01-05-2023, 08:45 AM
(01-05-2023, 06:43 AM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Yeah, this is an idea I liked as well. If we all win on Sunday, we know we can't get the #1 seed, so the Bills game is only important to differentiate the #2 (for us).
If scheduling really cannot work this one out, then I agree that you cannot fairly just make the Bills the #2 and us the #3. The fact they have one more win than us doesn't mean a lot in this case, because that #2 seed was just as much in our hands as theirs. Whoever won the game between us, took the #2 seed (ignoring an unlikely tie here) or them the #1 if they won.
That said it's not ideal either. Would the Bills concede the idea we should get home advantage? I doubt guys here would be happy with us giving ours up. Would either team be happy with a neutral venue? We all believe we'd have won and would then have a rocking Jungle for hosting the playoff game.
I think whoever sorts this out will be hoping that Sunday's games provide definitive enough results, where the teams look at least a bit like their usual selves. It might be easier to just get Buffalo to forfeit our game, if they lose on Sunday without playing like crap and we/KC win. That way 'all' that's being conceded is the #2 spot in the name of keeping the schedule on track, and then maybe the Bengals/Bills can decide between them as to whether it's fairer to host it in Cincinnati or at a neutral venue if we both win the wildcard games.
In any case I think Sunday will provide some clarity as to where the NFL can go with resolving this one.
I, and I am sure a lot of people and commentators, will be extremely pissed at the NFL if the NFL officials decide after the weekend whether or not to play the Bengals-Bills game. It means they are deciding what seedings they want. This cannot be emphasized enough. Numerous potential outcomes of the weekend lead to this criticism.
Example 1. KC and Buffalo win. If the league decides not to have the Bills-Bengals conclude their game, then they are fine with KC being the #1 seed. If they decide to play the game, they are saying they want the Bills to have a chance for the #1 seed. If KC and Buffalo lose and Cincinnati wins, then by some tie-breaker scenarios, the Bengals are #1 seed, Buffalo #2, and KC #3. If the league decides to finish the Bills-Bengals game then they signal they are not happy with that scenario. If they decide not to play the game, they signal the opposite. If the Ravens beat the Bengals, then what the league decides is whether or not they are happy with the Bengals winning the division. I can't think of a single scenario where it doesn't look like the NFL is choosing winners and losers after the fact if they don't tell the rules ahead of time.
The NFL will inescapably look like their rigging the results they want if they do not tell teams before Saturday whether or not the Bengals-Bills game will be played. You do not wait for the results to tell teams the rules. You tell the teams the rules before the weekend games.
