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

[Mango]

23 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

Oh, I don't disagree that it's a better solution than shoehorning the game in.  Just kinda sucks that, after all of the focus on getting the #1 seed, it's gone because of this and the one team that both the Bengals and Bills beat head to head is the beneficiary.

 

Thinking about it more, I'm curious why they couldn't use another metric besides winning percentage, since there would be an uneven amount of games played.  Why not strength of victory?  At least that would allow the uneven number of wins to be weighted in an even metric.

 

Another idea that I've seen floated is to split the benefits of the #1 seed between two teams if all three win this weekend.  Give KC the option of either HFA OR the bye.  The Bills would get the other.

 

As I've said in other posts, there's no clean, simple answer and some team (or teams) are gonna get shafted a little here.

 

 

I think all the talk of the one seed was more us the fans than the team. 

There have been complaints on the board all season of McD being "too cautious" with injuries. And the response was consistently "It is better to play an extra game healthy than to get home field banged up". 

 

And here we are. The Bills had a decision to make. Fight for homefield emotionally (and physically) banged up, or enter the playoffs the healthiest version of yourself. 

 

I don't necessarily feel bad for Pittsburgh or Baltimore in this scenario. The Ravens lost their control over the division with a lost to Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh was never in control. KC seems to get  a small benefit and BUF/CIN doesn't feel like a big deal to either team. 

[SoCal Deek]

I’m still in the camp of the Bills either requesting to play the game Week 19 or forfeiting it. 

[Warriorspikes51]

Just now, SoCal Deek said:

I’m still in the camp of the Bills either requesting to play the game Week 19 or forfeiting it. 

The Bills taking an L should not even be on the table for discussion 

[SoCal Deek]

Just now, Warriorspikes51 said:

The Bills taking an L should not even be on the table for discussion 

Then you have to request to play the game. Done.

[BillsFanSD]

5 hours ago, CorkScrewHill said:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/04/momentum-builds-for-cancelation-of-bills-bengals-game/
 

per PFT the league is leaning toward no contest with playoff positioning decided by win percentage.

This is one of about a dozen solutions that are perfectly reasonable.  At this point, the league needs to just pick one and be done with it.  This is one of those times when it's much better to make a good-enough decision quickly than make a perfect decision later.  It's stupid and unprofessional to let this hang out there.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Mango said:

 

 

I think all the talk of the one seed was more us the fans than the team. 

There have been complaints on the board all season of McD being "too cautious" with injuries. And the response was consistently "It is better to play an extra game healthy than to get home field banged up". 

 

And here we are. The Bills had a decision to make. Fight for homefield emotionally (and physically) banged up, or enter the playoffs the healthiest version of yourself. 

 

I don't necessarily feel bad for Pittsburgh or Baltimore in this scenario. The Ravens lost their control over the division with a lost to Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh was never in control. KC seems to get  a small benefit and BUF/CIN doesn't feel like a big deal to either team. 

 

"Small benefit"...

 

They literally get the 1 seed = bye and home field throughout.

 

Hardly a small benefit.

[Warriorspikes51]

Just now, SoCal Deek said:

Then you have to request to play the game. Done.

Personally, I don't believe re-living what happened on that same field is something I'd want to subject my players to 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

5 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I’m still in the camp of the Bills either requesting to play the game Week 19 or forfeiting it. 

Solitary camp

Edited January 5, 2023 by D. L. Hot-Flamethrower

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Personally, I don't believe re-living what happened on that same field is something I'd want to subject my players to 

I tend to agree. So you do the big thing, and thank the league for their patience in this matter and take the loss. You then use it as a rallying cry (if your team is even able to) for the playoffs. 

[Lost]

4 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

This is one of about a dozen solutions that are perfectly reasonable.  At this point, the league needs to just pick one and be done with it.  This is one of those times when it's much better to make a good-enough decision quickly than make a perfect decision later.  It's stupid and unprofessional to let this hang out there.

 

I think the league is waiting to see if there is any improvement with Damar.   If he were to wake up and start having some normal function and be able to communicate that would be a huge boost the team, the league and everyone involved so much so that it could affect how the teams want to proceed.  

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, Lost said:

 

I think the league is waiting to see if there is any improvement with Damar.   If he were to wake up and start having some normal function and be able to communicate that would be a huge boost the team, the league and everyone involved so much so that it could affect how the teams want to proceed.  

Maybe, but this is a childish way of doing it.  All of us know or should know that Hamlin's health and the league calendar are completely independent of each other.  There's no good reason to coddle people who don't understand that.

