The NFL is now approaching the purpose the place the cancellation of the Week 17 sport between the Payments and the Bengals has a big impact on the playoffs. There isn’t a doubt that abandoning the sport and specializing in Damar Hamlin’s well being was the correct transfer – even when the NFL did not need to do it, however was pressured by the braveness of Payments and Bengals who refused to play given the circumstances.
Nonetheless, the cancellation of the sport precipitated issues. Fortuitously, Hamlin is recovering and the playoffs are underway – now the league is taking a look at a really actual situation the place the AFC Championship sport could possibly be performed at a impartial venue. As soon as a risk, that is now a coming actuality, and it’s inflicting ferocity on many fronts. Let’s check out how this occurred, what might need occurred on account of the canceled match and whether or not taking part in on a impartial floor may gain advantage one of many taking part in groups.
As traditional, locations for play-offs are chosen
That is the third yr for the reason that NFL expanded the playoffs and eliminated the two-team system for byeing on the high of the rankings. To compensate for this, the bracket is re-seeded after every spherical, with the No. 1 and No. 2 seed retaining house courtroom benefit till they meet in a championship match, at which level the No. 1 seed would have the benefit.
This additionally signifies that the No. 2 seed would keep home-court benefit till the Tremendous Bowl if the No. 1 seed was eradicated earlier than the Convention Championship.
There’s a tiered extra time tiebreaker system to interrupt the impasse within the occasion that two groups enter the playoffs with the identical general document. There are 11 potential extra time situations, beginning merely with an outright win over the convention and going extra particular till the extra time is determined by a coin toss – will the groups one way or the other be locked out after 10 strikes.
Why Payments vs. Bengals was the proper storm
When Buffalo traveled to Cincinnati in Week 17, it was a sport that made the playoffs. It was the No. 2 seed vs. seed 3, however past that, the result of the sport might fully change the course of the playoffs.
If Payments had gained…
They’d end the season with a document of 14-3 and 10 wins over AFC. This is able to tie them to the Chiefs, however Buffalo owned the tie-breaker over Kansas Metropolis. The Chiefs gained 9 video games towards the AFC, making it a No. 1 tie – which means the Payments would have home-court benefit within the playoffs, and the AFC Championship sport could be performed in Buffalo.
If the Bengals win…
Nothing would change relating to playoff seeding. It could tie the Payments and Bengals at 13-4 to shut out the season, with each groups going 9 wins towards the AFC. This is able to transfer into the second extra time, division victories which Buffalo would break with 4 wins towards the AFC East versus Cincinnati’s three wins towards the AFC North.
When the match between the 2 was referred to as off, it was justified, casting a shadow of doubt over the whole playoff seeding course of. It was apparent that giving Kansas Metropolis a home-field benefit based mostly on the circumstances was unfair, which meant that the impartial location choice needed to come into play.
The Payments and Chiefs have the most important house benefit within the AFC
The house subject means so much to each of those groups. Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas Metropolis is legendary for its unbelievable crowd noise. In 2022, the Chiefs had a 7-1 house document, with their solely loss by the hands of Buffalo in a 24-20 Week 6 matchup.
In the meantime, Buffalo is equally fertile floor for the Payments. In 2022, the staff gained 7-2 at house, their losses as a result of Vikings rising in extra time and a shock loss to the Jets, who on the time have been probably the most feared groups within the NFL. The Payments solely misplaced by three factors on each events, and the noise at Highmark Stadium is matched solely by the brutal January climate, giving the Payments a big benefit, particularly towards groups which have quite a lot of passes and may’t deal with the wind.
It is not settled but – and Joe Mixon has NO motive to be offended about it
It needs to be famous that the thought of a impartial sport on the spot solely applies if the Chiefs AND the Payments win this weekend. If solely Kansas Metropolis wins, the AFC Championship shall be performed in Finals, and if solely Payments wins, it is going to be performed in Buffalo.
Bengali runner Joe Mixon is upset that AFC Payments vs. Chiefs are bought prematurely.
“Actually, it is disrespectful, however we’re not frightened about that shit,” the runner mentioned on Wednesday. “We have now a sport to play on Sunday, do not we?” Like I mentioned, we’ll go there on Sunday and do what the hell we now have to do to get again with this W. After which we’ll see what they’re speaking about.
It needs to be famous that advance tickets are additionally being bought for the Bengals AFC Championship sport within the occasion the Chiefs AND Payments lose, which might end in Cincinnati internet hosting Jacksonville. Pre-sales like this occur on a regular basis.
The place is the sport going and does anybody have a bonus
Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium will host a possible AFC Championship between the Payments and Chiefs, and the NFL is already dizzy with the quantity of hype it is getting.
Apart from conspiracy theories about unfair ticketing to followers, neither staff appears to have a transparent benefit. Atlanta is roughly equidistant between Buffalo and Kansas Metropolis, and it is unclear which staff has a bigger following nationwide – although anecdotally it looks like the Chiefs could also be extra .
Might this herald one thing larger?
The enjoyment of the NFL from a impartial facet promoting tickets so rapidly is value watching. It is unclear if the house owners could be open to relocating to impartial venues for AFC and NFC championship matches, and it is in all probability too early to speak about it – however you’d finest imagine the league would achieve this love have two extra Tremendous Bowl sized mini video games the place they will hand-pick the most important markets with the most important stadiums to host the video games.
It is not one thing to fret about proper now, simply one thing to observe – particularly contemplating the NFL is bragging about how nice Atlanta’s ticket gross sales are.