The NFL had a shocking situation on Monday Night Football that made the sport be in a secondary place. It was all about the health of Damar Hamlin from that day on. Fortunately, he seems to have improved lately after that scary incident. That is why the league can start exploring some solutions before the playoffs.
It was a very meaningful game for many reasons the one these Super Bowl contenders were playing in. This Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals was essential specially for the seeding of the AFC. Although the AFC Northwas also waiting to see what happened, who gets the top spot is the most important part.
Finishing as the best in the conference would give that team a bye week as a major advantage. They would host every playoff match they are in, so it could be too relevant. Both the Bills and the Bengals had a chance to end there as well as the Kansas City Chiefs. There is still no decision made by the league, although there were reports about some of the possibilities.
Who could get the #1 seed in the AFC?
The complications are multiple for the NFL to reprogram this MNF given the regular season is near its end. Being in week 18 means there is no time to move it forward in the year, which led to the league cancelling the match. This is what they decided later since there wasn’t any room in the calendar before the playoffs.
But the other inconvenience is who gets the #1 seed. If a team has one fewer game, it would be hard to determine who takes that place. It also means there is no solution that could satisfy everyone, although it is a particular situation. The main thing to establish is how it gets determined, with the win percentage being the best option.
Then is when the league could get creative. An option could be giving the #1 seed the choice of having either home-field advantage or the bye week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Though Schefter reports that it seems more viable that the NFL makes the AFC Championship game be played on a neutral site if either the Bills or the Bengals play vs the Chiefs there.
