NFL Playoff Overtime Rules: 'Modified' Sudden Death

If the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos go to overtime, it will be the first game played under the NFL's "modified sudden-death" system.

While regular season overtime games were left unchanged, the league's owners voted to change the system for playoff games last March.

Now, unless the team that receives the ball first scores a touchdown, the other team will have a chance to answer. So if Pittsburgh kicked a field goal on their opening possession, Denver would be given one chance to either match the field goal or win the game with a touchdown.

However, if the teams are even after their first possessions, the game reverts to a sudden-death format.

For a team like the Broncos with a strong defense, the real intrigue is whether to accept the ball if they win the coin toss. If they are confident they can get the Steelers in a three-and-out, they would set themselves up for great field position to get a game-winning field-goal, especially with the range of K Matt Prater, as Prater has already made a game-winning 59-yarder this season.

Each team will be given three timeouts and all replays will be handled by the booth.