Playoff Solutions Assuming they don’t replay the Bengals game.

[stlbills13]

The NFL never should have had the Chiefs game on Saturday. It never made sense other than to try to jam a popular player into an otherwise boring time slot. Now depending on what happens with the Bills/Bengals game, it could give the Bills no incentive to play their starters on Sunday which then could give the Patriots a win and a playoff spot all while eliminating the Dolphins, Steelers, and potentially the Jags. I know the Hamlin situation is unexpected and a one-in-10 million scenario but it still never made sense to have KC play on Saturday.

[Dick_Cheney]

3 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

 So on the NFL Radio Murray/Gannon were just saying that in the end, life is not fair and therefore the Bills will suffer the most unfairness. They believe the NFL will call game a no contest, Chiefs win Sat and have a better winning % and get 1 seed.

 

Do you think the NFL would want to release this plan prior to the games? I'm not so sure

Really, really will dislike this solution if that's how they go.

 

Obviously if the Bills say "We just don't want to play this game, forget the 1 seed," then maybe it's okay. I would still rather either everything be pushed a week and the game is resumed, or both teams are awarded a Win so that in theory everyone stays in the spot they were in going into the week. It'd be unique, but it would make it so that every single game being played in the last week has huge meaning. I really don't understand why they don't just go that direction.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

1 minute ago, Dick_Cheney said:

Really, really will dislike this solution if that's how they go.

 

Obviously if the Bills say "We just don't want to play this game, forget the 1 seed," then maybe it's okay. I would still rather either everything be pushed a week and the game is resumed, or both teams are awarded a Win so that in theory everyone stays in the spot they were in going into the week. It'd be unique, but it would make it so that every single game being played in the last week has huge meaning. I really don't understand why they don't just go that direction.

I'd settle for a coin flip, random number generator or Madden Simulation before the solution of KC getting the 1 seed.

4 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

The NFL never should have had the Chiefs game on Saturday. It never made sense other than to try to jam a popular player into an otherwise boring time slot. Now depending on what happens with the Bills/Bengals game, it could give the Bills no incentive to play their starters on Sunday which then could give the Patriots a win and a playoff spot all while eliminating the Dolphins, Steelers, and potentially the Jags. I know the Hamlin situation is unexpected and a one-in-10 million scenario but it still never made sense to have KC play on Saturday.

Agree, This is the key part IMO

[Dick_Cheney]

2 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

I'd settle for a coin flip, random number generator or Madden Simulation before the solution of KC getting the 1 seed.

Agree, This is the key part IMO

Yeah, agreed. I guess there's no perfect solution, but I don't want the game to simply be conceded. Basically the equivalent of accepting defeat and punishment for something traumatic that happened to the team. That leaves a really bad taste in my mouth, and I would hate for that to be hanging over whatever else happens regarding Hamlin, and obviously to a much lesser degree, the playoffs. It'd be pretty insulting.

[Manther]

7 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

The NFL never should have had the Chiefs game on Saturday. It never made sense other than to try to jam a popular player into an otherwise boring time slot. Now depending on what happens with the Bills/Bengals game, it could give the Bills no incentive to play their starters on Sunday which then could give the Patriots a win and a playoff spot all while eliminating the Dolphins, Steelers, and potentially the Jags. I know the Hamlin situation is unexpected and a one-in-10 million scenario but it still never made sense to have KC play on Saturday.

Another mistake by the NFL was having Titans/Jags flexed to Saturday and Packers/Lions flexed to Sunday night.

 

The purpose of flexing games was to make sure teams didn't know playoff implications prior to their games.

 

Titans/Jags only impact each other (with the exception of 3 teams losing) and should have been flexed to Sunday night.

 

Instead they have Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at Lambeau vs the Lions Sunday night.

 

Seattle should be playing at the same time as GB/Det.

 

Seattle Seahawks play before GB/Det.

 

Playoff implications are...

 

GB wins they are in

Seattle wins and Detroit wins, Seattle is in

Seattle loses and Detroit wins, Detroit is in

 

So, if Seattle wins before the game Detroit has already been eliminated.  I think Detroit will still try hard, but, maybe not.

