HEADLINES

Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

NFL Names Atlanta As Neutral Site For AFC Championship Game

January 12th, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

Two days before the playoffs, the NFL announced the neutral site that could play host to the AFC championship game. Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium would host a potential Chiefs-Bills conference title tilt, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This NFC venue emerged as the host after it became known Indianapolis and Detroit indicated their stadiums were not available. This stadium would only come into play if the AFC’s top two seeds — Kansas City and Buffalo — meet to decide the conference’s Super Bowl representative.

While an outdoor stadium was believed to be a consideration for this unique circumstance, as both the Chiefs and Bills hail from cold-weather cities, only indoor sites were mentioned during this process. Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted Super Bowl LIII and has been the site for CFP national championship games.

Should the Bills and Chiefs reach the conference championship game, it would be Buffalo’s second relocated contest this season. A snowstorm moved a November Browns-Bills contest to Detroit. While weather issues have moved games before, a conference title game being relocated is new territory for the league. But the owners narrowly approved the NFL’s proposal on a compromise, as the Bills controlled their own destiny for the AFC’s No. 1 seed prior to the Damar Hamlin injury and hospitalization leading to the cancellation of Week 17’s Bills-Bengals matchup.

Although the Bengals launched a protest of the playoff modification, they only objected to the coin-toss component — which affected the AFC North teams and which is no longer in play, thanks to Cincinnati’s Week 18 win over Baltimore — in the proposal. The Bengals, Bills and Chiefs were all believed to be fine with the relocated AFC title game, though the Chiefs abstained from voting. The Bengals also had a narrow path to the No. 1 seed going into Week 17, but the Chiefs’ Week 18 win would have prevented that regardless of a Bills-Bengals result. As such, this relocation measure will only take effect if the Bills and Chiefs meet for a third straight postseason.

Both those matchups — a 2020 AFC title game blowout and 2021 divisional-round classic — occurred at Arrowhead Stadium and went the Chiefs’ way. The Bills (13-3) have not held home-field advantage since the 1993 season (when they beat the Chiefs to book a Super Bowl XXVIII berth), and because win percentage gave the 14-3 Chiefs the edge, the AFC East champions are set up for a tougher road to the AFC title game.

Should the Bills and Bengals win their respective wild-card games, as they are heavily favored to do, they will meet in Round 2. The Chiefs will face a less-accomplished team — likely the winner of the Chargers-Jaguars matchup — despite the Bills having defeated them in Kansas City this season, still providing the top-seeded team an advantage despite the NFL stepping in to prevent the Bills from playing in K.C.

Rumors of the NFL using this as a trial balloon for neutral-site conference championship games have emerged, and while that would be intriguing (and similar to college football’s setup), it would minimize the importance of obtaining home-field advantage and thus devaluing the regular season to a degree. But if a third Patrick Mahomes–Josh Allen playoff clash commences, the league will see this compromise/experiment come to fruition.

Bills Designate S Micah Hyde, WR Jamison Crowder For Return

January 11th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

Micah Hyde‘s season may not be over just yet. The Bills designated the veteran safety for return Wednesday. Hyde has been out since suffering a neck injury in Week 2.

The Bills have three weeks to activate Hyde. Initially thought to be done for the year, Hyde has progressed to the point the prospect of a late-season return surfaced a few weeks ago. The Bills will gauge his form this week in practice. The team has also opened the practice window for Jamison Crowder, who has been out since October with a fractured ankle. Neither Crowder nor Hyde will play against the Dolphins on Sunday, Sean McDermott said (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski).

Having saved most of their IR activations, the Bills are in good shape if they see enough to activate either player during the playoffs. Hyde’s injury brought Damar Hamlin into Buffalo’s lineup in September. Hamlin made 14 starts this season, though the 14th did not end up counting for historical purposes because of the frightening injury the second-year defender sustained in Cincinnati last week. Hamlin has progressed to the point he has returned home from the hospital, but it is not known if he can resume his football career. The Bills placed Hamlin on IR last week.

