Casey D

It's up to 7.5. But I get your drift, and that may be the way some bettors are thinking.

Disagree. #2 seed is huge over #3 seed, especially with the neutral field tweak. Guarantees no "road games."

Hopefully he plays against Pats. 😁

If Bengals can't beat a Jackson-less Ravens team, your assumption that they would have beat Buffalo is a joke.

Right. Nothing is perfect here, but the good should not be the enemy of the perfect. This proposal is about as good as you can do. Cincy likely gets the worst of ti as they will beat the Ravens. KC benefits, and for the Bills it is about a wash.

Buffalo

Ravens game is irrelevant. Bills win KC loses Bills #1 seed and have all the usual benefits of a #1 seed. Bye and all games at home

Seeding is based on who has the best record. If KC is 14-3, they have the best record. It's self-evident, no need to announce anything

No. Seeding based on win %. If KC wins on Saturday, they will be #1 seed. Not shared. If Buffalo also wins this week, and meet KC in championship game, game not in KC but neutral field. There are more wrinkles as to other teams, but If Buffalo ends up 1/2 game behind KC and both reach championship, game at neutral field. Conversely, our chances of being the #2 seed as opposed the #3 seed went up as we did not have to beat Cincy.

I don't think that is right. If Bengals win they will be 12-4. If KC loses, they will be 13-4. Better record KC gets #1 seed. Cincy cannot be #1 seed.

Well since they all will likely help the Bills, I am in favor of the crazy solutions. If all three teams win, AFC championship game on neutral field of splitting the benefits of #1 seed sounds good.

Plainly the late season collapse of Miami and NYJ did not help. And other teams that seemed good when we beat them, like LAR, tanked. Thanks for clearing this up. For other reasons as well, just beat the Pats.

Probably. It would diminish the Ravens record though. Would not all the teams each team beat factor into the equation?

I am wrong, thank you. It would come to SOV. That will change depending on outcome of lots of games. Right now it goes to Cincy, but it could change.

I believe it is record against common opponents. We would have one more win and the same # of losses. But I could be wrong.

No. Both would be 12-4, but Bills would have tiebreaker.

Correct. If all the assumptions you make are true, then Bills #1 Chiefs #2 and Bengals #3 then. Problem then is Ravens alive for AFC North and would get it if Bills played and beat Bengals. No matter how you slice it, there will be some unfairness. But last year Bengals were #4 seed and Rams #5 seed. Year before Bucs #5 seed. Although we make being the #1 seed the be all and end all, I would suggest the #1 seed guarantees nothing. it is a great talking point for fans and talking heads however. I do not think after last year the Bengals are too concerned with going on road.

No, I don't think so. The problem is that the loser of the Bills Bengals game will be placed at a disadvantage as the 2 or 3 seed. The lower seeded teams all get a week off, which is a huge advantage and not earned. Teams with such good records at the Bills and Bengals should not be so disadvantaged. Better to skip the game and end up with a slightly lower seed. Bengals would only have shot at #1 seed if KC loses in any event. Windfall for KC if they beat Raiders and get #1 seed. Maybe depending how other week 18 games shake out. But I think Bills would take #2 seed than have to go back to Cincinnati. Just my opinion.

That won't happen unless we win and KC loses.

Neither will happen. No time to play the game, the NFL is not going to change the playoff schedule over a seeding issue. They will not give both teams a win, that makes zero sense. It will simply be a no contest, and seeding will be done with Bills and Bengals having played a 16 game schedule.

No one would. Bengals looked great on a handful of plays, that's pretty obvious, so no insight there . Lots of games look that way for a while, things change. Colts were shredding Vikings two weeks ago in the first half. How did that turn out? Your desire to reach an overarching conclusion about the two teams over such a small sample size is silly. There could have been a pick 6 on the next play and the Bills are up 10-7. We'll never know.

Did you watch both halfs of the Bengals Pats? Things change. That's why they play 60 minutes, not 10.

but they would have the best record. The only team possibly losing out are the Bills, assuming they beat the Bengals, which is not a given. Bengals would not have been #1 seed in any event if KC wins Saturday.

I don't think any of these elaborate schemes will happen. Nothing is entirely fair or perfect. So I believe they will simply call the game a no contest, play the week 18 games. and the seeding will be what it is based on record with Bengals and bills with a 16 game schedule. If all three hold serve, KC #1 seed, Bills #2 and Bengals #3. Could change if some win and some lose. Not perfect, but as good as anything else suggested and it has simplicity, which is a huge plus.

And then a playoff game on Saturday or Sunday for someone?