As NFL enters the final week of the regular season, there has been a ton of speculation on how the league will handle the Bills–Bengals game that was suspended following the scary medical emergency involving Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin.
Monday’s clash between the two teams—one that league decided that would not be rescheduled on Tuesday—held significant AFC playoff implications, particularly for the conference’s top seed. Shortly after ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared an “educated guess” on First Take that the league would likely not replay Monday’s game, he also suggested two scenarios the NFL may consider in the AFC playoff picture.
Schefter’s first plan consisted of calling the Bengals-Bills game a tie and the No. 1 seed in the AFC gets the choice of home field advantage throughout the playoffs or the bye week. The No. 2 seed would get the option that the top seed did not choose.
The second scenario is one that Schefter described as “more viable” and the option that the NFL might enact “before Saturday’s game” centers around the AFC Championship game. Schefter said the AFC title game could be played a neutral site if it involves teams that do not have the same amount of games played due to Monday’s game being a non-result.
Orr: As Damar Hamlin Recovers, Buffalo Waits—and Wonders What to Do
The news of scenarios comes on the heels that Hamlin has made “remarkable improvement” in the last 24 hours, according to a statement from the Bills. Currently, Kansas City (13–3) holds the No. 1 seed followed by Buffalo (12–3) at No. 2 and Cincinnati (11–4) at No. 3. Both the Chiefs and Bills have clinched their division titles.
Hamlin made a tackle on Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins and returned to his feet but suddenly collapsed on his back on the field at Paycor Stadium, leaving players and fans distressed and concerned. The 24-year-old went into cardiac arrest and received CPR before he was placed in an ambulance and taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
He was resuscitated in the aftermath of the medical emergency.
