Chiefs could lose home field advantage even with No. 1 seed in AFC
The NFL’s proposal for handling the playoffs in light of Monday Night Football’s cancelation means the Chiefs can win the No. 1 seed but not get home field.
Roger Goodell and the NFL have proposed a solution to the cancelation of the Bills-Bengals game on Monday night. It could have a significant impact on the Chiefs and their pursuit of home field advantage in the AFC.
It’s obviously a difficult situation for everyone involved. The reason for canceling the game was necessary. The Bills and Bengals couldn’t continue playing while Damar Hamlin, a teammate and peer, was fighting for his life in the hospital after collapsing on the field after a tackle. Staging the game at another time was not viable.
“Cancelling the game between the Bills and Bengals creates potential competitive inequities in certain playoff scenarios,” the league said in a statement. “In an effort to mitigate those inequities, NFL clubs will consider tomorrow in a Special League Meeting a resolution recommended by the Commissioner and approved today by the Competition Committee…”
That resolution could result in the Chiefs losing home-field advantage even if they beat the Raiders on Saturday.
How NFL proposal would affect Chiefs home field advantage with No. 1 seed
A neutral AFC Championship Game site now is possible, per the NFL: pic.twitter.com/5gmd0drq7q
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2023
“The AFC Championship Game will be played at a neutral site if the participating teams played an unequal number of games and both could have been the number one seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season,” the statement said on the NFL proposed.
Basically, if the Chiefs and Bills match results this weekend, the AFC Championship Game will be played at a neutral site.
On one hand, Kansas City could feel hard done if they finish the season 14-3 and don’t get home field advantage as the No. 1 seed.
On the other hand, these are unprecedented circumstances. The Chiefs have to play the hand they’re dealt.
If the Chiefs beat the Raiders and the Bills lose to the Patriots, Kansas City will get the No. 1 seed and home field.
Next. Has there ever been a neutral-site conference championship game?. dark