3:52pm: No NFL-NFLPA discussions have taken place regarding an eighth playoff team per conference this year, union executive director DeMaurice Smith said (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske, on Twitter).
2:50pm: The NFL is giving more consideration to a neutral-site AFC title game, and Albert Breer of SI.com notes Indianapolis has surfaced in the discussions (Twitter link). The league has informed relevant teams of the Lucas Oil Stadium concept. The league has not talked with the Colts yet, but CBS4’s Mike Chappell notes (via Twitter) the venue would be available on Jan. 29.
12:47pm: Bills and Bengals players are not behind making up the game, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, and the NFL appears to be discussing off-radar solutions to limit the impact Monday’s postponement would have on the AFC’s playoff bracket.
The league is understandably concerned calling Monday’s game a no-contest would unfairly punish the Bills or Bengals, considering both had a shot at home-field advantage. The prospect of the NFL adding an eighth playoff team for this season is now being discussed, Florio adds. Should the NFL attempt to go forward with this emergency approach, the NFLPA would need to approve it as well.
This would be a rather radical solution, but it would partially prevent the Chiefs — who would be a Las Vegas win away from earning home-field advantage — from both reaping the spoils of both an all-Missouri playoff docket and having an extra week of rest. The frightening Damar Hamlin scene leading to that sounds like something the league is trying to avoid, but the prospect of changing the bracket days ahead of Week 18 is a rather unexpected development.
The Chiefs winning Saturday and improving to 14-3 would give them the No. 1 seed, in the likely event Monday’s game is canceled, based on win percentage. However, an NFL half-measure would be to take the bye away. The Chiefs losing Saturday and the Bills winning Sunday, thus giving Buffalo the top seed, would guard against the AFC East champions having extra rest — effectively, as less than 10 minutes of Monday’s game elapsed — as well. The Bills did not have a bye week, of course, but should the NFL declare Monday’s game a no-contest, they will end their regular season with 16 games played. Ditto the Bengals, who will clinch the AFC North with a no-contest but will see their path toward the No. 1 seed close.
If eight teams are added to the AFC bracket, the NFC playoffs would need to be expanded as well. Major League Baseball changed its playoff bracket amid the COVID-19-truncated 2020 season but did so just before that shortened season began. The NFL has also made late changes to its calendar in recent years, moving the start of the league year back multiple times during CBA talks in 2020 and rescheduling several games during the 2020 and ’21 seasons due to COVID-19 outbreaks. In 1982 — a season altered by a players’ strike that wiped out seven games — the league also agreed to expand its playoff brackets to 16 teams. That is the only time in NFL history 16 teams qualified for the postseason.
An idea floated around proposing the NFC playoffs begin next week, along with a Bills-Bengals makeup event, and the AFC starting a week later — with the conferences synching up ahead of their respective divisional rounds — has not gained traction, Florio adds. However, discussions are continuing regarding the AFC championship game being played at a neutral site. When NFL executive VP Troy Vincent said everything was on the table, it appears he was serious.
Figured theyd do this.
In a game between the Lions and the Bears on Dec. 1971, Chuck Hughes, 28, a Detroit wide receiver, collapsed from a heart attack. He was carried from the field and a short time later was declared dead at a local hospital. Meanwhile, the game continued and was played to the end.
are we supposed to use that as reasoning to do the same, or to learn and not repeat history?
Does everybody repeating this tired narrative realize that there was 62 seconds left in that game, not three and a half quarters?
I did not know that only a minute remained—or, for that matter, that Detroit was driving for a touchdown that would have given them the lead. This raises interesting questions. In the event of catastrophic injury, should the game be continued if the outcome is in doubt? Should the game be continued only if an agreed upon number of minutes remain to be played. What’s your view, Hubcap?
here we go steelers, in the playoffs again.
but more than that, if the steelers beat the browns Sunday, it will be the 30th season in a row where the Steelers finish with a better record than the browns.
that’s insanely pathetic.
Bills need to concede sorry bros it is what it is. End this fiasco and change how you deal with on field injuries. Cart everybody off asap get the ball rolling.
you are an idiot
Must be a Mahomes fan boy
i am not a mahomes fan boy. i was under the impression that there was nothing in the rules that allowed for the type of circus that has been going on but i was wrong:
ARTICLE 4. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. The NFL affirms the position that in most circumstances all regular-season and
postseason games should be played to their conclusion. If, in the opinion of appropriate League authorities, it is impossible to
begin or continue a game due to an emergency, or a game is deemed to be imminently threatened by any such emergency
(e.g., severely inclement weather, lightning, flooding, power failure), the following procedures (Articles 5 through 11) will serve
as guidelines for the Commissioner and/or the duly appointed representatives. The Commissioner has the authority to review
the circumstances of each emergency and to adjust the following procedures in whatever manner the Commissioner deems
appropriate. If, in the Commissioner’s opinion, it is reasonable to project that the resumption of an interrupted game would not
change its ultimate result or adversely affect any other inter-team competitive issue, the Commissioner is empowered to
terminate the game.
