Playoff Solutions Assuming they don’t replay the Bengals game.

[BillsFanSD]

Just now, Steptide said:

I say give both teams a win. Wouldn't that theoretically keep all the standings the same? 

I was thinking about this last night while trying to sleep.  Giving both teams a win seems like a pretty fair solution to me.  The Bengals and Bills are both made no worse off, and KC doesn't unjustly benefit.  The league could (if it wanted to -- this is fine with me) specify that Cincinnati gets a H2H tiebreaker over the Bills so that next week's games are still meaningful for everyone.  We would still need to take care of NE to get the #1 seed.  

 

Really though, I don't think there's a solution that will be universally regarded as fair.  Lots of solutions that would be equitable for BUF and/or CIN in isolation are grossly inequitable for KC.  It would be very easy to stumble into a "solution" that basically just hands Kansas City the #1 seed despite losing to both competing teams.  If I were a Chiefs fan, I would not be comfortable with that outcome considering how we got there.

[Mango]

6 hours ago, Draconator said:

There are a hella lot of implications here. I don't want to be an NFL Official trying to decide what to do, because whatever they decide, no one is going to be happy with it. 

The league should just ask the org. If the Bills are given the option and are willing to take a loss, then let them. 
 

As a fan, I don’t care. Just do it and move on. 

[PatsFanNH]

2 minutes ago, boyst said:

they're 100% more likely to skip the game then play it today or tomorrow. they'll go to the playoffs off win percentage. to rearrange a game and drag these players back on the field is difficult and unfair. it's unfair to just give both teams a W. it's ridiculous to just skip the game to hand the chiefs #1 seed after both teams beat them but the Chiefs are the new Patriots* so the NFL doesn't care.

 

i don't even know how they will be ready to be successful against the Patriots. And with McCorkle and Judon being cheap shot artists and the Bills knowing it - i imagine they'll be nervous to play them. McDermott and this team would have forfeited the season if he passed away, i 100% believe this. if they play the patriots - the patriots will win and the classless trash of boston will beat their chest.

 

Boston:

Lmao I actually said just now playing it after the Pats game and if by some

miracle the Pats won they would Cancel it since it didn’t mean much to the Bills. 
 

Also who is McCorkle?  

[boyst]

Just now, PatsFanNH said:

Lmao I actually said just now playing it after the Pats game and if by some

miracle the Pats won they would Cancel it since it didn’t mean much to the Bills. 
 

Also who is McCorkle?  

A patriots QB.

[Casey D]

1 minute ago, PatsFanNH said:

Lmao I actually said just now playing it after the Pats game and if by some

miracle the Pats won they would Cancel it since it didn’t mean much to the Bills. 
 

Also who is McCorkle?  

Your QB.  That's his full name.

[PatsFanNH]

Just now, boyst said:

A patriots QB.

Ahh thank you! I was wrong in my assumption you were meaning McCourty. (I am glad I asked)

[4thandGoal]

13 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I say give both teams a win. Wouldn't that theoretically keep all the standings the same? 

And then its not fair to KC.. so standings would not be the same

[H2o]

I believe the game against Cincy will become forfeit. With the Bills already being locked in as the #3 seed basically, I wouldn't even be surprised if the NE game is forfeit as well depending on how the team is taking the situation. It's too close to the Playoffs to be moving games around and giving teams short weeks. That would be a complete disadvantage to all of those involved. Could be destiny as well, who knows. Damar #3, Bills #3 seed, and bring one home for Damar (and he completely recovers as well 🙏).  

[boyst]

Just now, 4thandGoal said:

And then its not fair to KC.. so standings would not be the same

Bills and Bengals already beat the chiefs. So that's the only limb that I could go out on. 

[The Jokeman]

9 minutes ago, Billznut said:

I think Buffalo is going to have an almost impossible time getting ready to play the Pats by next weekend mentally. They sure as hell won’t be ready to play the Bengals in the next 2-3 days. 

Assuming we get a report on Damar today or tomorrow I could see us finishing the game Thursday and then the Bills Patriots/Ravens Bengals games moved to next Thursday. 

[Buffalo Ballin]

1 minute ago, 4thandGoal said:

And then its not fair to KC.. so standings would not be the same

How is NOT fair to KC?

 

They lost to us and Cincinnati in head to head this year. That means a helluva lot more than overall winning percentage. And our 12-3 record is pretty darn good, too.

