Official: (Bengals) Game will not be resumed this week UPDATE: OFFICIALLY CANCELLED

[Buffalo03]

3 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

The teams playing out the string wouldnt want this. They want to fire coaches and get to interviewing people. 

 

With all due respect to Whaley, this is a non starter and a good reminder of why hes not in the NFL anymore

So, moving a game back a week will prevent a team from firing a head coach?

[Mango]

3 minutes ago, The Red King said:

I'm of the opinion that if the NFL requires the Bills to resume this game in Cincy, the Bills will forfeit.  I won't even hazard a guess as to Cincy's reaction as they still do have traumatized players as well.

I get the sense from Burrows interview today that they’ll side with the Bills. Per Burrow they have guys in the locker room that don’t want to play this week vs. the Ravens.
 

They may be in lock step where the Bills don’t have to forfeit and they tell the league, “we’re not playing, find another way.”

 

Both coaches already did this to the league on Monday.. 

[boyst]

2 hours ago, Punch said:

The playoff bye isn't about rest (although it's a nice bonus). It's about an automatic advancement to the next week. Playing out the Bills-Bengals game to assure that bye plus homefield advantage is worth it.

For the fan it's about rest.  The players talk every year of the bonus of two weeks at home to chill, recover, be home. 

[zow2]

5 minutes ago, Mango said:

I get the sense from Burrows interview today that they’ll side with the Bills. Per Burrow they have guys in the locker room that don’t want to play this week vs. the Ravens.
 

They may be in lock step where the Bills don’t have to forfeit and they tell the league, “we’re not playing, find another way.”

 

Both coaches already did this to the league on Monday.. 

 

I mean let’s face it. That game left a deep scar.  and both Buffalo and Cincinnati probably don’t really want to bash each others heads in, during a stand-alone regular season game after week 18.  I’m sure if Buffalo respectfully asks for a no contest, even if it means a lower seed, i agree, Cincinnati would likely support it.  I really don’t think either club is all that worried about playing at Arrowhead if that’s what ultimately happens for one of them. 

[UKBillFan]

1 minute ago, zow2 said:

 

I mean let’s face it. That game left a deep scar.  and both Buffalo and Cincinnati probably don’t really want to bash each others heads in, during a stand-alone regular season game after week 18.  I’m sure if Buffalo respectfully asks for a no contest, even if it means a lower seed, i agree, Cincinnati would likely support it.  I really don’t think either club is all that worried about playing at Arrowhead if that’s what ultimately happens for one of them. 

The only issue is how does the NFL respond to a no contest? I presume winning percentages to decide the seeding order. As long as the Bengals beat the Ravens on Sunday this won’t affect any other team - if the Chiefs beat the Raiders they’ll have the better winning percentage; if they lose and the Bills beat the Pats then the Bills will have the better winning percentage.
 

The problem would be if the Ravens beat the Bengals. By winning percentage, the Bengals would still hold the three seed over the Ravens.

[Captain Hindsight]

21 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

So, moving a game back a week will prevent a team from firing a head coach?

No, but teams just want to end the year. Players want to go on vacation. Teams have been game planning for this week (including the Bills). There is no reason to disrupt the entire league for one game. It will be a no contest or played next week 

[Buffalo03]

3 minutes ago, Captain Hindsight said:

No, but teams just want to end the year. Players want to go on vacation. Teams have been game planning for this week (including the Bills). There is no reason to disrupt the entire league for one game. It will be a no contest or played next week 

And they can still fire their coach with the Bills and Bengals playing next week 

[boyst]

2 hours ago, Punch said:

The playoff bye isn't about rest (although it's a nice bonus). It's about an automatic advancement to the next week. Playing out the Bills-Bengals game to assure that bye plus homefield advantage is worth it.

For the fan it's about rest.  The players talk every year of the bonus of two weeks at home to chill, recover, be home. 

 

 

 

All that mainly matters is ***** the chiefs. 

[LeGOATski]

2 hours ago, Boatdrinks said:

The league cares and tries to avoid it with times etc They might not care in this case though by making Bills / Bengals after week 18. The Bills will have to play NE game like it matters to them

Right, the league tries to keep the schedule competitive all the way to the end. But that's not what I responded to, so the point is irrelevant.

 

The poster I responded to said it would "piss a lot of people off" that a team forfeited while Damar Hamlin was in the hospital and rested their starters in the final week. That is completely false.

[zow2]

If the league mandates that the Bills

go back to Cincinnati and resume this game, say next Thursday or Sunday… do we even know if Damar would be out of the hospital? Of course the answer is we don’t know.  He could be there for a few more days if improving, a week or a few weeks.

