01-05-2023, 10:09 AM
(01-05-2023, 08:45 AM)Nepa Wrote: 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.
In the following (not unlikely) scenario:
1) KC wins.
2) Bengals Win.
3) Bills lose.
Then the only thing riding on the Bills-Bengals game would be the #2 no? Not nothing, as it impacts the wildcard matchups as well, but far less is to be resolved by the above scenario than any other. #1 Seed already wrapped up by the above. AFCN already wrapped up by the above.
I'm not saying any of this happens, and of course it's far more murky if different results happen, but Sunday's results could work out in a way which makes a decision easier for the NFL to come to.
I do agree a decision before the weekend's games is the far better approach. Gotta try and let teams know what they're playing for.
