As the Bengals prepared to continue to play, it eventually became obvious that would not happen. At least one player heard Bills coach Sean McDermott say that the Bills would not continue, even if it meant forfeiting the game.

The Bengals were willing to accommodate the Bills. One player heard Bengals coach Zac Taylor offer to resume the game on Tuesday. Bengals players generally accepted the prospect of a one-day delay.

But then the Bills left Cincinnati. Multiple Bengals players were confused by that development as it occurred. On one hand, they were sensitive to the situation involving Damar Hamlin. On the other hand, they fully realized the stakes of the game. They wanted to get it played.

Bengals players were in the dark all week about the status of the game. They first heard that the game would be cancelled when the league announced it on Thursday night. Before that, they didn’t know whether they’d play the Ravens on Sunday or the Bills. Some thought they possibly would play the Bills on Thursday night.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/07/on-monday-night-bengals-were-told-game-will-resume-in-10-minutes/

Happy Hamlin is doing better but Bills can kick rocks

McDermott not taking the L is kinda questionable, but the league changing a written rule is just cheating...

Given how everything has been handled by the league and how obvious it is that they despise Cincy, I'm worried for our team's health. It is really odd how they want to make sure our starters play tomorrow. It wouldn't surprise me if a bounty were put on Burrow or Chase to prevent us from returning to the Super Bowl, with likely playing 2 weeks in a row to ensure the perfect situation presents itself for it to occur.

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(01-08-2023, 06:34 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: Given how everything has been handled by the league and how obvious it is that they despise Cincy, I'm worried for our team's health. It is really odd how they want to make sure our starters play tomorrow. It wouldn't surprise me if a bounty were put on Burrow or Chase to prevent us from returning to the Super Bowl, with likely playing 2 weeks in a row to ensure the perfect situation presents itself for it to occur.

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That's just silly talk.  So who would be putting on the bounty, the NFL?  The Ravens?  C'mon dude.

Look, I have no doubt the NFL would prefer a larger market team to go to the Super Bowl.  But to put on a bounty on you better know who you're aligned with from a player standpoint.  They may be on different teams but players respect players and wouldn't want any part of it to satisfy someone else's agenda.

The NFL did what they did to save as much face as they could publicly.

Given all the controversy they've delt with for how poorly they've handled Kaepernick, domestic abuse and concussion ls their first concern was saving face.

The bills didn't have a say in any of this nor did they want any of this. They are equally pissed KC just got handed the 1 seed as the bills controlled their destiny for it and this decision took that from them.

Obviously they still have a shot at a neutral field so they weren't screwed as much as us but that doesn't mean they're happy or any of this is their fault.

The situation sucks. Now put on your big boy pants and deal with it you snowflakes.

Yeah that's coming from the 'soft' guy around.

Harden up bitches

(01-08-2023, 06:27 AM)casear2727 Wrote: McDermott not taking the L is kinda questionable, but the league changing a written rule is just cheating...

I get him not wanting to do that to his guys, though.  They went through some shit, so maybe he didn't want to go to them and tell them that they just forfeited a big game.  He held strong for his players, and while I don't think letting him get by without correct consequences is OK, I don't blame him for standing up for his team, either.  

(01-08-2023, 10:31 AM)motoarch Wrote: The NFL did what they did to save as much face as they could publicly.

Given all the controversy they've delt with for how poorly they've handled Kaepernick, domestic abuse and concussion ls their first concern was saving face.

The bills didn't have a say in any of this nor did they want any of this. They are equally pissed KC just got handed the 1 seed as the bills controlled their destiny for it and this decision took that from them.

Obviously they still have a shot at a neutral field so they weren't screwed as much as us but that doesn't mean they're happy or any of this is their fault.

The situation sucks. Now put on your big boy pants and deal with it you snowflakes.

Yeah that's coming from the 'soft' guy around.

Harden up bitches

That might be the case, but I wouldn’t be surprised the Bills being extremely happy with the outcome of the decision. If McDermit was willing to take the forfeit than it should. Also, I don’t hear anyone from the Bills organization supporting Katie or Zack’s comments. The Bills care about one thing. Their organization and getting the Lombardi inside of their building. The Bills are not “our Bros”. I hear this and I want to vomit.


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(01-08-2023, 09:57 AM)Daddy-O Wrote: That's just silly talk.  So who would be putting on the bounty, the NFL? The Ravens  ? C'mon dude.

Look, I have no doubt the NFL would prefer a larger market team to go to the Super Bowl.  But to put on a bounty on you better know who you're aligned with from a player standpoint.  They may be on different teams but players respect players and wouldn't want any part of it to satisfy someone else's agenda.

This franchise?? It is not completely outside the realm of possibility. 

https://twitter.com/JohnFischesser/status/1476660429917245449?t=Lyu8BUrpzRPxME25R_lXIA&s=19

Yes, Scott is a former player. But he clearly suggests/implies here that a bounty style system existed/exists inside that franchise. 
I DO NOT recall Harbaugh or the organization denouncing his Red Dot comments about Joe Burrow. 