Hyde has been a Buffalo mainstay since joining the team as a free agent in 2017. McDermott added both Hyde and Jordan Poyer on midlevel contracts during his first year in charge. Both moves provided tremendous value for the Bills, who have used the Hyde-Poyer tandem since. Poyer booked his first Pro Bowl honor this year. Hyde has one such nod as well. Having Hyde (81 Bills starts) back in uniform would be a boon for a Buffalo secondary that has not been whole all season. Tre’Davious White did not debut until Thanksgiving, while Poyer has also missed some time.

The Crowder addition — on a one-year, $2MM deal — gave the Bills a deep receiving corps, but the veteran slot player did not last long this season. Rumblings about a late-season Crowder return, however, also surfaced a few weeks back. In the wake of Crowder’s injury, the Bills greenlit reunions with John Brown and Cole Beasley. Both veterans have made contributions in recent weeks, with Brown hauling in a diving touchdown catch in the Bills’ Week 18 win over the Patriots.

Although Crowder only caught six passes in his four-game start to the season, the well-traveled vet posted 800-plus-yard seasons in Washington and New York. Hyde has two five-interception campaigns on his resume, the second coming in 2021. It will be interesting if one or both players can return for the Bills this season.

Latest On Bills S Damar Hamlin

January 11th, 2023 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 11: Hamlin is heading home. He is being discharged from the Buffalo hospital, the Bills announced (on Twitter). After a series of tests Tuesday, Bills medical personnel and the staff at the Buffalo hospital determined Hamlin has progressed to the point he can continue his rehab at home and at the team facility.

JANUARY 9: Damar Hamlin left the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Monday, announcing (via Twitter) a return to Buffalo a week after his frightening injury brought the NFL world to a halt. Hamlin will now receive treatment at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.

The Bills safety continues to make significant strides. Hamlin, who needed to be resuscitated last week at Paycor Stadium after suffering cardiac arrest during the since-cancelled Bills-Bengals game, has resumed walking and is undergoing physical therapy, his Cincinnati doctors announced (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg). Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane visited the second-year player Monday in Buffalo.

“Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC,” Hamlin said (via Twitter). “Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home!”

The Bills placed Hamlin on IR late last week. Although Hamlin’s progress has been a tremendous development, doctors said last week it is too soon to know if he will be able to play football again. As Hamlin recovers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the Bills reached an agreement with the NFL and NFLPA to pay his full salary while he is on IR (Twitter link).

Hamlin, 24, has earned most of his $825K base salary this season. An standard IR split would have resulted in nearly $21K less last week, Rapoport tweets. This arrangement carrying over to 2023 would result in Hamlin earning his full $940K base if he is placed on an injured list to start next season, but it is obviously too early to determine if that will be necessary. Hamlin’s four-year, $3.64MM rookie contract runs through 2024.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • WR Ty Fryfogle

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

January 8th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some fireworks came in regarding the draft order on the NFL’s final regular-season day. The Bears upended the Texans for the No. 1 pick, reeling in a team that held that top slot for much of the season. The Bears last made a pick at No. 1 overall in 1947. Their former head coach — Lovie Smith, whom the Texans just fired — oversaw this final-day flip-flop. Clarity on the rest of the non-playoff-bound teams’ draft slots emerged as well.

The Jaguars’ rally to win the AFC South moves them into a postseason spot, and the Titans’ seven-game losing streak to end the season drops them to their highest selection since 2017. Tennessee’s next general manager will have the opportunity to make a pick at No. 11 or deal from that draft position, while Jacksonville will hold its lowest selection since 2018. The Texans will hold two top-12 picks in April, thanks to the Browns’ Week 18 loss to the Steelers, while the Lions will have two in the top 20 as well.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:

