NFL: Bills-Bengals postponement impact on schedule discussion (UPD: Game cancelled)

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Figured it would be best to have a thread for purely the schedule impact of what went down tonight. Obviously, we wish all the best to Damar Hamlin.

Bills are flying back to Buffalo tonight so forget the game being played on Tuesday.

Do they start this game back up on Wednesday? Thursday? And then maybe have 2 games on Monday to conclude week 18? On Super Wild Card weekend, you have the option of a SNF and a MNF game now, so whoever doesn't get a bye could have a normal week of rest and practice.

Or do they just call it a tie and don't bother playing it?

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[Apex Predator]

Call it a tie and move on. We’re talking about someone’s life over a football game.

 

[Baby Punisher]

Call it a tie and move on. We’re talking about someone’s life over a football game.

I don't think the NFL would allow that. There is too much money at stake.
On its face calling it a tie would make sense. The logistics of rescheduling the game, honoring tickets, concessions etc...
I assume since the game is suspended they would pick up where they left off.

 

[StreetHawk]

I don't think the NFL would allow that. There is too much money at stake.
On its face calling it a tie would make sense. The logistics of rescheduling the game, honoring tickets, concessions etc...
I assume since the game is suspended they would pick up where they left off.

There is a massive trickle down effect given next week is the end of the regular season. Right now Buf and Cin are impacted for week 17, but so would NE and Bal for week 18, and any of these 4 teams playoff opponents in WC weekend.

 

[GKJ]

They got their air time in, guarantee the broadcast still got ratings.

 

[Ace]

I don’t know what they can do about the game. Anything but play it hands the one seed to KC and punishes these two teams for something they absolutely should not get punished for

 

[DoyleG]

Figured it would be best to have a thread for purely the schedule impact of what went down tonight. Obviously, we wish all the best to Damar Hamlin.

Bills are flying back to Buffalo tonight so forget the game being played on Tuesday.

Do they start this game back up on Wednesday? Thursday? And then maybe have 2 games on Monday to conclude week 18? On Super Wild Card weekend, you have the option of a SNF and a MNF game now, so whoever doesn't get a bye could have a normal week of rest and practice.

Or do they just call it a tie and don't bother playing it?

They would need to have everyone involved. League, teams, and the NFLPA would have to sign off on anything going forward.

 

[StreetHawk]

I don’t know what they can do about the game. Anything but play it hands the one seed to KC and punishes these two teams for something they absolutely should not get punished for

It’s the last game of week 17. So, as much as neither team wants to play on Tuesday, they may need to. It was already difficult enough for the nfl to set the tv schedule for week 18 to ensure competitive fairness in keeping all meaningful games meaningful as best they could.

 

[Hockeyholic]

7-3 Bengals with possession commencing Wed at 730 pm ET.

Have both teams play a doubleheader on Monday.

 

[StreetHawk]

7-3 Bengals with possession commencing Wed at 730 pm ET.

Have both teams play a doubleheader on Monday.

Will mean that both teams if they play WC weekend have to be the Sunday game. One game will need to go to another network.

 

[mouser]

With the info Buffalo flew back home tonight I think they either need to resume the game Wednesday or cancel it as a tie. Playing Thursday is too late imo.

Both Buffalo and Cincinnati are scheduled for home games in the final week 18. so pushing out those games a day to Monday is reasonable. Doesn’t hurt the fans of the visiting team. Any further delay in week 18 isn’t fair to the playoff teams though.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Maybe they postpone till after week 18 to see if the game will make any difference by then?

 

[misterchainsaw]

I'm don't think this game gets played without strong positive medical news tomorrow.

 

[GKJ]

With the info Buffalo flew back home tonight I think they either need to resume the game Wednesday or cancel it as a tie. Playing Thursday is too late imo.

Both Buffalo and Cincinnati are scheduled for home games in the final week 18. so pushing out those games a day to Monday is reasonable. Doesn’t hurt the fans of the visiting team. Any further delay in week 18 isn’t fair to the playoff teams though.

They did not fly home yet.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Maybe they postpone till after week 18 to see if the game will make any difference by then?

It's impossible that it won't make a difference

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The best thing would be to call it a tie. Staff and players wouldn't cause a stink but fore sure an owner would.

 

[mouser]

They did not fly home yet.

Ah, thought I saw a report they are

 

[Ace]

It's impossible that it won't make a difference

Correct. It effects all top three seeds in the AFC



Theyre leaving now

 

[GKJ]

Ah, thought I saw a report they did.

Granted, I doubt they’re waiting to find out if they’re going to play tomorrow. But just from logistics, if they don’t leave, they need new hotels to stay at.

 

[misterchainsaw]

It's an 80 minute flight. They were always leaving tonight. No hotel rooms, no change of clothes, etc. An 80 minute flight is not a factor in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Calling it a tie would impact standing/playoff seeding, correct?

So logically speaking I don't think you can do that if that is case

 

[Terry Yake]

tie would be the best option but don't think there's any way the league lets that happen with important seeding implications on the line

 

[Cyclones Rock]

If the Bills are flying home now, then I would think that the only viable option would be for the seedings/bye to be determined by winning percentages as there wouldn't appear to be any reasonable time frame in which the game could be finished/re-played. Calling 10 minutes of a game a tie with one team leading doesn't seem to be a good option to me.

The Chiefs would get the bye with a win next Saturday, the Bengals would win the AFC North regardless of the outcome of the Ravens game and if the Bengals win and Buffalo loses this coming week, then the 2 and 3 seed would be broken by traditional tie braking methods.

It's an awful situation which occurred at the most inopportune time in the regular season. It may cost the Bills or Bengals a bye week, but that doesn't seem to be of much significance right now.

 

[StreetHawk]

With the info Buffalo flew back home tonight I think they either need to resume the game Wednesday or cancel it as a tie. Playing Thursday is too late imo.

Both Buffalo and Cincinnati are scheduled for home games in the final week 18. so pushing out those games a day to Monday is reasonable. Doesn’t hurt the fans of the visiting team. Any further delay in week 18 isn’t fair to the playoff teams though.

The competitive fairness issue of these 2 teams playing on a 5 day gap va a 7 for their opponents NE and Bal isn’t ideal
But at this point in time can’t be avoided if they play on Wed and push to Mon.

Also who knows what the outcome of this game
Is. If Cin win then Bal is only a WC team and can’t win the division. So they probably rest guys as they would have anyways. Buf gets NE who control their WC destiny, which I’m sure Miami, Pitt and even Jax fans don’t like NE getting a very short week opponent.
But under the circumstances it has to be done.

 

[DoyleG]

Calling it a tie would impact standing/playoff seeding, correct?

So logically speaking I don't think you can do that if that is case

Bengals would be out of #1 Seed contention in the AFC.