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

[Dr. Who]

Just now, Airseven said:

Best case scenario, albeit unlikely, is restarting the game on Thursday and pushing BUF/NE and CIN/BAL to next Tuesday. Short of that, I think the only "fair" outcome here is to have the Bills forfeit the game. 

Maybe the NFL should see who was leading after ten minutes in every game and readjust the results. It's not "fair," though it may be expedient.

[BillsFanSD]

4 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

Push back the playoffs a week. Play week 18 as scheduled and the following week (what would have been WC weekend) let the Bills and Bengals resume their game.

So every team except the Bills and Bengals get an extra bye week.  No thanks.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

4 minutes ago, Patrick Fitzryan said:

The more I think about it, the only scenario that seems plausible is the league offering a make-up date to continue the game, and the Bills declining and choosing to forfeit.

 

Any other scenario disadvantages too many other teams and, while that is far from the most important issue right now, it simply is something that won't be entertained in the name of competitive integrity.

I think the bengals would ‘forfeit’ too in solidarity based on how it’s been handled by them so far and it would go down as a tie 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Einstein's Dog]

2 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

The bills were behind but getting the ball to start the second half so that really doesn’t mean anything.  Given how easily we were moving the ball too it could’ve easily been a double dip scenario 

I agree that the game was by no means over.  But that was a secondary reason to forfeit.

 

McDermott should take the forfeit for the benefit of the league.  

 

He can say he wasn't bringing his team back out after what happened (and I believe he will be speaking the truth).  It was the Bills that weren't going to resume playing- regardless of what the league said.  So while the Bills appreciate the league actions the Bills will accept the consequences and forfeit the game.

[Airseven]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Maybe the NFL should see who was leading after ten minutes in every game and readjust the results. It's not "fair," though it may be expedient.

 

The point is not who was leading. The point is that the Bills were dealt a hugely unfortunate circumstance and the Bengals shouldn't be penalized in any way. Yes, losing an opportunity to overtake the Bills would be a unfair penalty to them.

[phypon]

The Bills forfeit this game.  Probably this coming weekend's game as well.  That gives the players time.  They become the #3 seed.  Clearly, life is more important than the game.  This scenario gives the players time to mentally and physically rest and do their best to regroup for the playoffs.  This gives them the bye week they would have had if being the #1 seed and if they win and things play out in their favor they can still have at least another home game.

[LanderPoke]

Seems the most plausible option is to cancel the game and do playoff seeding by win%. Thus giving the #1 seed to KC. Sucks.

 

Prayers for Hamlin

[Lothar]

I really don't think there's a reasonable scenario to play this game in a timely fashion.

 

And with regard to the most fairness to the league, you really want teams playing to win next week.

 

Here's my potential solution:

 

1. Cancel this game.

 

2. For fairness to all teams, if all of BUF, KC, CIN win next week, the solution might be to give KC the top seed but if KC and BUF as 1,2 meet for the championship game, they play at a neutral site like Indy with fans of both teams given an opportunity to buy half the tickets. Similarly, if BUF and CIN meet as 2 vs 3, they play at a neutral site. Should any team lose next week, we go strictly to winning percentage.

 

I think this gives all the outside teams a fair shot (reduces Bills/Bengals possibility to have top seed and removes Ravens possibility of winning division)

[Rochesterfan]

2 hours ago, Boatdrinks said:

Most unpalatable thing about such a scenario is that Chiefs lost head to head to both teams involved … otherwise that’s the solution. It may still be, but perhaps a different decision will be reached. 

 

Yes, but in the event Cincinnati won last night - if the Chiefs won versus LV then they would have still been the #1 seed and still lost to both teams.

 

Yes it sucks, but I do not see any way the Bills/Cincinnati play a game Wednesday or Thursday and then turn around and play later next week because their games against NE and Baltimore impact seeding and therefore it would impact the entire 1st round of games and prep time and who is in.

 

They also are not going to get traction to skip back a week and have 1 game Bills/Cincinnati to finish while every other team has a bye and then expect either one or both to turn around with a massive disadvantage.

 

The easiest and most logical thing is to call it a no game and then go by win%.  Does it maybe help KC and maybe hurt Baltimore a bit - yep, but it keeps everything on track and allows the team time to recover.  Additionally, the Bills already won in Arrowhead and Cincinnati did it last year - so yes it is a small advantage, but either Buffalo or Cincinnati were already going to have to go through KC and there was still a chance that both would of needed to.

 

Win % has the smallest impact without forcing the Bills to immediately jump on a plane and re-live the experience before they have emotionally dealt with it.

 

The league will be working with the teams to discuss options and based upon how honorable Cincinnati handled it so far - I think they would be accepting of a no contest outcome even if it made them a 3 seed.

 

 

[BBills_88]

Give both Buf and Cin a Tie.

Allow 1 more team the playoff a spot for this scenario. and give the 1 & 2 seed a BYE week. 

 

Next week's game will count 

[phxbacker]

9 hours ago, What a Tuel said:

 

My brother is in a championship game right now in this scenario!

 

He has Allen and Bass and he is playing against Burrow and is losing 97 to 90.7 when play stopped. 

