‘“You call the Bengals–Bills a tie. The No. 1 seed gets the choice of home field [advantage] throughout the playoffs or the bye. The No. 2 seed gets whatever isn’t chosen, so either a bye or home field advantage,” Schefter said. “That would be one scenario that I believe the league has talked about.”’
Archives for January 2023
As Damar Hamlin Recovers, Buffalo Waits—and Wonders What to Do
‘When a Bills player is alone on Christmas Eve and you invite him to your house, he’ll show up and stay for two hours, just like Isaiah McKenzie did this year. There’s a good chance you’ve played Call of Duty with Josh Allen, the starting quarterback, and may not have even known it. You might have shoveled one of their cars out of the snow. They might have shoveled out yours. And when one of them falls, you overwhelm a fundraising page for his foundation. That’s just the way it is here.’
Bills’ Assistant Trainer Praised for Damar Hamlin’s Quick CPR Response
‘Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington is one such person being hailed as a hero. Sources told Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer that Kellington administered timely CPR that was absolutely vital in saving Hamlin’s life. Buffalo coach Sean McDermott called him “a real leader, a real hero, in saving Damar’s life” during Thursday’s press conference.’
Two Possible Options for How NFL Will Sort AFC Playoff Situation
‘The second scenario is one that Schefter described as “more viable” and the option that the NFL might enact “before Saturday’s game” centers around the AFC Championship game. Schefter said the AFC title game could be played a neutral site if it involves teams that do not have the same amount of games played due to Monday’s game being a non-result.’
NFL Explains Why It Decided to Cancel Bills-Bengals With Playoffs Looming
‘“Not playing the Buffalo-Cincinnati game to its conclusion will have no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason. No club would qualify for the postseason and no club will be eliminated based on the outcome of this game.”‘
NFL Lays Out Three Scenarios for AFC Title Game After Canceling Bills-Bengals
‘As of now, the AFC championship game will take place at a neutral site if the two teams do not have an equal number of games played during the regular season, and if the team could have been the top seed and hosted the game if they had played 17 games. Essentially, this only matters if it involves the Bills or Bengals and the top-seeded Chiefs.’
Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen Describe Emotional Week After Damar Hamlin’s Collapse
‘“Mental health is real,” McDermott said. “The job description of a coach is not just coaching Xs and Os. It’s much more than that.”’
McDermott, Josh Allen Asked Whether Bills Are Ready to Play After Hamlin’s Collapse
‘“I do,” Allen said quickly. “I do, as well,” added McDermott. “The news we received today, in particular, was a huge lift.”’
‘He’s Pittsburgh’: Damar Hamlin has support of friends, community because of generosity, caring
‘“He just kind of opened it up to any kid from the community, and I think there were kids that maybe extended out beyond the immediate community that were able to get some toys. And it wasn’t just toys. There was some clothing and some coats so the underprivileged kids were able to be better taken care of.’
Bills’ Damar Hamlin asked ‘Who won the game?’ after waking in hospital, doctors say in press conference update
‘According to his doctors, Hamlin is able to communicate via writing and asked Wednesday night, “Who won the game?”‘
Explaining the NFL’s options for Bills vs. Bengals, from no-contest cancellation to rescheduled Week 19
‘”Obviously we’re going to have to make a decision on that in the coming days, which we will,” NFL VP Jeff Miller said in a Zoom call on Wednesday, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “But there’s a lot of considerations in place there and a lot of people that we want to consult with — including the clubs involved — before that decision is final.”‘
Josh Allen, Sean McDermott say Bills ready to play Sunday after encouragement from Damar Hamlin
‘”I do,” Allen said when asked whether the Bills would be ready to take the field as scheduled. “I do as well,” McDermott added ‘
NFL playoff picture: What Bills vs. Bengals cancellation means for AFC seeding
‘There’s also the matter of home-field advantage in the playoffs. The NFL’s proposal addresses who would play at home among Kansas City, Buffalo and Cincinnati in the AFC championship game. The proposal does not impact the divisional round; a Bills-Bengals result could have decided which teams played at home or on the road.’
Emotional Allen says McDermott ‘the perfect man’ to lead Bills through Hamlin situation
‘”I can’t say enough about what he did, what he said to us in the locker room,” Allen expounded. “Obviously, just a dire circumstance that nobody’s expecting, nobody’s ready for. You can never put yourself in that situation until it happens. … Coach handled it as perfect as anybody could.”‘
NFL will not resume Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game
‘Had Monday’s game been completed, the winner would have had a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC (the Bills still do, while the Bengals do not). As a result, the league said it will play the AFC Championship Game at a neutral site if the participating teams played “an unequal amount of game and both could have been the No. 1 seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season.”’