(01-08-2023, 10:34 AM)basballguy Wrote: I’ll never understand why some of y’all think it’s ok to be assholes to fellow bengals fans

Are you calling me the asshole?

I have to wear a flame retardant suit to post here the last week.

It time for all of us to get over this decision and move forward.

I'm not trying to be an ass as much as I'm calling attention to some many people coming here to call those of us still sympathetic to the situation that occured soft and yet they can't stop whining about how we were affected by it.

You can't have it both ways.  You can't call others snowflakes then act like one.

I fully supported suspending the game Monday night as it was understandable they weren't in the mindset to play until they knew if he was going to make it or not, but it rubbed me the wrong way when the Bills immediately flew home as it made resuming the game on Tuesday or Wednesday (and then pushing their Week 18 games to Monday) impossible. They clearly weren't doing it to be with Hamlin, either, as they were flying ~400 miles away from him.

(01-08-2023, 06:27 AM)casear2727 Wrote: McDermott not taking the L is kinda questionable, but the league changing a written rule is just cheating...

What was the written rule? Just the win percentage thing? Would that have helped the Bengals in this situation? I just can't understand how they give the Bills the benefit of doubt and say if they meet KC it's at a neutral site but not a neutral site if we meet Buffalo. I get they had a better record at the time we met but a neutral site isn't declaring we won. I do feel as we are taking the punishment for the game not being played. I would like some more transparency as far as what took place for this game being stopped. Who were Taylor and McDermott talking on the phone to outside of the Bills locker room and what was said. 

(01-08-2023, 10:42 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I fully supported suspending the game Monday night as it was understandable they weren't in the mindset to play until they knew if he was going to make it or not, but it rubbed me the wrong way when the Bills immediately flew home as it made resuming the game on Tuesday or Wednesday (and then pushing their Week 18 games to Monday) impossible. They clearly weren't doing it to be with Hamlin, either, as they were flying ~400 miles away from him.

Yep. It’s like they were forcing the league’s hand, all the while going back to prep for the next game on the schedule. We’ll never know if it was intentional, but once they left town the odds of this game getting played were as good as a mule winning the Kentucky Derby.

I think this is being blown out of proportion.

When this happened, everyone was like Oh Zac is so classy. And people were like...wow I just want Hamlin to be OK. Well, now that the chips fell slightly differently, the nfl is out to get us.

(01-08-2023, 11:53 AM)t3r3e3 Wrote: Yep.  It’s like they were forcing the league’s hand, all the while going back to prep for the next game on the schedule.  We’ll never know if it was intentional, but once they left town the odds of this game getting played were as good as a mule winning the Kentucky Derby.

So there's logistics too. You make the game Tues and they have to find a place to stay. Fans have to make arrangements. The nfl broadcast crews, etc.

Plus, at that point, it was unknown Hamlin would survive.

I just don't think playing it Tues was an option.

Then you play it Wed, and then another game Sun? Do you move the playoffs?

I don't see what the NFL did as bad.

Nice guys finish last. This is always true.

(01-08-2023, 06:27 AM)casear2727 Wrote: McDermott not taking the L is kinda questionable, but the league changing a written rule is just cheating...

It starts and ends right here....

I absolutely don't care anymore about last Monday night. No amount of pissing and moaning about "what we think we heard" is going to change the outcome. The mental gymnastics on this board is tiresome. It's almost as if a lot of people have forgotten we have an important game today. Every thread is regurgitating the samething over and over. Enjoy the game today, lets cheer our team on to victory!

(01-08-2023, 12:39 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I absolutely don't care anymore about last Monday night. No amount of pissing and moaning about "what we think we heard" is going to change the outcome. The mental gymnastics on this board is tiresome. It's almost as if a lot of people have forgotten we have an important game today. Every thread is regurgitating the samething over and over.  Enjoy the game today, lets cheer our team on to victory!

As it stands right now, i agree 100%.

It's over and done with and we now have to play with new chips, so take those chips and put them on the winning number so you can say "we got the rings, we got the money, we got everything!".

There's a lot of "the Bills should have done this" and "McDermott should have done that." Why is anyone surprised they will do whay is best for the Bills? We'd want Zac to do what's best for the Bengals, right? As for accepting a forfeit, you have to realize there is an owner involved. He may have said no. I really don't harbor any ill towards the Bills org. at all. It's the league the screwed us.

(01-08-2023, 11:56 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So there's logistics too. You make the game Tues and they have to find a place to stay. Fans have to make arrangements. The nfl broadcast crews, etc.

Plus, at that point, it was unknown Hamlin would survive.

I just don't think playing it Tues was an option.

Then you play it Wed, and then another game Sun? Do you move the playoffs?

I don't see what the NFL did as bad.

There is no excuse to changing rule that says bengals win based upon percentage and they therefore get a home game and first place schedule in 2023.

If we get to coin flip and ravens win they should get the first place schedule. If the NFL was about fairness and not protecting favorite teams or how to squeeze the last nickle - the rule would not have been changed and if changed they would also bless the ravens with plsying first place teams.

Tell me the benefit of winning AFC north if it goes to coin flip - sonething never done before and something that will never happen again.