  1. Chicago Bears: 3-14
  2. Houston Texans: 3-13-1
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  4. Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
  5. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  6. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Carolina Panthers: 7-10
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Tennessee Titans: 7-10
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. New York Jets: 7-10
  14. New England Patriots: 8-9
  15. Green Bay Packers: 8-9
  16. Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 9-8
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  21. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  22. New York Giants: 9-7-1
  23. Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
  24. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
  25. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  26. Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
  27. Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
  28. Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
  29. Buffalo Bills: 13-3
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3

This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Damar Hamlin Roundup: Bills-Bengals Resumption, AFC Alterations, More

January 8th, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Bills safety Damar Hamlin continuing to make progress in his recovery, and the NFL having moved forward with their re-worked playoff scenarios for the AFC, attention will now increasingly turn to the upcoming postseason. Here is a quick roundup, though, of some notes pertaining to the game in which he suffered cardiac arrest, and the process by which the new seeding parameters were arrived at:

  • Much has been made about the league’s intention of resuming the Buffalo-Cincinnati contest after Hamlin was taken off the field via ambulance. The ESPN broadcast of the game mentioned a five-minute warm-up period being relayed to both teams – something which NFL EVP Troy Vincent has, on multiple occasions, emphatically denied. Detailing the moments after Hamlin was resuscitated on the field, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that an official told the Bengals a 10-minute warm-up period would take place before resuming the game. Further conversations ensured, however, which included Bills head coach Sean McDermott stating that he was willing to forfeit the game if it ensured it was not played on Monday night. The Bengals, Florio adds, were accommodating of the Bills’ wishes, though they were under the impression the contest would be finished on Tuesday until realizing the Bills had retuned to Buffalo before the league’s ultimate cancellation decision.
  • That move led to the modified AFC structure for playoff seeding, affecting the Bills’ and Bengals’ abilities to clinch the top spot in the conference. When speaking about the owners resolution passed on Friday, commissioner Roger Goodell described it as “a focused approach that would only affect four teams” (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). One of main consequences of the realignment was the ability the Chiefs had to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win on Saturday (which they did) and the decision to move any potential Chiefs-Bills AFC title game to a neutral site – a scenario which is in play given Buffalo’s win today.
  • Another, of course, was the amendment stating that home field for a Bengals-Ravens Wild Card matchup would have been decided by a coin flip had the Ravens won today (which they did not). Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo tweets that proposals were in place to split the aforementioned amendments being voted on, but they did not pass. A coin flip being used to determine the top seed was not discussed, he adds (Twitter link). Throughout the process, the Chiefs abstained from voting given the direct effects the rule changes had on their path to the top spot in the AFC, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
  • The NFL also considered the possibility of the Ravens and Bengals playing their Wild Card matchup (which was a distinct possibility at the time, and has since been confirmed through today’s results) at a neutral site (Twitter link via Pelissero). Challenges with ticket sales and other logistics prevented that idea from gaining traction, however. Cincinnati and Baltimore will play each other for the third time this year – and second in as many weeks – during the first round of the postseason, with the Bengals playing host due to their superior record.
  • Competition committee chair Rich McKay said, when asked about the league’s decision not to simply base playoff implications on win percentage, “We don’t capture everything in every rule. When you face situations, you have to try to make adjustments. [This situation was] not that different from some of the COVID-related issues” (Twitter link via Pelissero and Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport). No games were cancelled due to the pandemic, but the NFL has likewise arrived at a response to the unique situation presented by last Monday’s contest not being completed. Now, all affected teams will move forward with their eyes on a playoff run.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/23

January 7th, 2023 at 4:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions heading into the final Sunday of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Promoted from practice squad: WR Josh Ali

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bills Place S Damar Hamlin On IR, Activate CB Christian Benford

January 6th, 2023 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what amounts to a procedural move, the Bills placed Damar Hamlin on IR on Friday. Hamlin has made tremendous progress in his recovery after a frightening scene Monday in Cincinnati, but doctors do not know yet if the young safety resuming his career is realistic at this point.

To replace Hamlin on their 53-man roster, the Bills activated cornerback Christian Benford from IR. A sixth-round rookie, Benford had carved out a role for himself prior to going on IR. He will be a welcome reinforcement for a Bills team that will resume its Super Bowl quest Sunday.

