ST. LOUIS — After playing to a 24-24 tie against the San Francisco 49ers, the St. Louis Rams felt like they left something unfinished.

"I never had to think about it until now, and I sure don't like it," Rams defensive end Chris Long said of the NFL rule that allows for ties. "I think everybody on the field would have liked to have gone back out and just settled it. That's the rule right now. It is what it is."

An NFL regular-season game can end in a tie if the score is tied after a 15-minute overtime period.

Ties are rare. The last time there was a tie in the NFL prior to this Sunday was Nov. 16, 2006, when Cincinnati and Philadelphia played to a 13-13 draw.

It was the first tie for the Rams since a 10-10 draw against Minnesota on Sept. 19, 1976.

"I guess soccer games, certain ones, can end in a tie," Long said. "It really doesn't make sense. Both teams poured their heart out for 60-plus minutes. Guys really laid it on the line on both sides. What a football game. To end it that way is kind of odd."

"Obviously it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to end in a tie," Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola said. "It is what it is, I guess."

As a member of the NFL's competition committee, Rams coach Jeff Fisher is familiar with pros and cons of regular-season overtime games ending in ties.

"The committee talks about it every year," Fisher said. "The issue is just the length of the game. This was a long game. These are two teams that played an extra quarter. That's the issue. They've talked about the college rule, and they've talked about all the other things.

"Every four or five years, it happens. The standings look a little different. There are teams that get in (the playoffs) as a result of ties, and there are teams that don't."

Contact reporter Steve Korte at skorte@bnd.com or 239-2522.