I mean there’s just no way the league would send the Bills back to that stadium with our guy still in the hospital a few miles away. Maybe that’s too dramatic of me, i don’t know.  

As others have said, i think the Bills

will have the loudest voice in the room on how they best feel this should be resolved.

[Scott7975]

Whether they play the game or not some team or multiple teams are going to get the short end of the stick.  There is no perfect way to deal with this that is fair to everyone.  People just need to accept that.  I am fine with whatever happens.

[Rochesterfan]

1 hour ago, boyst said:

For the fan it's about rest.  The players talk every year of the bonus of two weeks at home to chill, recover, be home. 

 

I don’t know - I was listening to one of the national radio shows this morning talking to some former Super Bowl Champ linemen and one of the questions was would you prefer home field or getting a bye week as part of a suggested KC gets #1 seed and the bye, but would have to go to Buffalo and both players said they would take the bye.

 

The rest and pass to the next round was better and allowed more of the team to be healthy and playing one less game to get to the Super Bowl was a huge advantage in their mind.

 

Although they did concede that they got byes and home games which ultimately is what got them the win, but they both felt rest and recouping was key to a 3 game streak.

 

I am sure that other would like home field also - resting in your bed etc.

 

 

[Just Jack]

2 hours ago, zow2 said:

If the league mandates that the Bills

go back to Cincinnati and resume this game, say next Thursday or Sunday… do we even know if Damar would be out of the hospital? Of course the answer is we don’t know.  He could be there for a few more days if improving, a week or a few weeks.

I mean there’s just no way the league would send the Bills back to that stadium with our guy still in the hospital a few miles away. Maybe that’s too dramatic of me, i don’t know.  

As others have said, i think the Bills

will have the loudest voice in the room on how they best feel this should be resolved.

 

Best scenario, the game is played, in Cincy.  Right before the game resumes, the stadium announcer says, "Please turn your attention to the jumbotron for a special message".  Screen cuts to Damar, awake and speaking to the camera "Thanks for all the love and support, etc..."    A huge roar is heard all over America.  Lots of onions being cut.  

[Paul Costa]

I didn’t read the 28 pages to find out my Question. Is there protocol of a game be suspended because of a stoppage in play and what to do? Start game over or pick up where they left off? 

[BLeonard]

12 minutes ago, Paul Costa said:

I didn’t read the 28 pages to find out my Question. Is there protocol of a game be suspended because of a stoppage in play and what to do? Start game over or pick up where they left off? 

In most cases, like weather delays, they pick up where they left off.

 

However, we're in uncharted territory here.  I'm not aware of a game that was postponed and NOT completed that same day.  I recall reading somewhere that the game is to be resumed within two days of it's stoppage.  Well, we're past that point now.

 

I would GUESS that, if the game is played, it would start from the point they left off, but that is only my guess.
 

Questions also arise from the gameday rosters.  What if a guy on the gameday roster is hurt or released when the game resumes?  Can the team name a replacement, or do they essentially play shorthanded?  Or, vice versa, if a guy was hurt or not on the team on gameday, but is healthy on the resume date, can he play?

 

Long story short, there really isn't an answer, at least that I'm aware of, that covers this particular situation.

Edited January 5, 2023 by BLeonard

[WotAGuy]

22 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

In most cases, like weather delays, they pick up where they left off.

 

However, we're in uncharted territory here.  I'm not aware of a game that was postponed and NOT completed that same day.  I recall reading somewhere that the game is to be resumed within two days of it's stoppage.  Well, we're past that point now.

 

I would GUESS that, if the game is played, it would start from the point they left off, but that is only my guess.
 

Questions also arise from the gameday rosters.  What if a guy on the gameday roster is hurt or released when the game resumes?  Can the team name a replacement, or do they essentially play shorthanded?  Or, vice versa, if a guy was hurt or not on the team on gameday, but is healthy on the resume date, can he play?

 

Long story short, there really isn't an answer, at least that I'm aware of, that covers this particular situation.

NFL is definitely in the “make it up as we go” response plan. Fortunately, they had the foresight to set up a first class medical emergency response plan. It saved a life. 

[Big Blitz]

 

[BLeonard]

Just now, Big Blitz said:

 

Really sucks that the Chiefs would benefit here, especially since they lost to both the Bills and Bengals, but it's also most likely the easiest solution.

[Just Jack]

4 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

Really sucks that the Chiefs would benefit here, especially since they lost to both the Bills and Bengals, but it's also most likely the easiest solution.

 

Well the Chiefs can do the right thing and if they play either team in the playoffs, just let them win. 

[NickelCity]

I just don't understand how a coin flip isn't the obvious solution here. I mean, hell, it was a pick em to begin with.