pickens wants NFL to consider removing the rule

George Pickens might not have been aware of such a rule in the league. That being said, he’s not a huge fan of the same. In his postgame interview, he admitted that while it is a good look for the league, he would love to win a game rather than have no result.

George Pickens 3
George Pickens (Images via Bleacher Report)

The Cowboys and the Packers now share half a point (0.500) from the game. It is not better than winning, but for the Cowboys, it prevented them from an unfortunate result in a hard-fought battle at home. Pickens stated:

Yeah, just for me, personally. I know for the NFL, the organization, it’s a good look. But for me, I want to win.

Dak Prescott and Jordan Love, the two quarterbacks in the game, confessed that it felt weird after the game. Neither of them has ever been a part of a tied game before. However, the former added that a loss would have been much worse. For what it’s worth, it saved Pickens from having a full-blown meltdown.

After a few amendments this year, in the regular season, each team is guaranteed one possession in overtime, regardless of the outcome of the initial drive. If the game remains tied after both teams have had possession, play continues under sudden-death rules until the 10-minute overtime period expires.

If neither team secures a victory within that period, the game is officially recorded as a tie. Despite the outcry for a change, the league is not expected to make a change.

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