The key sentence is “If, in the Commissioner’s opinion, it is reasonable to project that the resumption of an interrupted game would not change its ultimate result or adversely affect any other inter-team competitive issue, the Commissioner is empowered to terminate the game.”
Well, since cancellation does impact the result & it does; impact other teams, then it shouldn’t be cancelled.
All games should be played normally for the final week, then if the game still has meaning, it should resume as the only game the following Sunday. To make that week up, the bye week between the Championship Game & the Super Bowl should be erased. If Cincy & Buffalo were to meet in the playoff, they sure as hell would play it, so finish this game too. (The optimistic info coming out about Hamlin – and his question “who won” screams for this).
Congratulations. You wanted people to notice you being garbage and we did. If you actually think someone should be carted off immediately when they’re heart stops, you’re either inhuman or unbelievably stupid. Possibly both.
ya I think people in critical medical states should be transported to the appropriate trauma centers as soon as possible. you dont? how insensitive and thoughtless. how awful of you.
He needed and received CPR on the spot. Of course you know this already. You also know you’re being a creep.
he could have and did receive CPR related treatment en route to the hospital where he was given additional more advanced life saving treatment. also stop projecting, creep.
@boastrogot Please cite medical evidence to support your position. Also, please post your medical credentials so we can compare them to the on-field medical staff. I’m sure you have an impressive resume and clearly know more than those on scene. Your enlightened take has made all of us more informed. We all thank you.
Elmer Fudd MD
Even cardiac’s at home or on the street do not get moved, but rather get stabilized on the scene by paramedics before they move the patient to a hospital. They don’t rush to a hospital until they stabilize the body first.
You’re actually saying that when someone’s heart stops they should be carted away before their heart is restarted? By which time they may be brain dead?
They need to stop ‘considering’ and make a decision. Teams are scheming, giving backups reps for them to start, and now these teams might have a chance at a playoff spot. Changes al of their preparations which leads to readiness and safety. Make the decision now.
“The Chiefs losing Saturday and the Bills winning Sunday, thus giving Buffalo the top seed, would guard against the AFC East champions having extra rest — effectively, as less than 10 minutes of Monday’s game elapsed — as well.”
Feels pretty gross to see someone even begin to consider any bit of week 17 as “extra rest.”
Just call the Monday game a Cincy win since they were leading when the game was stopped. Problem solved
Less than 10 minutes into the game!? Pretty rich since you’re probably a Chiefs fan and they’ve won how many games in the final minute this year? At least the last 2 and probably more than half
And how many late wins with excellent performances by the refs? Didn’t they lose to both the Bengals and Bills?
Im not a fan of these teams, DuWayne.
The game was stopped under extraordinary circumstances. An extraordinary decision needs to be made to resolve it. Understand or do I need to get the crayons out and draw you a picture?
Start the NFC playoffs next week as normally scheduled and also play Bills-Bengals. Then give the remaining NFC playoff teams a bye he following week while the AFC plays their wild card round. Then both conferences have had an extra bye and will be lined up by the divisional round. Play the pro bowl events after the Super Bowl.
Not sure if that would work. Pro Bowl has already sold tickets and events are set up.
No one cares about the Pro Bowl. It’s a glorified circus.
While I agree the problem is tickets have been sold and events planned. You think the NFL wants to refund people? How about any vendors that are set up to be there. Is the NFL going to pay them off for the loss of income?
Let them attend and play the real games on the big screens while honoring the Pro Bowl players. Skip the flag football part…problem solved.
you will never replace Roger Goodall…
That’s actually complimenting him.
There is no Pro Bowl…it’s now a Flag Football game.
This seems like a crazy idea. if the Bills and Bengals are both ok not playing the game, why is there all this discussion? just have them play one less game and deal with the outcomes.
I certainly respect them not wanting to make up the game based on the situation and timelines. But if they are comfortable with that decision, than they should be confortable with anything that results from that decision.
seems like a lot of talk of various scenarios (some extreme) which aren’t really necessary
Agreed. Win percentage wise it would be like they tied the game, which happens. Seems simpler and more fair to everyone involved than adding an extra playoff team or significantly moving the schedule.