 

That said I don't think the NFL cares about Fantasy that much. 

 

My son is in the same spot. In championship and Down by 9 going into the Bills/Bengals game, other team has nobody left, He has Allen,Diggs and the Cinci Kicker. Crazy situation.

I agree, they probably don't care much about fantasy football right now.

 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

8 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

I agree that the game was by no means over.  But that was a secondary reason to forfeit.

 

McDermott should take the forfeit for the benefit of the league.  

 

He can say he wasn't bringing his team back out after what happened (and I believe he will be speaking the truth).  It was the Bills that weren't going to resume playing- regardless of what the league said.  So while the Bills appreciate the league actions the Bills will accept the consequences and forfeit the game.

Assuming the ‘it was mcdermotts decision to not put his players out there to finish the game’ point is true ,  there’s no way I’d even consider doing anything to be an nfl company man after the actions of last night if I were McDermott.
 

in that scenario McDermott and Taylor stepped in and saved the NFL from making possibly the biggest blunder in sports history and that’s how you’re gonna repay his team who has battling through adversity all year? 
 

if the nfl decides on a makeup date and the bills decide not to play,  I’d leave it up to the bengals if they want the game to be treated as a forfeit or not but I would certainly not conclude a bills forfeit is the only option if I were the league . 
 

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Greg S]

4 minutes ago, phypon said:

The Bills forfeit this game.  Probably this coming weekend's game as well.  That gives the players time.  They become the #3 seed.  Clearly, life is more important than the game.  This scenario gives the players time to mentally and physically rest and do their best to regroup for the playoffs.  This gives them the bye week they would have had if being the #1 seed and if they win and things play out in their favor they can still have at least another home game.

 

The league might allow the Bills to forfeit the Bengals game, but I doubt they allow them to forfeit the Pats game. The outcome of that game affects the Steelers and Dolphins as well.

[Dr. Who]

2 minutes ago, Airseven said:

 

The point is not who was leading. The point is that the Bills were dealt a hugely unfortunate circumstance and the Bengals shouldn't be penalized in any way. Yes, losing an opportunity to overtake the Bills would be a unfair penalty to them.

Somehow I suspect the Bengals will show more dignity, compassion, and basic human decency and refuse the forfeit.

As I and others have suggested, the best feasible response is to cancel the game and figure seeding by win percentage.

[Bills fan since 87]

6 minutes ago, LanderPoke said:

Seems the most plausible option is to cancel the game and do playoff seeding by win%. Thus giving the #1 seed to KC. Sucks.

 

Prayers for Hamlin

 

Unless they lose to the Raiders.  But yes, I think they need to just cancel the game all together and move on as normal as can be from there.

[phypon]

Just now, Greg S said:

 

The league might allow the Bills to forfeit the Bengals game, but I doubt they allow them to forfeit the Pats game. The outcome of that game affects the Steelers and Dolphins as well.

Yeah, I think you're right about that.  It's a sticky line for sure.  

[dave mcbride]

15 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

"The integrity of the season" went out the window the second they postponed the game.  There is no actual way to set things right without disadvantaging somebody.  Postponing the game was the right decision, but now we're in a position of having to figure out how to choose among a variety of alternatives each of which is unfair to somebody.  

 

I'm always reluctant to make predictions about what the NFL will or won't do, but I'm very skeptical that the league will rearrange the entire rest of the season when they could just call it a forfeit or tie or whatever and be done with it.  

Honestly, they really can't reschedule the playoffs. The league makes its money off of tv contracts, and all of that space was bought and paid for months ago. It's literally hundreds of millions of dollars (three playoff rounds) that would need rearranging and renegotiating. It's far, far easier to simply say the game didn't happen and move on. It'll likely come down to winning percentage. They had a contingency plan for games being canceled because of covid in 2020, so there is precedent. 

[Process]

4 minutes ago, BBills_88 said:

Give both Buf and Cin a Tie.

Allow 1 more team the playoff a spot for this scenario. and give the 1 & 2 seed a BYE week. 

 

Next week's game will count 

Would Cinci get the 2 seed if they won and bills lost next week? If so this is an extremely fair resolution with all three teams still able to get the bye. I like this a lot.

[NastyNateSoldiers]

10 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? 

The best idea is probably to give the entire league a week off this is a NFL issue not just the Bills . After that call the Bills Bengals game a complete wash no nobody gets a win or loss . Once they proceed with week 18 the KC vs Raiders game needs to also be canceled therefore they won’t play an extra game then the Bills . This has to be the most fair way to proceed because it still gives the teams behind the Pats a chance to make the playoffs and it sets up Balt vs Cinny for the AFC north title and gives the Bills there chance at winning the conference and home field advantage.  

[Nineforty]

Just now, Dr. Who said:

Somehow I suspect the Bengals will show more dignity, compassion, and basic human decency and refuse the forfeit.

As I and others have suggested, the best feasible response is to cancel the game and figure seeding by win percentage.

or they could play the game asap. I know it's tough. and I think the players/coaches should be the ones making this decision. But I do think many are underestimating the will some of the players would have to play. 

 

with the family making a statement later, that probably would go a long way towards how the players would feel about that.