stlbills13

Somebody is going to get screwed no matter what decision is made. I think the NFL should do all they can to make sure no team is rewarded because of it. Yes I am a Bills fan but here is how I would do it - The Bills have to play on Sunday barring something very very unfortunate happening to Hamlin within 24 hours of the game. Even then, I might say the Bills have to play even if it's just going through the motions. Ignore the implications for the #1 seed - NE, MIA, PIT, and even JAX could have an outcome riding on the result of that game. That result could mean 2nd contracts, coaching firings, etc. - If the Bills, Cincy, and KC all win this weekend, I would group the 3 loss teams together (KC and BUF). I don't think the Bills should be punished and the Chiefs rewarded just because KC played an extra game. From there, BUF would get the 1 seed due to H2H tiebraker. - Even though I think Cincy has handled this with 100% class and respect, I think they would be the team to get the hardest break and they'd move to the 3 seed. My reason behind this is that there was no guarantee they'd be the 2 or 1 seed even with a win over the Bills last night. Again, I truly would hate to see them get the rawest end of this deal but they had 4 losses going into the game. I personally think both Cincy and Buffalo would get screwed if the game had to be played. Sure Cincy could win and then own the tiebreaker over the Bills, but then they still have to play Baltimore (potentially/likely) on a short week. Obviously playing that game for the Bills seems crazy. There are 1,000 outcomes that could make my plan messier such as the Ravens beating the Bengals (then do they have a rightful claim to the division having beaten Cincy twice but played more games?) but to me this is the simplest plan that does not reward a team outside of BUF/CIN and does not also severely punish both BUF/CIN. There is no way they are going to push back all the Week 18 games a full week. Hotels are booked by fans, tickets have been bought, etc. That would be a nightmare. There is the possibility to push back the first round of the playoffs and have the Bills play Cincy that weekend (assuming there are still playoff implications) but that seems like it has too many moving pieces/issues such as 1) all other teams getting an extra week of rest than BUF/CIN 2) some fans of teams like TB, SF, MN, etc could have already made hotel/travel arrangements for that weekend 3) TV deals that pay the NFL a lot of money would have to have a say 4) as stupid as it seems, teams appreciate the week off before the Super Bowl especially with how logistically crazy it is Again, someone is going to have a legit gripe for how this is handled. You can say that a team like KC shouldn't get screwed since they weren't involved but you could just as easily say they shouldn't be rewarded. To me, the focus is how do you make this best for BUF/CIN and then go from there. Maybe it's something like Buffalo, Cincy, KC have to evenly split revenue from home playoff games. I know money doesn't solve all but you can also bet these owners are considering the money side of this as well as the competitive side.

It sounds insensitive but gambling, fantasy football, etc are a big moneymaker for the NFL in terms of interest which leads to ad revenue, viewers, etc. I think those things will be factored into their decision whether that's right or not.

I know it seems heartless but I feel like the NFL has to make/announce a decision today in regards to this game but also the week 18 schedule and playoff situation. Again, it may seem inappropriate but the playoffs are still going to go on and you need to give all parties involved ample time to adjust if needed. The NFL hurts themselves more times than not but they are probably in a no-win situation here

Total guess: - The NFL will want Buf/Cin to finish their game. They won't outright say it and they won't push back if the players say no, but they will make that the first option. - The Bills definitely say no to playing. The Bengals would obviously rather play but they agree to canceling - The NFL hopes and prays that LV beats KC on Saturday or that the Bills lose to the Patriots so that this single incident doesn't decide the 1 seed. - The Bills will still be a little shell-shocked on Sunday even if Hamlin is declared to be okay before then. It will be a tough game. - The Bills likely go into the playoffs at the 2 or 3 seed. It's a really tough break in a season of really tough breaks but I'm not sure what else can be done. Even if you finish this game, I feel like it would be hard for the Bills to win so all you're doing is risking injury and losing the tiebreaker to the Bengals. - I do expect the Chiefs to flip a switch in the playoffs but they have looked very beatable lately. They could be the 1 seed and still lose their first game and I don't think anyone should be surprised.

If they play the game this week, I don't see any way the Bills win. So I'd maybe rather just cancel it and go to win %. We get the 2 seed likely but that's better than losing and being the 3 seed. It sucks that the Chiefs will get an all time gift but it will be even sweeter to knock them out

Yeah I'm torn on this one. I hate Miami fans and would love to see them miss the playoffs. But I also think they have far and away the best chance out of them, NE, and NYJ to beat the Chiefs in the first round

I agree although my wishful thinking is that Hackett was the only issue and the Broncos look like the team people thought they'd be before the season and they beat KC in a thriller. Anyway back to reality, if we get the 1 seed, it was incredibly earned

Yeah White hasn't been very good. Burrow/Chase/Higgins are actually a QB/WR combo that can exploit it. But they're going to exploit almost any secondary unless you get consistent pressure on Burrow. That is the key to the game. It will be hard to run on the Bengals too but I would like to see our RBs be more involved in the pass game. Don't get me wrong, Cincy has some great talent on defense but they have a strong system and make a lot of "effort" plays. You have to wear them down and accept the 4-5 yard checkdowns they give you

