Winning an overtime game on the road in the NFL

Buffalo Bills

(Photo credit: Scott Kinmartin)

Week 13 had two games go into overtime: The Vikings beat the Bears 23-20, and the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Buffalo Bills 34-31. For the Falcons, it was their first overtime win on the road since September 26, 2010.

Through games of December 1, there have been 13 overtime games in the NFL this season. One ended in a tie, and the home team has won nine of the other 12 OT contests.

In 2012, there 21 regular-season overtime games in the NFL. Of those 21, the home team won 11 of them. There was also an overtime game in the playoffs; that was won by the away team (Baltimore) as they knocked the Denver Broncos out of the playoffs on their home field on a Justin Tucker 47-yard field goal in double overtime.

One of the more interesting overtime games last season was on December 2. The Seattle Seahawks were on the road facing the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks won the game 23-17 in Chicago in overtime. It was the first victory in a five-game winning streak that propelled the Seahawks to an 11-win season and a spot in the playoffs.

But another reason that game was noteworthy was that it was the first overtime win on the road for the Seahawks in almost 10 years. Prior to that win in Chicago, the last time Seattle won an overtime game on the road was December 29, 2002 when they beat the Chargers 31-28 in an overtime game in San Diego.

The current longest drought for a road overtime win belongs to the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona has not won an overtime game on the road since December 2, 2001.

With that in mind, here is the last time each team won an overtime game on the road.

Last overtime game won on the road, team
12-2-2001: Arizona

10-23-2003: New England

1-10-2004: Carolina
10-10-2004: Minnesota
10-24-2004: Philadelphia

10-16-2005: Jacksonville
10-30-2005: Chicago
11-27-2005: St. Louis

12-10-2006: Tennessee

10-29-2007: Green Bay
11-18-2007: Cleveland
12-9-2007: San Diego

9-14-2008: San Francisco

10-17-2010: Miami
11-28-2010: Pittsburgh
12-26-2010: Washington

11-20-2011: Dallas
11-27-2011: Denver
12-24-2011: Oakland

1-22-2012: New York Giants
9-23-2012: Kansas City
9-23-2012: New York Jets
10-14-2012: Buffalo
10-14-2012: Detroit
10-28-2012: Indianapolis
11-18-2012: Tampa Bay
11-22-2012: Houston
12-23-2012: New Orleans

1-12-2013: Baltimore
9-29-2013: Seattle
10-13-2013: Cincinnati
12-1-2013: Atlanta

Of the three teams that have this season won OT games on the road, two of those road OT victories came at the expense of the Buffalo Bills (both Cincinnati and Atlanta beat Buffalo in OT on the Bills’ home field). The Bills became the 11th team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to have lost two overtime games at home in a season. Following are those teams:

Lost two overtime games at home in a season
2013: Buffalo
2003: Tampa Bay
2002: Minnesota, Oakland
1996: Washington
1993: New England
1987: New England
1983: Green Bay, Houston Oilers, Tampa Bay
1979: New England

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