List of NFL Tied Games - Selected Game Details

Selected Game Details

• Steelers 35, Broncos 35 (September 22, 1974)—In the very first regular season NFL game to go into overtime under the new rule, Pittsburgh and Denver play the league's first five-quarter deadlock as neither team was able to penetrate enemy territory in the extra period with the exception of a missed 41-yard field goal by the Broncos Jim Turner. The Steelers would go on to win Super Bowl IX later that season, the team's first of their four Super Bowl championships in the decade. Coincidentally, over 37 years later, both teams would also meet in the NFL's first non–sudden death overtime playoff game at the Broncos current home stadium, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, during the 2011–12 NFL playoffs. But the new overtime rules were proven to be moot that day, when the Broncos won 29–23 on the first play from scrimmage in overtime.
• Giants 20, Cardinals 20 (October 24, 1983)—Neil O'Donoghue of the Cardinals blows three overtime field goal attempts, including one from extra-point distance, in the only five-quarter tie in Monday Night Football history. The game is often derided by critics as one of the worst in the history of Monday Night Football, coming seven days after the Green Bay Packers outlasted the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins 48–47 in the highest-scoring Monday night game.
• Broncos 17, Packers 17 (September 20, 1987)—This was the last game for both teams before the players began a 24-day strike. The Packers under rookie quarterback Don Majkowski entered the game seeking their first win of the season, while the quarterback John Elway and the Broncos sought to remain undefeated. Green Bay jumped to a 14–0 lead before Denver pulled it to 14–10. Then in the fourth quarter, Packers Al Del Greco made a 32-yard field goal to put Green Bay ahead 17–10, but Elway engineered a game-tying drive capped with Steve Sewell's 2-yard touchdown drive. In overtime, the teams could not score; they traded punts and turnovers, and each missed a field goal.
• Chiefs 10, Browns 10 (November 19, 1989)—This game was the first time that Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer faced his former team, the Browns, after leaving Cleveland after the 1988 season. In a defense-dominated game, the contest entered into overtime with a 10–10 tie, but both offenses continued to struggle as the Browns punted three times and the Chiefs punted twice. With 17 seconds left in the extra period, Kansas City attempted to win the game on Nick Lowery's 47-yard field goal attempt, but his kick was short.
• Eagles 10, Ravens 10 (November 16, 1997)—With 3:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, kicker Matt Stover put the Ravens up 10–3 with a 23-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, the Eagles drove the ball 60 yards from their own 40 yard line to tie the game, thanks to a drive-capping 2-yard touchdown run from running back Charlie Garner. In overtime, the Ravens had three drives, the last of which saw Matt Stover sail a 53-yard field goal attempt wide to the right, thanks in part to the wind, with 2:21 remaining on the clock. On their final drive, the Eagles drove the ball far enough to give Chris Boniol an attempt to win the game with a 40-yard field goal into the wind. The ball sailed wide to the right, though, as the clock read 0:00.
• Giants 7, Redskins 7 (November 23, 1997)—Late in the second quarter of a Sunday night game, Washington quarterback Gus Frerotte ran for a one-yard touchdown. In an unusual celebration, Frerotte spiked the ball, butted his head against the concrete padded wall behind the endzone, sprained his neck, and knocked himself out of the game, leaving the Redskins with backup Jeff Hostetler as their leader on offense. In a key late-game penalty, receiver Michael Westbrook was penalized for removing his helmet while talking to an official, pushing the Redskins out of field-goal range. The game ended regulation tied 7–7, and neither team was able to score in the overtime, resulting in the NFL's second tie in as many weeks after going eight years without one. It is the only tie after 1989 not to be broadcast on Fox, instead airing on ESPN.
• Falcons 34, Steelers 34 (November 10, 2002)—Atlanta scored 17 points in the final 7:44 of regulation, including an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Michael Vick with 42 seconds left, tying the game and forcing overtime. In the overtime period, both teams had potential game-winning field goal attempts blocked. In the final seconds of the overtime, Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught a 50-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Maddox, but was tackled a yard short of the goal line as time expired.
• Eagles 13, Bengals 13 (November 16, 2008)—Eagles kicker David Akers tied the game late in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard field goal. The next five drives yielded no first downs for either team as the game headed for overtime. Neither team saw offensive success in the extra period. In their three drives, the Eagles gained a total of 57 yards with half of them coming on a penalty-riddled drive which started from their own 12-yard line and ended at their own 21-yard line. On their first two drives, the Bengals mustered only 32 yards. However, on their third and final drive, the Bengals were aided by a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Eagles CB Sheldon Brown, which placed the ball on Philadelphia's 34-yard line. In their following three plays, the Bengals were only able to gain five yards, setting up a 47-yard field goal attempt by Bengals kicker Shayne Graham, who missed wide to the right with seven seconds left in the overtime period. An unsuccessful Hail Mary attempt from Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb ended the game. McNabb later stated that he was not aware that a regular season game could end in a tie. Philadelphia finished 9–6–1, and because tie games count statistically under NFL rules as half a game won, the Eagles finished half a game above several 9–7 teams and clinched the NFC playoffs as the sixth seed.
• Rams 24, 49ers 24 (November 11, 2012)—This was the first tie game since the "modified sudden death" system was enacted prior to the season, but the rule change was not a factor since neither team scored in the overtime period. On their first possession of overtime, Rams receiver Danny Amendola's 80-yard reception to the 49ers' 2-yard line was negated by an illegal formation penalty. St. Louis was eventually forced to punt and the 49ers marched to the Rams' 23-yard line. However, veteran kicker David Akers missed a 41-yard field goal that could have won the game. The Rams, after driving the ball down the field, appeared to win after rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein hit a 53-yard field goal, but it was called back on a delay-of-game penalty. Zuerlein subsequently missed the longer 58-yard attempt wide right. After the 49ers went three-and-out, the Rams could only advance to near midfield before time expired, securing a tie game.