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The NFL has confirmed that the suspended Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills will not resume, prompting the teams to consider a neutral side in their AFC Championship game.
The Bengals-Bills game was suspended after Dummer Hamlin collapsed due to cardiac arrest during the first quarter. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field and then taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he remains in intensive care, but is encouraged to have made “considerable progress” in the past 24 hours.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained that there is “no perfect solution” to the decision, which comes ahead of the final round of the regular season with a big impact on the playoffs, and is based on three key factors. was
Goodell stressed that game cancellations would not affect a team’s exclusion from qualifying or the postseason, but would prefer to clarify playoff scenarios for all teams before Week 18. I was eager. He added that it would be unfair for him to delay the playoffs by a week to play the game. For all the other clubs that guided the decision.
According to a statement, NFL team owners attended a special league meeting on Friday and said that if both participating teams were mathematically #1 seeds, the AFC Championship games would be played at a neutral venue. It was revealed that the Competition Commission will consider a resolution recommended by the Competition Commission. They played the same number of games.
That decision impacts the Bills (12-3), Bengals (11-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (13-3). The NFL has presented three scenarios in which an AFC Championship game at a neutral site would be valid.
– If Buffalo and Kansas City both win or tie, the Bills Chiefs’ championship game will be played at a neutral site.
– If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore win or tie, the Bills Chiefs’ championship game will be played at a neutral site.
– If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, the Bills or Bengals vs. Chiefs championship game will be played on a neutral site.
The Baltimore Ravens (10-6) could also be affected if they beat the Bengals in Week 18, leading to a matchup in the AFC Wild Card Game, where a coin toss will determine the place.
“Given the football schedule, our principle was to limit disruption and minimize competitive unfairness across the league,” Goodell said in a statement.
“This has been a very difficult week. We remain focused on Dummer Hamlin’s recovery and are encouraged by the improvement in his condition and the tremendous support and care for Dummer and his family from across the country. It has been. .
“I am also very appreciative of the excellent work of the medical personnel and applaud each and every one of them.”
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