The Red King

There is no scenario this weekend that makes the suspended game irrelevant. I've looked for one. I've looked.

In a mad, uncaring rush to relevance they allowed their QB to be annihilated multiple times. Poor guy's brain is like a marble in a dryer this season and the 'phins didn't care.

That's what I'm thinking. Though even should BUF win and KC lose, they may still have to do this anyway to settle 2nd seed should CIN win.

Wait. If they keep all the games as possible throw-outs that still gives Buf a 14/17 chance of winning 1st seed. Still heavily in our favor. All I'd want is someone from the Bills making the random pick. That way if it goes to KC we know it was our fault. At the same time, should BUF win and KC lose, this will all be academic.

I'm glad I don't. I loved playing high school football, and I was Tasker-esqe in that I was smaller but absolutely crushed people. In other words, it was all hard contact and I'm lucky I made it out without any injuries at all, nonetheless bad ones. My son (20) showed no interest in football. My daughter (15) likely would want to, but there's no WNFL or such, so I don't have to worry. That, and she's petite, like one of the smallest for her age group, so aside from kicker I can't see her playing it anyway. That being said, she is smol but fierce and I could see her destroying someone that looked like they were going to return one of her kicks for a score. Still, I do have to wonder about this. I don't have to face it, but other parents do. Is there going to be a reduction of kids in football, trickling up to the point where the pool of prospective NFL players will suffer?

What other way gives players control of their own destinies without forcing them to revisit the trauma or give KC the 1 seed?

Do you think they'd prefer an arbitrary decision from the NFL that they have no influence at all over? One that could hurt both teams?

Not true. If Buf loses/lost they would be tied with Cincy. If the Bills beat the Pats and Cincy loses to BAL, CIN drops to #3 seed and BUF gets #1 or 2 depending on the KC game. If the Bills lose to the Pats they are locked into #3 no matter what.

Cincy wouldn't want to win the division this way.

Have the coin toss before this Sunday. That way teams know where they stand going into the final week. There is literally no combinations of wins and losses that renders yesterday's game irrelevant.

Coin toss. One W, one L, just as if the game was played. Players determine the outcome (One team flips, one calls it in the air), nothing standings-wise is altered and nobody needs to relive the trauma.

Oh, I agree. It's off the wall, but it is fair, and one team at least gets a full W. And technically the players decide the outcome. I'd be more comfortable with this then if the league arbitrarily kneecaps both teams without them having any chance to influence the outcome.

Coin toss. Both teams are evenly matched. One team gets the W, one the L as what would have happened (tie if it lands on edge). The rest of the league's seeding doesn't get scrambled and they do not need to resume/replay the game. Sounds odd, but really the fairest and least disruptive for the league. And neither team has to relive the trauma.

No surprise. And I figured they'd consult with both teams for their opinions over what should be done.

I'm proud of the reaction all around. It might be obvious but remember yesterday was a critical game. It had playoff implications for not just seeding, but for the division as Cincy has yet to clinch. It was two powerhouses looking to slug it out. It had everything. The fallout of postponing it and most any solution could hurt both teams, teams that fought hard to get here. Fans and players were deeply vested in this game. ...and none of that mattered. Everyone, fans, players recognized the life of a single player meant more then all of that. That is all that was important. The game, it was just a game and would be dealt with later. Fans didn't care if this cost the Bills the top seed. He was (and is) all that mattered. And there was an outpouring of support, even from rivals. It's heartwarming to see.

I asked nicely. I begged. And right now can't handle this. Keep attacking each other, if you think that is what is important right now. I'm going to try and sleep because I don't want to see Bills' fans acting like this any more.

Guys...please. This is not the time to argue with one another. Tough as it might be, let it go. I'm begging you.

This thread is about the player. Let's please stop going after one another about the charity.

There is no way at all they play tomorrow.

Was thinking of that. He has to be suffering with guilt over something that really wasn't his fault at all.

Why didn't you quote the end of my messsge? After pointing out it's going to be a nightmare for the NFL, I pointed out that isn't what matters here.

Even if we forfeit, given the class the Bengals have shown, I don't think they'd want it. Clinching the division and jumping into second seed...how do you celebrate that? How do you take enjoyment in it? Wining a division is an accomplishment, pop the champaign. I can't image they'd want to get that this way.

It's a logistical nightmare. A tie gives Cinci the division where a loss gives the Ravens a chance. A tie puts KC in first seed. I don't envy the NFL in sorting this. At the same time I honestly don't care about any of that right now.

Puts things in perspective. In the end, it's a game. And yes, I know I've gotten emotionally vested. I know I'll care about the Bills tomorrow. But today? I went from "You gotta be kidding me! Another injury?!?" to "Holy s***, I hope he'd okay. That's all that matters." My god...

Would unbalance the divisions. Jets and 'Phins beat us in their homes, but lost to us here. Now if we happened to only play once against division foes and pulled NE at home, NYJ and MIA on the road, we'd have finished 1-2 in the division, losing tie-breakers to both the Jets and 'Phins. The tie-breaker would be based on the one head-to-head. Could you imagine if, say, the Cowboys and Eagles only played once a season, and what an advantage home-field would give them?