The NFL is moving towards a decision about how to handle the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game that was suspended on Monday night.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported late on Wednesday night that momentum is pointing towards the game not being resumed. In that scenario, the NFL would seed for the AFC based on winning percentage after Week 18.
Momentum is currently pointing toward Bills-Bengals not being resumed, with AFC playoff seeding based on winning percentage following the outcome of the Week 18 games.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 5, 2023
This outcome would unfortunately hurt both the Bills and Bengals, while having the chance to benefit the Chiefs.
Cincinnati had a chance to play their way into the No. 1 seed in the AFC with consecutive wins to finish the season, which would have made them 13-4. The Chiefs are 13-3 and play the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. The Bengals could have earned the No. 1 seed in the case of a KC loss to the Raiders. Without the chance to beat the Bills, Cincinnati cannot earn the wins necessary to tie the Chiefs, where the Bengals hold a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Bills are also hurt because they too could have earned the top spot without needing a KC loss. The Bills have the same amount of losses as KC (3) and beat them head-to-head.
If the Bills and Bengals played, the Chiefs would have been at risk of losing the top seed. Now, if the Chiefs beat the Raiders, they will clinch the top spot.
Maybe KC will be upset by the Raiders, allowing the Bills a chance to surpass them for seeding. But the Bengals won’t have a chance to surpass the Chiefs, who have two more wins.
This outcome also gives the Bengals the AFC North. Had Cincinnati lost to Buffalo, then the Week 18 game between Cincinnati and Baltimore would have been for the division. Now it won’t be.
The NFL has a week off before the Super Bowl. My suggestion is they resume the game in Week 19 and then push everything but the Super Bowl back a week.
