MNF Week 17: Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals

[Malfatron]

19 minutes ago, SmittyBacall said:

But more importantly, why are we changing the rule book on the fly here? The rulebook dictates that in the event of a cancelled game, the league will differ to win % to determine playoff seeding outcomes. If the NFL and owners want to vote on change, save it for the offseason.

You are correct

“Competitive Policy for Cancelled Games”: “If a game is cancelled, a team’s standing in its division or in its conference (e.g., qualification as a Wild Card in the playoffs or position in playoff seeding) shall be determined on the basis of its final record. When necessary, playoff tiebreakers shall be calculated according to per game average for all teams.”

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However, i dont mind the extra intrigue here. I really want that hour special coin flip show

[biggie.]

2 hours ago, SmittyBacall said:

We’ve basically been handed a loss.

The entire point of winning the division is to get a home playoff game, and we haven’t even secured that.

This is why I'm a firm believer in the show must go on.

WWE continued on with the Over the Edge PPV after Owen Hart straight up died. They continued with Night of Champions 2007 when Chris Benoit was missing.

Edited January 6, 2023 by biggie.

[Jakuvious]

This seems like just a couple arbitrary complications tacked on to the original easiest solution of just counting it as a no contest.

The only thing I can think of with this solution, is the owners must care way more about having a home playoff game than they do about seeding. Because it feels like the seeding was given the quick and easy solution, just go by win percentage, while a lot of addendums were put in regarding who plays where. Is that a revenue thing? Like, if you host a playoff game, is that revenue not shared like the rest of it is?

[lancerman]

4 hours ago, coffeedrinker said:

That is not what I meant, sorry it came across that way.  

I meant it was a Buffalo player that got injured (had cardiac arrest).  So, Buffalo was the reason for the game being suspended.

Something similar happened to the Michigan Wolverines earlier in the season.  The RB coach, Mike Hart, collapsed on the sideline, he was unconscious and having seizures, ambulance came to the sideline to provide immediate medical attention to stabilize him.  Michigan finished the game.

Also Buffalo left the city, taking emotion completely out of it, the easiest logistical fix was for the NFL to keep Buffalo there and to just replay the game the next day or Weds at the latest. Once Buffalo flew out, I knew that redoing the game basically became an impossibility. because it was either going to force both teams to have no time to prep for week 18 or it would push week 18 out and possibly screw 4 (no less than 3) teams into playing later and having a short rest for the playoffs.

[WheatieMan]

I don't think Ravens Bengals should be played this weekend either, if they are resorting to a coin flip. Let Balt default to the 6th seed and just play a play a playoff game next week.

The logic is Buffalo Cinci had no playoff qualifying implications. The same logic should apply to Balt@Cinci this weekend.

Otherwise, Cinci guaranteed two home games no matter what.

Edited January 6, 2023 by WheatieMan

[THE DUKE]

So basically, everyone is getting a consideration, except the Bengals.  Next time there are extraordinary circumstances, the teams involved are going to remember that the Bengals were absolutely shafted for doing the right thing.

That said, lets go kick the **** out of Baltimore this weekend and make the possibility of "winning" the division playing only 7 home games vs 9 road games, and having to play on the road in the playoffs, and still get the worse draft pick and harder divisional record in 2023 just a hypothetical.

The only way this would quasi make sense is if it included a neutral site Bengals/Bills game should it occur (assuming both win this weekend).  A neutral Bengals/Chiefs game if they were to lose in week 18 as well (with a Bengals win)

[BillSabre]

 

Wrote this up in the NEWS thread but figured I’d drop it over here also.
 

I don’t think anybody should assume Bills or Bengals would’ve won one way or the other, that’s the point. Because the NFL didn’t declare it a tie, it allows the Bills and Bengals a neutral site for the championship if they end up playing KC. The byproduct of using that formula is that Cincinnati has to have a Coin flip with Baltimore for HFA in the wild card (if they meet). 
 

 So anybody arguing that Cincinnati would’ve/could’ve/should’ve beat the Bills last week should be pretty confident that they beat the depleted Ravens week 18 and POOF, no coin flip anyway but they still get a neutral game if they play KC in the championship. Nobody really benefits from the game not being played because all top 3 seeds and Baltimore had a potential outcome taken away from them. So all four teams basically got a bone thrown to them, if you will. 

KC gets the bye (with a win)
 

Buff/Cin get a neutral site in chip if facing KC instead of having to go to Arrowhead (with wins)

Baltimore gets a chance at playing at home in Wildcard game if playing Cin (with a win)

 

[paul-mac]

2 hours ago, WheatieMan said:

I don't think Ravens Bengals should be played this weekend either, if they are resorting to a coin flip. Let Balt default to the 6th seed and just play a play a playoff game next week.

The logic is Buffalo Cinci had no playoff qualifying implications. The same logic should apply to Balt@Cinci this weekend.

Otherwise, Cinci guaranteed two home games no matter what.

That would be screwing the Bengals though. The coin flip ONLY happens if the Ravens win this weekend AND the Chargers also beat Denver. If the Bengals win, the Ravens have to go to Cincy. If the Ravens win and the Chargers lose, the Ravens are going to the AFC South winner as the 5 seed, and the Bengals stay home to beat the Chargers. At the moment, the bengals have three chances to play at home. They can either:

 

 

- Win on Sunday

- Hope the Chargers lose

- Win the coin flip

 

You’re taking those 3 chances and flipping them into 1. 

