George Pickens walked off the field Sunday night genuinely confused. The Cowboys wide receiver had no idea an NFL game could end in a tie.
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After Dallas and Green Bay finished deadlocked following 10 minutes of overtime, Pickens told NFL Network's Jane Slater he was stunned to see the game end when the Packers kicked a tying field goal. He thought there was more football coming.
"I've never been a part of a tie in my life. I didn't even know football worked like that," Pickens said. "I thought we just would start another quarter right now and keep going. But a tie? That's a first time, yeah."
It's surprising that players at the highest level sometimes don't know the rules, and just as surprising that coaching staffs don't always make it a priority. Knowing that overtime ends after 10 minutes in the regular season can have major strategic and clock management implications.
Pickens isn't alone, though. Over the years, several players have admitted they didn't realize ties were possible until they played in one. The most famous example came in 2008, when Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb admitted he didn't know the rule after a tie against the Bengals.
Despite years of attention on the issue, confusion still lingers. Ties remain rare, but not rare enough for players to be caught off guard.
Hopefully Pickens — and everyone else in that locker room — now knows better. But don't be surprised if the next time a game ends tied, someone else admits they just learned it too.
