<P> Tie games were frequent in the NFL from its inaugural season in 1920 through 1973, when the league did not have overtime during the regular season . During this period, the NFL had a total of 258 tied games . Only three seasons (1934, 1950, 1952) went without a tied game, while five seasons (1920, 1923, 1926, 1929, 1932) had at least ten ties . The most ties, 17, occurred in the 1920 inaugural season . </P> <P> Ties became uncommon after a 1974 rule change added one sudden death overtime period (15 minutes) to regular - season and preseason games if they were tied after regulation . Under the original overtime rules, any score by either team in overtime would win the game, which was proved to grant a substantial advantage to the team that won the coin toss . The rules were modified in 2012 so that the teams "have the opportunity to possess the ball at least once in the extra period unless the team that receives the (first) overtime kickoff scores a touchdown on its first possession ." The game can also automatically end on a safety or a defensive touchdown . If the team that received the opening kickoff instead scores a field goal, the other team has an opportunity to tie or surpass that score; if they are able to tie the score, the next team to score any points wins . The overtime rules were further modified in 2017, shortening the extra period from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for preseason and regular season games . </P> <P> Since 1974 there have only been 22 tied games, the most recent occurring in Week 8 of the 2016 season when the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals tied 27--27 . A tie game happened in each of the first three seasons after the overtime rules were altered in 2012 . The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only current NFL teams that have never recorded a tied game; the New England Patriots have never recorded a tie in an NFL game, but recorded nine ties as members of the American Football League (AFL). The Chicago Bears have played to 42 ties (all prior to 1974), the most of any NFL team, while the Green Bay Packers have recorded the most ties since the 1974 introduction of overtime with five . </P> <P> From 1920 to 1973, there were no overtime rules during the NFL regular season . </P>

Can an nfl football game end in a tie