The Bills chose Benford 185th overall out of Division I-FCS Villanova. His lower-profile path notwithstanding, Benford played ahead of first-round pick Kaiir Elam as a starter early in the season. During the nine games in which the 6-foot-1 defender has played this season, he has started five and seen a 62% snap share on defense.

Benford and Tre’Davious White played in just one game together — the Bills’ Thanksgiving tilt in Detroit — but the former’s oblique injury sidelined him for the team’s next five games and the since-cancelled Monday-night outing. The Bills have White, Elam, Dane Jackson and slot Taron Johnson in place as their top corners. It will be interesting how the AFC East champions reintegrate Benford, who will presumably slide into a depth role.

Hamlin suffering cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium led to a heroic effort by the medical staffers — both at the stadium and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. After being given CPR and resuscitated at the stadium, Hamlin was breathing on a ventilator for two days. The 24-year-old defender progressed to a breathing tube, which he now no longer needs. Hamlin worked his way back to addressing his teammates via Facetime.

Football-wise, the Bills do need to replace the second-year talent. The Pittsburgh product started 14 games for the team since Micah Hyde went down with a season-ending injury in September. Hamlin’s 91 tackles are tied for second on the Bills. The team has Pro Bowler Jordan Poyer anchoring its back line, and it reacquired Dean Marlowe at the trade deadline. Fourth-year defender Jaquan Johnson has played 225 defensive snaps — third-most among the team’s safeties this season. Hamlin’s 845 lead the position group.

Latest On Bills S Damar Hamlin’s Recovery

January 6th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another batch of positive developments has surfaced from Damar Hamlin‘s recovery Friday. The hospitalized defender no longer needs his breathing tube and was able to speak to Bills teammates, the team announced.

After speaking to his family and select staffers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Hamlin told Bills teammates, via Facetime, “Love you boys” (Twitter links). Doctors removed Hamlin’s breathing tube overnight. Hamlin cannot say much yet, but his ensuing words to his teammates, understandably, “brought the house down,” SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.

Hamlin’s doctors have indicated he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old safety collapsed on the field in the first quarter of the Bills-Bengals matchup Monday. He required CPR at Paycor Stadium, where he was resuscitated, and as of Wednesday needed to be on a ventilator. By Thursday, Hamlin had awakened and was using his hands and feet.

Doctors said Thursday that Hamlin appeared to be neurologically intact, and the Bills’ latest statement indicates the same. During Hamlin’s short address to his teammates, Sean McDermott said he gave them a thumbs-up and “flexed on them,” ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets. Bills GM Brandon Beane stayed in Cincinnati through Thursday.

“I simply asked what would I want someone to do for my son,” Beane said. “I have two boys. Sean wanted to stay, too, but we decided he had to be with and lead our team back in Buffalo. It was a rollercoaster.”

A number of NFL tributes will take place this weekend; his charity has received nearly $8MM in donations. Hamlin’s doctors said Thursday it is far too soon to know if he will ever play football again, but considering where this situation was as recently as midweek, these latest rounds of updates have illustrated a remarkable turn of events.

Owners Approve Proposal Modifying AFC Playoff Bracket

January 6th, 2023 at 12:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a Friday meeting, the NFL’s proposal to modify the AFC playoff bracket in certain circumstances — in the aftermath of the Bills-Bengals game being ruled a no-contest — passed and will be implemented this season, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Although the Bengals voiced persistent opposition, the proposal received the necessary 24 votes. The prospect of a neutral-site AFC championship game is now in play, along with a chance the Bengals and Ravens — in the event Baltimore defeats Cincinnati on Sunday — decide home field for a wild-card game via coin flip. The measure received 25 “yes” votes, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio (on Twitter).

