NFL announces location for potential neutral-site AFC Championship Game
Nov 10, 2022; Munich, Germany; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reacts during an NFL Flag Football community event at the FC Bayern Campus. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
If the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills meet in the AFC Championship Game this year, the game would be held at a neutral site. We now know where the contest will be played if it happens.
The NFL announced on Thursday that an AFC Championship Game between the Bills and Chiefs would be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. According to the league’s press release, the stadium was chosen prior to the 2022 season as a possible backup host site for postseason games “as part of standard NFL contingency planning.”
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There was a scenario where the Cincinnati Bengals could have also been involved in a neutral-site AFC Championship Game if they played Kansas City, but that was taken off the table when the Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. If there is any matchup other than Bills-Chiefs in the conference title game, the higher seed will be the host.
It is hardly a surprise that the NFL chose an indoor stadium in a warm location. We heard of one other potential host city that would have been a lot more intriguing, but it always seemed unlikely that the league would risk weather becoming a factor.
