NFL owners voted Friday to approve changes to the AFC playoff structure for the 2022 season, including the possibility for the conference championship game to be played at a neutral site. The two-part resolution, which also allows for a coin flip to determine home-field advantage in a possible Bengals-Ravens postseason matchup, was put forward after the NFL canceled the Bills-Bengals Week 17 game that had previously been postponed following Damar Hamlin’s frightening incident from Monday night. As a result of the cancellation, the Bills and Bengals will finish the regular season having played only 16 games, instead of the full 17, creating potential inequities that the changes aim to address.
Here’s what you need to know about the approved proposals and the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game:
What is the impact of the Bills-Bengals game being canceled?
According to NFL Research:
- The Bengals have clinched the AFC North (Ravens cannot win the division).
- The Bengals can no longer obtain the AFC’s No. 1 seed and first-round bye.
- The Chiefs clinch the No. 1 seed with a win at the Raiders or a Bills loss vs. the Patriots.
- The Bills clinch the No. 1 seed with a win vs. the Patriots + a Chiefs loss at the Raiders.
- The Bengals will finish as the No. 2 seed with a win vs. the Ravens + a Bills loss to the Patriots. In any other scenario, the Bengals will earn the No. 3 seed.
The AFC Championship Game will be played at a neutral site if:
- Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both win or tie in Week 18 + both teams advance to the AFC title game.
- Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both lose + Cincinnati (11-4) also loses or ties in Week 18 + Buffalo and Kansas City advance to the AFC title game.
- Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both lose + Cincinnati (11-4) wins + the AFC title game is either Bills-Chiefs or Bengals-Chiefs.
Who is the AFC North champion?
According to NFL Research, with the cancellation of the Bengals-Bills game from Week 17, the Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) have won the AFC North because they will have a better winning percentage than the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s game between the two division rivals.
In what scenario would the home team in a Bengals-Ravens playoff game be determined by a coin flip?
- The Baltimore Ravens defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18 + the Ravens end up as the No. 6 seed.
In this scenario, the Bengals, as the AFC North champions, would hold the No. 3 seed and would be scheduled to face the 6th-seeded Ravens during Super Wild Card Weekend. The Ravens will have beaten the Bengals twice, but will still have a lower winning percentage because the Bengals will have played 16 games while the Ravens have played 17. To try to solve for that inequity, a coin flip would determine which team has home-field advantage.
In the event the Ravens win the coin toss and host the Bengals, Cincinnati would still be the No. 3 seed and the Ravens the No. 6 seed.
The Ravens only end up as the No. 6 seed in this scenario if the Chargers (10-6) also beat the Broncos in Week 18 (the Chargers would be the No. 5 seed). A Ravens win and a Chargers loss would move Baltimore up to the No. 5 seed.