To recap, the NFL’s cancelling of Week 17’s Bills-Bengals game led to a series of adjustments being discussed. While it does not appear expanding the playoffs to prevent a potentially unearned bye gained traction, the neutral-site reality is a go. Here are the scenarios in which the neutral-site modification will take effect:

  • Buffalo, Kansas City both win or both tie this weekend: Bills vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site
  • Buffalo, Kansas City both lose, Baltimore wins or ties: Bills vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site
  • Buffalo, Kansas City both lose, Cincinnati wins: Bills/Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC championship is at neutral site

This came about because the Bills (12-3) controlled their own destiny for the AFC’s No. 1 seed — a spot the franchise has not secured since 1993 — going into their Bengals matchup. By virtue of the no-contest ruling, the Chiefs (13-3) now have that path. Buffalo defeated Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium this season, and because of the terrifying scene brought on by the Damar Hamlin injury and hospitalization, the NFL took a half-measure approach to account for this historically unusual postponement-turned-cancellation.

The Chiefs can still earn the AFC’s bye with a win Saturday over the Raiders, but if they meet the Bills again in the playoffs, the game will not be in Missouri. The Chiefs losing in Week 18 and the Bills winning would send a potential AFC title matchup to Buffalo, however, as Kansas City would not gain an edge from Buffalo’s no-contest in that scenario.

The Bills and Chiefs have met in each of the past two postseasons. Both games occurred in Kansas City, with the Chiefs winning each matchup. If the Chiefs lose Saturday or if the neutral-site scenario comes into play, it will be the first time they have played away from Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC playoffs since Patrick Mahomes‘ starter tenure began in 2018.

Roger Goodell will determine the neutral site. Indianapolis surfaced as a candidate Thursday, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter) prioritizing an outdoor venue became part of the discussion. As of Friday, the potential neutral site is not known. Ford Field is off limits, Rapoport adds, while NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan confirms the NFL has not talked to Superdome officials (Twitter links).

On the AFC North front, the Bengals (11-4) have clinched the division title because their win percentage will eclipse the 10-6 Ravens’ regardless of what happens in the teams’ Sunday meeting. Had the Bills won Monday and the Ravens defeated the Bengals in Week 18, Baltimore would have won the AFC North. The NFL factored that outcome into this emergency proposal.

If the Ravens win this weekend and the two teams meet up in the wild-card round, then a coin toss with determine the home site. Goodell will supervise the toss. The Bengals are favored to beat the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens on Sunday, but if they lose, the first part of Friday’s changes would come into play.

Though Cincinnati could benefit from the neutral-site wrinkle, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports Bengals ownership attempted to convince the league’s owners to vote down the NFL’s proposal. The competition committee approved the proposal Thursday, but one of its members — Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn — dissented due to this change happening late in the season and not during the offseason. The NFL rulebook calls for win percentage to decide playoff seeding, in the event an uneven number of games are played. Then again, the league has not seen one of its seasons involve disparate game counts since 1935. In light of the Hamlin scene causing that streak to end, the competition committee to act.

“The proper process for making rule change [sic] is in the off-season,” Blackburn wrote, via ESPN.com’s Seth Wickersham. “It is not appropriate to put teams in a position to vote for something that may introduce bias, favor one team over another or impact their own situation when the vote takes place immediately before the playoffs.”

Zac Taylor also voiced disappointment Friday the NFL is not going by win percentage. It is certainly understandable for the Bengals, who are known for voting against rule changes, to voice opposition; the change could hurt their chances of defending their AFC title. But Cincinnati is a seven-point favorite over a Tyler Huntley-quarterbacked Baltimore squad this week. Jackson was healthy when the Ravens defeated the Bengals. Taking care of business in Week 18 will remove the coin-flip component from these modifications.

The NFL expanded to seven-team playoff brackets per conference in 2020, after moving from five to six teams ahead of the 1990 season. But Friday marks the first in-season change to the playoff setup since 1982, when a players’ strike led to the league creating a 16-team field ahead of Super Bowl XVII. The AFC’s route to Super Bowl LVII will be quite confusing, should the favorites prevail.

Load More Posts