 

(Honestly, the constant need to accommodate the dumbest among us is one of the main sources of my frustration with modern culture).

Edited January 5, 2023 by BillsFanSD

[SCBills]

8 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Personally, I don't believe re-living what happened on that same field is something I'd want to subject my players to 

 

Depending how everything shakes out, we could be going back there in the Divisional Round.  

 

If we beat NE, that doesn't happen. 

[Dr. Who]

17 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Then you have to request to play the game. Done.

I think that's an easy enough move, because the logistics don't realistically work and the NFL is probably going to go with no contest regardless. 

[AdamK]

18 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I’m still in the camp of the Bills either requesting to play the game Week 19 or forfeiting.

The Bengals have been a class act throughout this situation.
(For this discussion, I will disregard the questionable hits on Taron and Josh.)

After reviewing all the options, IMO the only one that doesn’t hurt Cincy or disrupt the entire league is a Bills forfeit.
It sucks. It’s the same unlucky BS that I have lived with for my entire 40+ years as a Bills fan, but It’s the right thing to do. 

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, AdamK said:

The Bengals have been a class act throughout this situation.
(For this discussion, I will disregard the questionable hits on Taron and Josh.)

After reviewing all the options, IMO the only one that doesn’t hurt Cincy or disrupt the entire league is a Bills forfeit.
It sucks. It’s the same unlucky BS that I have lived with for my entire 40+ years as a Bills fan, but It’s the right thing to do. 

I obviously agree. Remember, I said the Bills should ‘request’ not ‘demand’. I also think this should all be tabled until after this weekend’s games when the picture will be much clearer. 

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

Someone remind me why we're forfeiting when the league may just declare the game a no contest or give each team a tie?

[Realist]

Personally, I don't think either team wishes to play this game. Both teams just went through a traumatic experience together (obviously worse for the Bills.) I don't know how into it they would be to beat each others brains in a week from now. If they meet in the playoffs, it would be a bit different since they would have a couple of games in between.

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Someone remind me why we're forfeiting when the league may just declare the game a no contest or give each team a tie?

Honestly, who cares?  All three of those alternatives probably result in KC getting the #1 seed.  The only difference is that a loss/forfeit gives us (probably) the #3 seed instead of #2.  That's not that big a deal.  I mean, yeah, it matters, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker under the circumstances.  

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

2 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

Honestly, who cares?  All three of those alternatives probably result in KC getting the #1 seed.  The only difference is that a loss/forfeit gives us (probably) the #3 seed instead of #2.  That's not that big a deal.  I mean, yeah, it matters, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker under the circumstances.  

Well I believe the solution being bandied about by Scheffter and others about the 1 an 2 seeds having a choice between a bye and Home field is a real fair possibility.

Edited January 5, 2023 by D. L. Hot-Flamethrower

[BLeonard]

54 minutes ago, Mango said:

I don't necessarily feel bad for Pittsburgh or Baltimore in this scenario. The Ravens lost their control over the division with a lost to Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh was never in control. KC seems to get  a small benefit and BUF/CIN doesn't feel like a big deal to either team. 

The issue Baltimore would have is that, if they beat Cincy on Sunday, they'd have beaten them both times and only have one more loss.  But, the Bengals would be awarded the division based on better winning percentage, despite playing less games.

 

Pittsburgh can still get in.  This only affects their chances if the Bills rest starters vs NE due to not being able to get the 1 seed.  If I had to guess, I'd say the Bills will want to put their best effort forward for Damar and the chance of locking down the 2 seed at minimum.

 

I don't see KC getting the #1 seed as a "small benefit."  They'd be getting a bye AND HFA.  The fact that the Bills and Bengals BOTH beat KC head to head make it an even bigger benefit.

 

Again, there's no 100% fair way to do it, but I'm leaning towards, if KC is getting the 1 seed that way, they should have to choose between having the bye or HFA, not both.

6 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Well I believe the Solution beaing bandied about by Scheffter and others about the 1 an 2 seeds having a choice between a bye and Home field is a real fair possibility.

IMO, this is about as fair as you can make it, without disrupting everything.  If KC beats the Raiders and the Bills beat the Patriots, they'd each have 3 losses.  Due to the extra game, KC would have a higher winning percentage.  So, they get the choice of either HFA or a bye to the divisional round.  The Bills get the other.  The team that got the bye would then have to go on the road if the two teams met in the AFC Championship.  It also helps ensure that all of the games this weekend still have at least some level of importance, so nobody is playing backups.

 

At least, in that situation, KC isn't just being handed the #1 seed and all of the benefits that go with it.

Edited January 5, 2023 by BLeonard