Seventeen

So if KC and the Bills both win, we are the #2 seed and get the #7 seed on Wild Card weekend ( either the Pats / Steelers / Fins / Jags ). KC gets a bye. Win that one and we're home for the Divisional round ( maybe the Bengals ) If KC and the Bills win the Divisonal round, neutral site for the AFCCG ( Indy ? ) I'm good with this ...

If McDaniel, Grier, and Boyers are all getting canned, who's the source of the rumor ? Ross' massage therapist ? Tua ?

Like the neutral site idea for the AFCC game but the BIlls might still have to return to Cinci for the divisional game if they get the #3 seed.

Awesome plan - give yourself an extra bye week by forfeiting a game.

Only the Jags if the FIns / Pats & Steelers all lose

Not happening with the Dolphins / Steelers / Titans / Jags still fighting for the #7 seed

I would think by the time the Bills might return to Paycor for a playoff game, we'd have a good picture of where Damar stands, Until then, no.

Not gonna happen - no way Bills would agree to play this Sunday on the same field where Hamlin was injured and him still in the hospital.

After further review and assuming they don't lose to the Raiders, the Chiefs would get the #1 seed by dropping the Indy game.

Not saying this would happen but what if the #1 seed in the AFC was determined by taking the best 16 games from each team ( can't throw out head to head ), apply the normal tie-break rules including HTH, conference recs and SOS. So all of the Bills & Bengals games would could and KC would lose their worst game (x/c HTH). There is no guarantee that the Bills will be in the right mindset come this Sunday and this would eliminate totally the impact of the Bills-Bengals game. Certainly, I am not thinking clearly here ...

Thanks for your opinion. There are plenty of folks who disagree with you and proposed alternate scheduling so the Bills-Bengals "regular" game can be made up.

Not singling out anyone - there is no good option. There is also no time to fit in another Bills/Bengals game if wild-card weekend is not moved. Like everyone else here, just throwing out options.

If you make the game a tie, the Chiefs would likely have the #1 seed and the Bills/Bengals would be playing wild-card weekend. One could also look on that as punishment by preventing either team from a chance at the #1 seed.

Not sure if this is behind a paywall but the BN had this story today. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/lewiston-natives-heart-stopped-while-playing-college-baseball-hes-making-a-full-recovery/article_f4bd5c12-8baf-11ed-b59c-7fb841b8ca04.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage

Nothing as you already know, but once again this is an unprecedented situation. Frankly, I don't care if the 5 teams get an extra week even if they do practice. Except for the simple fact the Bills have yet to practice this week ...

Sure there is - the NFL tells the 5 teams if they're caught at their facility or practicing elsewhere the 1st week, they forfeit the playoff game.

I'm struggling to understand why this is a big deal with this being an unprecendented situation. Tell the other 5 teams they can't practice at all the 1st week. And selfishly, it gives Micah Hyde possibly another week to return.

Thanks - Kaplan's tweet said "69 well characterized cases in youth sports" - guess I should have read the study. In any event, we still don't know if Hamlin suffered from commotio cordis.

Maybe, all depends on updates to Damar's condition over the next 24 hours. If they get an update he's off the ventilator and awake, likely they practice Thursday thru Saturday and are ready for the game. No idea how the secondary would look other than Rhodes could be added to the 53. Patriots passing game is not exactly scary so we should be OK.

No, she specifically mentions a study on youth sports where 7 of 69 survived. Most of those kids likely didn't get the immediate attention that Damar did.

Same - he just looks slow at this point in his recovery.

Nope not wrong - I'm assuming the 19th week would be the current wild-card weekend and everything moved a week out x/c for the SB.

LFG Jarrett Stidham !!!

You've also got airline reservations, hotel rooms, rental cars and a loss of a week's revenue to the Phoenix/Glendale area if you chop a week off between the conference champs and the SB. Should the NFL step up ? You bet ... Will they ? Who knows ?