NFL owners approved a resolution to the AFC playoff picture in a special meeting on Friday after Monday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was cancelled in the wake of safety Damar Hamlin suffering a cardiac arrest on the field.
Hamlin was able to speak to his Bills teammates over FaceTime on Friday after having his breathing tube removed four days out from collapsing following a tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins.
“Yesterday’s news of Damar’s improving condition, not only lifted my spirits, but the spirits of the entire league, and this morning’s news that he was FaceTiming with the team is just incredible,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said to open Friday’s conference call.
“In my experience, extraordinary situations bring out the extraordinary in people. And we saw, and continue to see that, in so many ways.”
The Bills-Bengals game had major playoff implications for the AFC, with Buffalo (12-3) having entered Monday night needing a win to retake the AFC’s No 1 seed, which is currently occupied by the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3). The Bengals (11-4) meanwhile had a chance to earn that top seed – with two more wins and a loss by the Chiefs.
The AFC championship will now be played at a neutral site provided the participating teams have played an unequal number of games and both could have been the No 1 seed – and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season.
The league is considering several sites, including indoor and outdoor stadiums, should Buffalo or Cincinnati qualify for the game as a road team. If Buffalo and Kansas City both win or tie this weekend, a Bills-Chiefs AFC title game would be at a neutral site.If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties, a Bills-Chiefs AFC title game would be at a neutral site.If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, Bills or Bengals against Kansas City in the AFC title game would be at a neutral site.
