What New AFC Playoff Changes Mean For Ravens-Bengals
The NFL owners approved of the proposed changes to the AFC playoffs.
An adjustment was needed after the league announced it would cancel the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game following safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium on Monday.
The Bills and the Bengals had a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but the Kansas City Chiefs likely will hang on after Week 18. The Baltimore Ravens also had an opportunity to win the AFC North, but the Bengals clinched the division this week after the league’s decision. But the NFL wanted to keep things fair if Buffalo or Cincinnati were to make the AFC Championship game and came up with the following changes in a G-1 resolution sent out via press release.
The AFC Championship game will be played on a neutral site that will be determined by commissioner Roger Goodell if the matchup features a team that played in less games and could have been the No. 1 seed. If the Bills or the Bengals play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship, that game will be played on a neutral site.
However, if the matchup features the Buffalo and Cincinnati, the game will be played at the home stadium of the higher team, which would be the Bills, according to records prior to Week 18.
Also, if the Ravens beat the Bengals this Sunday, and the two teams are scheduled to play in the wild-card round, the site of the game will be determined by a coin toss supervised by Goodell. This is because Baltimore beat Cincinnati in Week 5, and if the Bengals had lost Monday and would lose this Sunday, then the Ravens would have won the AFC North.
Cincinnati is the No. 3 seed and Baltimore is the No. 6 seed prior to Week 18, so the teams would play against each other in the AFC Wild Card.
The Los Angeles Chargers plays the Denver Broncos this Sunday, and a loss would move the Ravens up to the No. 5 seed to take on the winner of the AFC South.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Friday Lamar Jackson will not play in Sunday’s contest, and the hope is for Tyler Huntley to start, but backup Anthony Brown is ready to go if needed.
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