 

Not really fair to Seattle (by winning) to potentially demotivate Detroit to beat GB and lower their possibility of getting into the playoffs.

[GunnerBill]

37 minutes ago, Dick_Cheney said:

Really, really will dislike this solution if that's how they go.

 

Obviously if the Bills say "We just don't want to play this game, forget the 1 seed," then maybe it's okay. I would still rather either everything be pushed a week and the game is resumed, or both teams are awarded a Win so that in theory everyone stays in the spot they were in going into the week. It'd be unique, but it would make it so that every single game being played in the last week has huge meaning. I really don't understand why they don't just go that direction.

 

Because giving 5 playoff teams a bye and making 2 play is a bigger disadvantage to the 2 than them potentially having to play an AFCCG on the road. 

 

Calling it a no contest or a tie and using win % is the least bad option. 

[Not Applicable]

39 minutes ago, Dick_Cheney said:

Yeah, agreed. I guess there's no perfect solution, but I don't want the game to simply be conceded. Basically the equivalent of accepting defeat and punishment for something traumatic that happened to the team. That leaves a really bad taste in my mouth, and I would hate for that to be hanging over whatever else happens regarding Hamlin, and obviously to a much lesser degree, the playoffs. It'd be pretty insulting.

You can't give the Bills a win for a game that lasted eight minutes before ending with Buffalo trailing. At the end of the day, we chose not to finish the game (the 100% right decision), so we're going to have to be inconvenienced the most regarding the solution.

 

Being gifted homefield will, again, put a giant asterisk next to a possible Super Bowl win. Nobody wants that.

 

It's not really fair, and it sucks that this is the way it is, but there is also no plausible way that the Bills can be rewarded here.

[Airseven]

I hope it isn't the case and I don't think it would be fair to other clubs, but the league could always cop out by letting Sunday's games occur before making a decision about this game. If it no longer impacts the #1 seed after Sunday, then obviously it's easy to call a no contest. If the #1 seed is still in play, the game is resumed next Thursday.

[Since1981]

8 minutes ago, Airseven said:

cop out by letting Sunday's games occur before making a decision about this game.

They can’t do this. They have to decide before any NFL team touches a ball. Monday was unplanned. They MUST and I guarantee will answer the Buf/Cin case before Sat 4:30 EST. 

[Airseven]

2 minutes ago, Since1981 said:

They can’t do this. They have to decide before any NFL team touches a ball. Monday was unplanned. They MUST and I guarantee will answer the Buf/Cin case before Sat 4:30 EST. 

I hope so. And I think I agree. But why?

[HappyDays]

The thing I don't like about this is the Bills and/or Bengals would have to play against a team coming off a bye on wildcard weekend.

[DrDawkinstein]

25 minutes ago, Patrick Fitzryan said:

You can't give the Bills a win for a game that lasted eight minutes before ending with Buffalo trailing. At the end of the day, we chose not to finish the game (the 100% right decision), so we're going to have to be inconvenienced the most regarding the solution.

 

Being gifted homefield will, again, put a giant asterisk next to a possible Super Bowl win. Nobody wants that.

 

It's not really fair, and it sucks that this is the way it is, but there is also no plausible way that the Bills can be rewarded here.

 

Allow me to go on record, regardless of situation, I am totally fine with any "asterisk" any outsider wants to place on a Bills Super Bowl victory. No asterisk in previous history matters or gets discussed outside of us message board nerds. They dont matter. I'll take it.

 

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[Airseven]

Eliminating the extra week before the Super Bowl was always a possibility. It just seems the logistical challenges would outweigh the benefit.

 

Although I wonder if that extra week is built in, in part, for exactly these types of unforeseen circumstances since the Super Bowl behemoth is impossible to move.

[Rochesterfan]

1 hour ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

 So on the NFL Radio Murray/Gannon were just saying that in the end, life is not fair and therefore the Bills will suffer the most unfairness. They believe the NFL will call game a no contest, Chiefs win Sat and have a better winning % and get 1 seed.

