Posted on 01/03/2023 9:33:41 AM PST by jimjohn
[Note: for those who could care less about the NFL or football in general in this forum, you can skip this thread]
Oh, to be in the board room of the National Football League right now. All thought are on the player Damar Hamlin. Our thoughts and prayers go out, and this Bills fan has been receiving support from around the country from friends and family. But with that said, it’s going to be asked: What to do with the rest of the NFL season?
[Full disclosure: Bills fan for 43 years]
The complications are manifested by the importance of the game itself when it comes to playoff positioning. A Buffalo win meant a win the following week guaranteed home-field advantage. A Cincinnati win would clinch the AFC North Division with the possibility of home field advantage as well. With Monday’s game postponement, not only is all of that in chaos, but it can also effect 11 of the 16 AFC teams now in playoff position.
Question: Assuming at least one team (The Buffalo Bills) may not be up to (or unable to be) playing this weekend against the New England Patriots (God forbid where their heads may be on Sunday), how to determine playoff positions?
It is impossible to avoid slighting a football team, but here is one possible scenario:
1. Declare the Bills-Bengals game a tie. It will not be rescheduled.
The 4 AFC division winners have clinched playoff spots. The only division winner in question is Bengals or Ravens in the AFC north, who play next Sunday. This game should go on as scheduled. We’ll get back to this game in #2.
2. Give the Buffalo Bills a bye this Sunday. Instead of Cleveland going to Pittsburgh, send the New England Patriots (scheduled on the road to Buffalo) to Pittsburgh. Winner makes the playoffs. Loser is out. If there is a tie, the Dolphins make the playoffs with a win. A Dolphins loss means loser of the Bengal-Ravens game gets in as a wild card. We’ll go ahead a give Cleveland a win for the record books, but their season is over.
3. Now, about the division winner seeding: A Chiefs win gives Kansas City top seed, with Buffalo guaranteed a #2 seed, Bengals-Ravens winner get #3 seed. A KC loss gives Bengals top seed with a win over the Ravens, but a KC loss and a Bengal loss gives Buffalo the #1 seed.
In short, by adjusting the last week of the NFL schedule, we give the Buffalo Bills time to regroup without having to send the season into an extra week in mid-January (that's not fair to anyone).
I know some will say it’s even ghoulish to think about it right now, but next Sunday - the final week of the regular season is right around the corner, and they gotta come up with something fast.
Just my $0.02
Mahomes for the win.
What do the bosses in Vegas say?
A Tie would be the best if not the most perfect solution...............
I would agree with declaring the Bills the #1 seed, as they were there, and let them not have to play their final game.
Yeah, maybe it isn’t the fairest solution for the other teams, but it’s the least disruptive.
There is an open week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, move the playoffs up one week and finish the regular season as scheduled, playing the Buffalo/Cincinnati game in the open week created after the end of the regular season, delaying the playoffs one week.
Why? There have been countless bad injuries this year, even career ending injuries. This wasn't a extraordinary hard hit, wasn't a dirty play, no one was celebrating the hit, everything was concerned about the player on both sides, it was normal except for the aftermath. Now it is the NFL's decision to suspend the game as per the rules, which they made a judgement call about and did. Now they have to figure out how to move forward while being concerned for the player and all the player's safety. There is nothing ghoulish about asking what's next?
They should be playing tonight.
Play out the season. The ratings will be through the roof!
What’s the over/under on how many more will keel over on the field?
I stopped watching the NFL after several issues.
1) it’s ref ball, not real football. When the female ref gave the ball to the redskins when the browns clearly recovered it was a huge issue. And the replay didn’t want to challenge the 1st female ref and make her look like the idiot she is/was.
2) taking a knee and crapping on our country
3) too much football all week long. I preferred all games on sunday and one on Monday. It keeps it fair and it makes it more exciting as Monday everyone talks about Sunday and Monday’s games.
4) and this is the big one. They acted like they were supporting our troops during the war by having them on the field and doing a little thank you for them. In reality they were paid by DOD to do that! Not only do they take tax payer money to fund their stadiums, but also they take it to “honor” the troops. I haven’t watched since.
College football doesn’t have these issues or at least certainly not on the scale the NFL does.
Having said that it was stupid to suspend the game. Players have died before and/or been crippled or had career ending injuries.
I think the Broncos should be declared Super Bowl Champions. Everyone’s a winner, right?
Brock Purdy takes the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his rookie season and defeats Mahomes and KC in a thriller. The next Tom Brady. Book it!
Should have kept the 14-game season.
That extra game have knocked the stuffi g out of smell teams while other teams seasons have been saved by it.
Note: for those who could care less about the NFL or football in general in this forum, you can skip this thread
* couldn't
I rooting for whatever team has the most politically incorrect name.
thought about that, but believe me, even I wouldn’t want to play (or attend) that championship game here in late January.
Also: Bills & Chiefs both win Sunday. What’s the Bengals motivation the following week? Their position would have been already decided.
My attempt is to avoid delaying the playoffs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.