[paul-mac]

17 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

So basically, everyone is getting a consideration, except the Bengals.  Next time there are extraordinary circumstances, the teams involved are going to remember that the Bengals were absolutely shafted for doing the right thing.

That said, lets go kick the **** out of Baltimore this weekend and make the possibility of "winning" the division playing only 7 home games vs 9 road games, and having to play on the road in the playoffs, and still get the worse draft pick and harder divisional record in 2023 just a hypothetical.

The only way this would quasi make sense is if it included a neutral site Bengals/Bills game should it occur (assuming both win this weekend).  A neutral Bengals/Chiefs game if they were to lose in week 18 as well (with a Bengals win)

The Bengals are getting many considerations. Firstly, you’re being awarded the AFC North title by default. Had MNF been played and you lost, then you’d have to win against the Ravens for the division title. That’s no longer the case.

 

Second, you have THREE opportunities to host a playoff game. Either you beat the Ravens OR Denver beats LAC OR you win a coin flip. 
 

Third, you have an opportunity to play the AFCCG on a neutral site which wouldn’t be there if they just called it a no contest and went with winning percentage.

 

The only argument you really have if that CIN/BUF in the divisional round could be a neutral site game and I don’t disagree, but the policy makes it clear that provisions are made for teams that have played an “unequal number of games” and have the same record. The Bengals and Bills have played the same number of games. 

[THE DUKE]

11 minutes ago, paul-mac said:

Third, you have an opportunity to play the AFCCG on a neutral site which wouldn’t be there if they just called it a no contest and went with winning percentage.

I hadn't seen this as an option as of yet and it would mitigate my anger about the situation quite a bit.  I have only seen that Buf/KC would be neutral as an option.

[lancerman]

44 minutes ago, paul-mac said:

The Bengals are getting many considerations. Firstly, you’re being awarded the AFC North title by default. Had MNF been played and you lost, then you’d have to win against the Ravens for the division title. That’s no longer the case.

 

Second, you have THREE opportunities to host a playoff game. Either you beat the Ravens OR Denver beats LAC OR you win a coin flip. 
 

Third, you have an opportunity to play the AFCCG on a neutral site which wouldn’t be there if they just called it a no contest and went with winning percentage.

 

The only argument you really have if that CIN/BUF in the divisional round could be a neutral site game and I don’t disagree, but the policy makes it clear that provisions are made for teams that have played an “unequal number of games” and have the same record. The Bengals and Bills have played the same number of games. 

The question you should ask is what are they getting out of winning the AFC North? They are basically getting a 1st place schedule next year, an automatic higher draft pick, but they might not even get homefield in the wildcard or divisional round and if they make the AFCCG they might get a neutral field which is the big benefit. 

At that point, what is the division even worth?

[WheatieMan]

40 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

I hadn't seen this as an option as of yet and it would mitigate my anger about the situation quite a bit.  I have only seen that Buf/KC would be neutral as an option.

Yeah, I'm confused. What is the scenario for this? Bills & KC lose and Cinci wins? Then that Cinci AFC CG becomes neutral? I'm lost.

[WheatieMan]

11 minutes ago, lancerman said:

The question you should ask is what are they getting out of winning the AFC North? They are basically getting a 1st place schedule next year, an automatic higher draft pick, but they might not even get homefield in the wildcard or divisional round and if they make the AFCCG they might get a neutral field which is the big benefit. 

At that point, what is the division even worth?

Denver has mailed in the season so forget about upsetting LAC. Why decide it on a coin flip? Just void this upcoming game, or play a glorified exhibition game, and let it ride next week as the 3v6, or if Baltimore lands in the 5, so be it. I understand the Ravens are owed a benefit, but the benefit should be a comfortable day of rest on Sunday. The game can be made meaningless, and they are giving it way too much weight by playing it with these implications.

KC is getting massive weight based on pedigree. Buffalo is getting a terrible shake because they are guaranteed Cinci assuming both teams win their games. Baltimore is getting a slip, and the Bengals literally have no path to a neutral game in any statements I've read.

How about playing the Cinci WC game on a neutral field if they lose to Baltimore this weekend? I don't know at this point.

Edited January 6, 2023 by WheatieMan

[THE DUKE]

15 minutes ago, lancerman said:

The question you should ask is what are they getting out of winning the AFC North? They are basically getting a 1st place schedule next year, an automatic higher draft pick, but they might not even get homefield in the wildcard or divisional round and if they make the AFCCG they might get a neutral field which is the big benefit. 

At that point, what is the division even worth?

Literally none of the benefits and all of the downside.  I guess some T-Shirt and Hat merhandise money?  Can't imagine them being big sellers in that scenario though.  I hope we just come out and kick the **** out of Baltimore this weekend and make it a moot point though.  Then I can ***** about how we were screwed if KC manages to lose this weekend or if we have to go to Buffalo without a chance to win that game, lol.  Assuming we first win in the WC round of course.

[THE DUKE]

7 minutes ago, WheatieMan said:

Denver has mailed in the season so forget about upsetting LAC.

Any given Sunday is a saying for a reason.  The NFL is a grown mans league and no one should be taken for granted.