 

Do you think the NFL would want to release this plan prior to the games? I'm not so sure

 

This is what is going to happen and it is exactly what Troy Vincent meant by it might not be 100% equitable.

 

I know many Bills fans keep complaining about KC being potentially handed the #1 seed, but it is still significantly better than the league trying to find a way to squeeze in the Bills/Bengals game.

 

Yes it slightly hurts Buffalo, potentially slightly hurts Cincinnati in a bid for the #1 seed and slightly hurts Baltimore in a quest for the division hence the inequity.

 

I still think long term both the Bills and the Bengals will take this solution over the 2 of them having to squeeze a hard fought game in while their potential opponents rest.  It also mirrors their plan talked about during Covid - where if unequal numbers of games happened to be played - winning % would drive the decisions.

 

The final thing is that there is no way they are doing any of the other suggestions like a coin toss, lotto balls, calling the game a tie, or creating a new rule where someone gets the #1 seed, but the other team gets home field.  They just are not going to create something extraordinary and new for this situation.  
 

They will work within the confines of the rules they have - which does allow for a no contest (ideally they must try to get the game played and it should have minimal impact per the rule) and their Covid protocols of utilizing win % if unequal games played.

 

In the meantime- for everyone wanting a decision - the NFL is correctly working with the Bills to ensure they are ok and getting what they need and then they will begin to address the options with Bills/Bengals/League.  My guess is there will be 2: No contest and winning % or How can you guys get the game in and potentially play 3 games in 2 weeks or 3 games in 3 weeks - while all other teams play 2 games in 3 weeks.

 

 

45 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Because giving 5 playoff teams a bye and making 2 play is a bigger disadvantage to the 2 than them potentially having to play an AFCCG on the road. 

 

Calling it a no contest or a tie and using win % is the least bad option. 

 

Agreed 100% wish I could give 1000 👍

[Warriorspikes51]

14 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

The thing I don't like about this is the Bills and/or Bengals would have to play against a team coming off a bye on wildcard weekend.

 

If KC remains the 1 seed....they get 2 weeks off

 

The 2 & 3 seed Bills & Bengals have to face  6 and 7 seeds coming off a bye week to prepare for them.....

 

This is a massive amount of upheaval because of 1 game.  Not a fan 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Warriorspikes51

[JaCrispy]

Flip a coin for Bills/Bengals 👍

[BillsFanSD]

39 minutes ago, Patrick Fitzryan said:

You can't give the Bills a win for a game that lasted eight minutes before ending with Buffalo trailing. At the end of the day, we chose not to finish the game (the 100% right decision), so we're going to have to be inconvenienced the most regarding the solution.

 

Being gifted homefield will, again, put a giant asterisk next to a possible Super Bowl win. Nobody wants that.

 

It's not really fair, and it sucks that this is the way it is, but there is also no plausible way that the Bills can be rewarded here.

After the season the Bills have had, I don't think this is true.  This whole season has been one disaster after another.  If we somehow win a championship against all odds, it will be one for the storybooks. 

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, JaCrispy said:

Flip a coin for Bills/Bengals 👍

Better than most scenarios! 

[BRH]

13 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Allow me to go on record, regardless of situation, I am totally fine with any "asterisk" any outsider wants to place on a Bills Super Bowl victory. No asterisk in previous history matters or gets discussed outside of us message board nerds. They dont matter. I'll take it.

 

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

 

Holy *****, yes.

 

I could give a flying ***** what people think of our Super Bowl victory.

17 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

The thing I don't like about this is the Bills and/or Bengals would have to play against a team coming off a bye on wildcard weekend.

 

But what happened to all the people who were saying that the league would never shift the playoffs and give Arizona only one week of Super Bowl festivities?

[Airseven]

1 minute ago, BillsFanSD said:

After the season the Bills have had, I don't think this is true.  This whole season has been one disaster after another.  If we somehow win a championship against all odds, it will be one for the storybooks. 

In reality, you’re probably right. But personally, I wouldn’t want that first championship after being gifted home field advantage without beating the Bengals (assuming the Chiefs and Bengals win this weekend). It would always be apart of the conversation. And I wouldn’t have wanted the first championship during the COVID year either.