NFL approves NEUTRAL site for potential Bills-Chiefs AFC title game

The NFL on Friday approved a resolution to move a potential Bills-Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship to a neutral site after the league’s decision to cancel Monday’s Buffalo-Cincinnati Bengals game tossed the league’s playoff seedings into chaos.

Now, should the 12-3 Bills and 13-3 Chiefs both advance to the AFC title game, they will square off on a neutral site, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl.

The NFL also approved a proposed coin toss to determine homefield advantage should the Bengals and Baltimore Ravens find themselves in a first-round playoff matchup. The two teams do meet in the regular-season finale on Sunday, and can avoid a coin toss if Cincinnati wins to secure an AFC North division title.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) lies on the turf after making a tackle on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, blocked from view, as Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) assists at the end of the play during the first half of an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills

The issues stem from the NFL’s decision to call off the remainder of Monday’s Bills-Bengals game, which was postponed after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered an on-field cardiac arrest and required resuscitation. Hamlin remains in critical care at a Cincinnati hospital, where he recently had his breathing tube remove and even had a FaceTime call with teammates on Friday.

The MNF matchup carried significant playoff implications for both the 12-3 Bills and 11-4 Bengals.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor has already expressed his dismay over the NFL’s proposed coin toss.

‘It’s black and white, it’s in the rulebook,’ Taylor told reporters Friday as NFL owners met to discuss proposed tweaks to this year’s playoff format.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor has already expressed his dismay over the NFL’s proposed coin toss. ‘It’s black and white, it’s in the rulebook,’ Taylor told reporters Friday as NFL owners met to discuss proposed tweaks to this year’s playoff format

Under normal circumstances, homefield advantage is determined by winning percentage.

‘So we not following the rules no more,’ tweeted Bengals running Joe Mixon.

The situation can be avoided entirely if the Bengals beat the 10-6 Ravens on Sunday – a strong possibility considering Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson remains out with a knee injury.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the complications facing the league in a statement on Thursday.

‘As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities,’ Goodell said. ‘I recognize that there is no perfect solution. The proposal we are asking the ownership to consider, however, addresses the most significant potential equitable issues created by the difficult, but necessary, decision not to play the game under these extraordinary circumstances.’

The NFL approved resolutions on Monday to determine homefield advantage in several potential playoff matchups