[mikemac2001]

15 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I say give both teams a win. Wouldn't that theoretically keep all the standings the same? 

My thought process but it hurts ravens and chiefs - there isn’t going to be a fair way to do it.
 

KC catches a break bc if they don’t factor in the game they will own the % even tho they lost to both teams.

maybe they can do something like top 4 seeds are seeded by conf win % and don’t include the bills bengals game this would still make the last week important for all parties 

 

[Behindenemylines]

If they take the rankings as they stand today and use that as the basis for next weeks outcomes it would make sense 

 

if all three win it remains the same. If Bills lose KC takes 1 and Bills/ Bengals adjust based on bengals outcome of week 18 

 

Bills and Bengals win and KC loses readjust based on that 

 

win% alone didn’t work as both Bills and Bengals beat KC. 

[Buffalo Ballin]

For the people saying "forfeit forfeit" that's also disrespectful to Damar Hamlin and the sacrifices he made to be on the team and he helped the Bills become number one seed this year.

 

Just flat out disrespectful and abysmal.

[PatsFanNH]

Just now, H2o said:

I believe the game against Cincy will become forfeit. With the Bills already being locked in as the #3 seed basically, I wouldn't even be surprised if the NE game is forfeit as well depending on how the team is taking the situation. It's too close to the Playoffs to be moving games around and giving teams short weeks. That would be a complete disadvantage to all of those involved. Could be destiny as well, who knows. Damar #3, Bills #3 seed, and bring one home for Damar (and he completely recovers as well 🙏).  

Forfeiting the Pats game would have Miami and Pitt up in arms as it eliminates them from the playoffs. The truth is there is NO good solution for this unprecedented situation. (For lack of a better word)

[Trekking]

I just find it to be a load of BS if KC somehow benefits from this despite losing to both teams. 

[Casey D]

2 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Assuming we get a report on Damar today or tomorrow I could see us finishing the game Thursday and then the Bills Patriots/Ravens Bengals games moved to next Thursday. 

And then a playoff game on Saturday or Sunday for someone?

[finn]

1 minute ago, The Jokeman said:

Assuming we get a report on Damar today or tomorrow I could see us finishing the game Thursday and then the Bills Patriots/Ravens Bengals games moved to next Thursday. 

This sounds like the best solution, especially if Hamlin is upgraded to stable condition before then and looks to be out of the woods. If he's not, I don't care what happens, and I suspect most Bills players will feel the same way. 

[djp14150]

6 hours ago, Locomark said:

I just don’t see how they play the Bengals game with Hamlin’s true status not being known for days or maybe a full week or more.
 

A. I prefer they give both KC and the Bills a Bye and kill the #7 seed in the AFC. 
I know the NFL will never do this because it’s 1 less playoff game. 
 

B. If the Bills and Chiefs both win next weekend, we are 13-3, Chiefs 14-3, Bengals 12-4.  they could rank Bills and KC 1 and 2 based on conference %. Though this really screws the Bengals because they didn’t get their shot at us. (Chiefs would 9-3, Bills better at 9-2, FYI Bengals are 8-3) 
 

C. They can select by plain win % then KC gets the 1 seed (assuming they win Saturday) and we get the 2 seed. Now we get stuck with an extra game and no bye through no fault of our own, which makes me push back to my option A because why should we be punished for an act of god? 
 

Other ideas? 

 

if games get cancelled ….that’s why rules refer to winning pct in sorting.

 

is it a bills forfeit? Is it called a tie?  What dies KC do?  Thry face a team out of the playoffs . If thry call it a tie Cincy clinches division..

 

they will not say it’s a bills loss because of the score.  The play was too short to be considered an official game. Had this happened in the 4 th and Cindy was up by 14 they could call the game official.

 

they will not change the playoff format.

 

it’s unrealistic to try and e en make up this game.  The team won’t know his condition until till probably on Wednesday.

 

of course KC could say they aren’t playing on Saturday to equate things and call it a no play or tie like how thry decide this game.

 

had this game occurred in sept they could easily made up the game.  They can’t do it now.

 

 

[stlbills13]

If they play the game this week, I don't see any way the Bills win. So I'd maybe rather just cancel it and go to win %. We get the 2 seed likely but that's better than losing and being the 3 seed. It sucks that the Chiefs will get an all time gift but it will be even sweeter to knock them out