Has the league and the nflpa agreed to rules that would allow two teams to declare a draw without playing the game? What if a draw knocked someone out of the playoffs but was otherwise beneficial to the two teams that agreed to it?
It doesn’t affect just them. Baltimore could beat Cinci twice, have the same number of wins, and lose the division because the Bengals played fewer games. I guarantee you the Bengals aren’t in any hurry to play.
What would happened if the game finished in a tie?
Problem solved.
Did you not read the article? Calling it a tie would pretty much eliminate the Bengals or Bills from any chance of getting a bye. They’re basically saying it would be an unfair advantage for the Chiefs, especially since the Bills and Bengals both beat them head to head
If both teams concede, that’s a tie. I don’t care about the results for the Chiefs. If the two teams don’t want it that way then finish the game.
Well, the Chiefs also didn’t have to deal with a player nearly dying on the field…
the word ‘concede’ does not appear in the nfl rulebook shockingly operations dot nfl dot com/the-rules/2022-nfl-rulebook/
actually i am wrong
“Note: If a team forfeits a game, the opponent will be declared the winner by a score of 2-0, but the points will not be added
to the winning team’s record for purposes of offensive production or tie-breakers”
If both teams concede, then its a 2-2 score, problem remains!!! LOL
Well, the Chiefs usually luck out on everything else (including getting most of the hard games at home). May as well keep that streak alive…
Brilliant take. It’s not like they went to Tampa, Cincinnati and San Francisco for out of conference games this year. Oh, wait…
*out of division games
Lol. They did straight up loos to Buffalo and Cincy
Lose
Yes, they lost to those teams. No one is arguing that. I’m just trying to figure out how it is that the Chiefs are “lucky” and play “most of their hard games at home.”
They don’t.
Do a charity drive between Bills & Bengals fans. Whichever team’s fans raise the most for charity that team wins the game.
NFL looks good
Fans feel good
Actually help people
People gonna gripe about charity???
you mean something like this
link to gofundme.com
8 playoff teams? Nope.
As crude as it sounds, give cincy the win and move on from there.
call Roger Goodall. He is looking for an assistant… Use me as a reference…
actually this adding a team is a very good idea…never thought of it… but now no one gets an unearned bye…
kind of screws up the NFC a bit but 1 versus 8 would likely be Seattle or Detroit at Eagles… not that bad..
I don’t feel too strongly about which resolution they pick for this, but it’s funny to see people clutch their pearls about a playoff change. The playoffs have changed a ton over time. They just changed the number of regular season games. It’ll be fine.
There’s a HUUUUUUUUGE difference in changing up the playoffs format prior to the season and changing it completely less than 2 weeks before they start.
If they want to get all crazy on the AFC side and add an 8th team to the mix fine, but there should be no change in format on the NFC side.
There’s a huge difference. I just find it hard to care that much. Not that even seven NFC teams belong in the playoffs.
Just curious…..who’s your team?
Me? I’m a Jets fan, so I don’t have a horse in this race.
Actually, you do if the eighth seed is added.If they somehow do add an eighth seed, the path for the Commanders is straightforward. They’d need to win while Seattle loses and Det-GB doesn’t end in a tie. The path for the Jets is hard to see if it’s there. The Jets, Patriots and Dolphins at 8-9 would go through the division tiebreaker rules first. They’d all be 3-3 in division and 6-6 in conference so it would go to records against each other. The Patriots would win that one. Then the Jets would have the head-to-head tiebreaker with Dolphins. It would also require Cleveland to beat Pittsburgh then Cleveland would win that tiebreaker. It would also require the Jaguars to beat the Titans to get them out of the equation. New England and the Jets would both have the tiebreakers over Cleveland so they would be 7 & 8.
Ok, I guess I have a horse in the race, but it ain’t a fast horse.
Spoken eloquently, like a fellow Jets Fan….well done Ooooof!
I’ll try again… Actually you would have a dog in the race if an 8th seed were added: If they somehow do add an eighth seed, the path for the Commanders is straightforward. They’d need to win while Seattle loses and Det-GB doesn’t end in a tie. The path for the Jets is hard to see if it’s there. The Jets, Patriots and Dolphins at 8-9 would go through the division tiebreaker rules first. They’d all be 3-3 in division and 6-6 in conference so it would go to records against each other. The Patriots would win that one. Then the Jets would have the head-to-head tiebreaker with Dolphins. It would also require Cleveland to beat Pittsburgh then Cleveland would win that tiebreaker. It would also require the Jaguars to beat the Titans to get them out of the equation. New England and the Jets would both have the tiebreakers over Cleveland so they would be 7 & 8.