The Bengals are just really really solid. They have big play ability on both sides. They can drain the clock with a methodical drive. They have a good kicker. Burrow can run a little bit. Mixon has been a little down but they have depth. They're good. Burrow can definitely turn it over and if you get pressure on them, they are a very different team (who isn't?) This is a huge game. Lose here and you likely have to go to Cincy and KC to get to the Super Bowl Get pressure on Burrow especially up the middle. Oliver is going to be huge here Get Diggs involved early. Not just because he's a stud but the Bengals can be beaten on the deep ball. Take attention away from Gabe. This could be a 9/110/1 statline from Diggs and a 2/75/1 line from Gabe The Bengals are good against the run but can give up catches to RBs. Don't be afraid to check in down. Knox is ascending lately. That's huge for the offense. Burrow, Chase, Higgins are gonna have their moments. They're studs. But the Bills have strengths to exploit the Bengals weaknesses

I despise the Chiefs but I think they're sleepwalking a little bit. I expect them to flip to a different level in January. That being said, their defense is bad and they're a lot different without Tyreek. Any team with Kelce and Mahomes is dangerous though just like Allen/Diggs. The team I most want to avoid is Cincy

Cam Lewis made a good tackle. Too bad it was one of the dumbest plays I've seen

Diggs single coverage. Josh gotta change out of that terrible play call

4 missed tackles as soon as our defense gets back out there.

Knox has been open all game. Can we go back to that this drive?

Well with the way the defense is playing, this could get away from us quickly

That's a catch but we haven't gotten much in our favor this half

I'm from the St Louis area and never really got much into the Rams. I was 10 when they won the Super Bowl and cared because everyone at school did but I always liked the Bills more. My Bills fandom grew even larger when we drafted Allen because my family vacationed in Wyoming every year growing up and went to a handful of Wyoming games. Once the Rams left, I was able to convince most of my family to hop on with the Bills. Long-time reader but don't post very often. My wife and I have been wanting to go to a game for a few years now but we had to pass in 2020 due to covid and then had our 2nd child last year. But my parents both just retired and promised to cover flight, lodging, and tickets to the first Bills home playoff game this year (assuming that happens). So just looking for advice on where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc. Obviously don't know if that game will be on a Saturday or Sunday but the plan is to have a full day in Buffalo before the game and leave in the morning the day after the game. I know this doesn't necessarily fit with most Bills fans but we aren't big tailgaters so looking for good restaurants/bars, other things to do, etc. We will probably check out the tailgate scene just for the experience but won't be the focus of the trip. All advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

This very likely isn't a Super Bowl winning move but I feel like something had to be done. McKenzie isn't/wasn't the answer. Plus maybe now this allows him to play a role he's a better fit for. I would have liked to see more Shakir but it's crunch time so if JA didn't feel like he was ready then you don't really have time to experiment with him. Clearly everyone (Bills, Cowboys, Giants) is out on Odell at this point Like I said above, if Beasley goes for 2/12 but moves the chains on a crucial 3rd down, then this is all worth it. It's even better if Beasley actually becomes a semi-factor out of the slot and you can't play two high safeties at all times. Maybe Davis gets open downfield a little more if that happens. I think between this and hopefully running the ball more consistently, you are putting Diggs and Davis in a better chance to succeed.

My only disappointment is that I assume this means Crowder has a small chance to make it back this season. Diggs is going to see double teams or at least a lot of help/attention in the playoffs. He's good enough to still get open but this team needs somebody to be open in the middle of the field who isn't going to drop the ball. Beasley could go for 2/12 every game and it's actually going to help. My opinion is the same as it was the past 3-4 weeks. If the AFC goes through Orchard Park, the Bills will be in the Super Bowl. These next 4 games are so important

The running backs need to get better although I don't think they're that bad. There needs to be a better 2nd/3rd wide receiver. The offensive line is really struggling which also takes Knox away as an option sometimes. But I still think the play calling is the biggest factor. Run the ball more. 3 yard runs aren't exciting or flashy but it at least keeps defenses honest and gets you more manageable 3rd downs. Plus both Singletary and Cook have shown flashes. Davis seems to only be used as a deep threat and then there is the one time a game where he runs a comeback route and gains 18 yards. If he is going to strictly be a deep threat then you need to pull the safeties in with the run game and with short passes over the middle. Diggs is fine. Great actually. But you could scheme him open in different ways too. I just think we've become too predictable

I didn't expect a torn ACL but I truly didn't expect him to play again this season as it was. Hopefully he can be ready to go by September or so. To me, this makes the #1 seed harder but more important. This team needs as much rest and healing as possible. If the AFC goes through Orchard Park, the Bills will be in the Super Bowl whether we have Von or not.

First time poster - been reading for a few years. I'm from the St. Louis area. Was a pretty big Rams fan obviously but my love for them started to fade in the last few years before they moved to LA. A lot of St Louis people boycotted the NFL after the Rams left but I just wanted another team to root for. The Bills pretty quickly became my team. Not a total bandwagon fan but my love for the Bills has grown since they got Allen. I'm all in this year and will be taking the 3.5 hour drive to KC for that game in October and hoping to get to Buffalo for a game a few weeks after that. I personally think the hype in Moss' camp is to 1) light a fire under Singeltary and Cook and 2) showcase him for other teams and maybe steal a late draft pick for him. Maybe I'm wrong there and he's probably a good depth guy to have throughout a long season (hopefully 20-21 games) but he just seems like a guy who can't quite put it together on gameday I watched AJ a lot in high school. Not sure he's the big schematic fit but I still haven't totally given up on him.