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In the closing moments of their Wild Card playoff game against the New Orleans Saints, the Chicago Bears scored a meaningless touchdown on a 19-yard pass by Mitch Trubisky to Jimmy Graham.
That touchdown, with no time left on the clock, made the final score of the game New Orleans 21, Chicago 9.
Jimmy Graham really just left after scoring the touchdown 😂pic.twitter.com/Sv2kru8iQZ
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 11, 2021
For most NFL fans, and the NFL itself, that was it, the game was over. No reason to kick the extra point since it wouldn’t make any difference in the outcome of the game.
Just one problem.
The NFL, which loooooooooooves having people gamble on their games, totally hosed a bunch of bettors who took the Bears +11 or +11.5.
https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang/status/1348432398422138884WHERES THE EXTRA POINT -11?!
— ben 〽️ (@_bendavid) January 11, 2021
No PAT. 11.5 dead
— Shane Hatch (@shatch28) January 11, 2021
Why didn’t they let them try????
Killin me!!!
— The Mean (@loudnewsnet) January 11, 2021
Screaming go for two!!!! pic.twitter.com/J0IXKVXL0w
— JNH (@JSTNHLMS) January 11, 2021
However, as prescient former NFL referee Mike Pereira would point out, the lack of an extra point worked out nicely in favor of those bettors who took the Saints at -11 or -11.5
No extension for the extra point since the the differential in points was more than two. I would imagine there are a lot of people happy with this rule.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) January 11, 2021
Thank the sweet lord they didn’t get to go for two
— #BoilerUp (@LancerUWM) January 11, 2021
No XP. Thank you!!!
— georgeshainakat (@pashaina890) January 11, 2021
Not people who took the over if the line was 30 1/2.
— Jay Arr (@JayArr240) January 11, 2021
Oh yeah, those folks weren’t very happy either.
And in case you are wondering, the NFL used to make teams kick the extra point after time had expired even if it made no difference in the final outcome. The reason for that is the chaotic ending of the 2017 playoff game between the Vikings and Saints when after everyone had gone on to the field or to the locker room and Case Keenum had even been interviewed by Chris Myers, the Vikings were forced to attempt the PAT, which they ended up just kneeling.