Why are they assuming an 8th would need to be added to the NFC side? On paper, that conference wasn’t affected right?
it would not be fair for an NFC team to get a bye and an AFC not to get a bye…
It’s not like it’s a Bye the week before the SB. Or even two. It’s THREE games before and 4 weeks before.
Thats more of a Punishment to the would be 1-seed in the NFC than that 1 singlevteam getting their fairly earned Bye is.
agreed, it’s also not like the league wanted to be in this situation where they have to choose between several crappy decisions, but they do have to pick one of them
Well put.
sounds like we have our winners of this whole situation. the fans in Indy. They get to see good football for the first time this season.
hilarious!
It’s an unprecedented and tragic situation and there will be be no solution that is perfect.
Having said that, why should the Chiefs be punished for any of this?
Haven’t they been leading the AFC pretty much all year and now they lose a home game…?
Umm no.. they haven’t, they lost to both the Bills and Bengals handily and until the refs called a Bullshot OPI, were losing to the dreadful broncos and barely slipped past a garbage Texans team in overtime… I’ll repeat that, in OVERTIME..
Buffalo was the #1 seed in the AFC until the Monday night game was canceled.
I get that you scared little Chiefs fans trying to grasp at anything you can because you know both Buffalo and Cincy are better teams than you. It’s sad how shameless you are trying to back into the #1 seed when you can’t even beat the big dogs. But all you all band wagon chiefs fans hope and pray for it.
I do, in fact, know that both Buffalo and Cincy are better (football) teams than me, a lone Pittsburgh Penguins fan.
But, your “us against the world” game is sharp, if unfocused there, Stabby.
What’s the timeline over/under on the next time the Bills play at Cincy? If they don’t want to finish this game, what makes them want to play another one ever again? Is it just playing this particular game, this team, this venue, football??
Who cares if the Bills and Bengals want to play the game. It’s their job. Of course the Bengals don’t want to play it, they lock up the division that way. Baltimore will be livid if they beat Cincinnati twice, have the same number of wins, and still lose the division because the Bengals didn’t play all the games.
I don’t like the idea of a neutral site game – as the NFL wins regardless of where the game is played – but the fans/cities of both teams lose big time (in monetary, vocal support, travel, and local revenue terms). If the CIN/BUF game is considered permanently suspended then just use the usual “winning pct” rules to determine division winners and seeds.
Anyone who watches the game officials knows it’s laughable for Goodell to suggest he doesn’t want to put any team at a disadvantage. I’d also suggest that if a team has the talent and character to win a championship it shouldn’t matter where they are seeded in the playoff bracket.
Just play the makeup next weekend. If Buffalo can play this weekend they can play next weekend. Start the NFC playoffs next weekend along with the Buffalo Cinci game. They can even have a week break between NFC divisional weekend and NFC championship to have both conference Championship games the same weekend. So no “disadvantage” for either team in the super bowl.
This is so beyond ridiculous. Even though it is being debated here, it was absolutely right to stop the game. It is absolutely right to continue the game. These ideas are so beyond stupid I cant believe it. It was extraordinary circumstances that stopped the game. It will take unusual measures to fit the game in. But just do it for crying out loud. Its not like moving a mountain to play one game and have other teams wait. There is no reason not to play it unless it is money. I hear well maybe the Bengals and Bills dont want to play it. Sorry. Doesnt work. They will play this weekend. They cant pick and choose what games they would like to play. If they want to both withdraw from the 2022 season okay but dont see that. Great news coming out about the improving condition of Damar. So less of a cant take the field while not knowing angle. I would have to believe Damar wants them to play. Its just so simple to me. Everything mentioned here is garbage. None of the teams can probably speak out on it because the Twitterverse will blame them and label them. You have to accept whatever or you are insensitive. Canceled. You cant change the rules in the last week of the season when all these teams have been playing this long with an understanding of the rules. Unless you have no other options. But you do. Play the game.
Agreed. Play week 18 as normal (since it’s all set up) and if the Bills/Bengals game still has ramifications, then it must be played the following week. Start the playoffs one week late and make up for the week by skipping the bye week before the Super Bowl. It’s not insensitive to ask them to resume in two weeks (as you said, Damar very likely would say that too). As you (and I) have said, if they were going to meet later in the playoffs, they’d damn sure play.