One: For the first time since the 2022 season, there was a tie in the NFL. Three years ago, both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, and the New York Giants and Washington Commanders fought their way to a tie game. Ironically, both those games were 20-20 ties.

Three years later, we got a 40-40 tie and an unsatisfying end to the marquee event of Sunday: the return of Micah Parsons to Dallas.

Now I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t personally mind ties. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s absurd that, in the year 2025, an NFL game can still end with no winner and no loser. But because it happens so rarely, it’s honestly a little bit interesting to see when it does.

Despite my non-hatred of ties though, I would support a measure to ensure that ties aren’t a thing in the NFL anymore. My personal solution? Kicker shootout.

Maybe that’s something I’ll dive into more later in the week.

---

Two: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made some waves this weekend when he said the league hopes to eventually have 16 international games a season, with each team participating in one.

“Our next step after Australia is probably moving games into Asia,” Goodell said, per ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor. “We are serious about being a global sport.”

I look at international games in the NFL in kind of the same way as I look at outdoor games in the NHL. The more and more you do, the less special they become. They lose their shine, novelty, and pizzaz.

The NHL created a smashing success when they had the first Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, 2008. Since then, the NHL has unveiled dozens of other outdoor games, in addition to continuing their New Year’s tradition each year. In 2014, the league announced the annual Stadium Series, and has sporadically brought back the Heritage Classic north of the border.

I still love the Winter Classic and the idea of an outdoor game, but there’s no denying that the NHL has watered down the novelty of the event. It feels like the NFL is heading down a similar path.

I have never been to an NFL game in London, but I feel like it’s a safe bet to say that games played there this year won’t quite have the same impact as the first one back in 2007 did. The same will eventually be said for Brazil, and Ireland, and others.

I just think the more there are, the less special they become. But, money talks far more than I ever could. So, here’s to a lot of international games, I suppose.