The NFL canceled the Week 17 Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. While the health of Bills safety Damar Hamlin was paramount, this left the league with an issue: What does this mean for the AFC Championship Game location with the Bills and Bengals only playing 16 regular-season games?
After much deliberation, the NFL announced that depending on the matchup, the NFL would use a neutral site to play the AFC Championship Game. What matchup will be played at the neutral site, and has the NFL determined where that neutral site will be? Let’s answer those questions as the NFL postseason kicks off.
Where Will the AFC Championship Game Be Played?
Update: With the Cincinnati Bengals defeating the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, the Kansas City Chiefs will be welcoming Joe Burrow and squad in Arrowhead for the Conference Championship Game.
During a routine play in the first quarter, Hamlin collided with Bengals WR Tee Higgins as he tackled him and took him to the ground. After hopping back up, Hamlin collapsed to the turf after suffering from cardiac arrest, was administered CPR on the field for nine minutes, and then transferred to the University of Cincinnati’s Medical Center. Both teams agreed to temporarily suspend play, with the NFL canceling the game later in the week.
Because of this, along with the results of Week 18, the NFL announced that if the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs make the AFC Championship Game, the showdown will occur at a neutral site.
The Chiefs finished 14-3, securing the AFC’s top seed and a first-round bye. However, had the Bills won their Week 17 matchup, they too would have been 14-3, and with a head-to-head win over the Chiefs, Buffalo would’ve taken the top spot. Given that the Bills were forced to cancel one game, a neutral site was the best the NFL owners could do to make things even.
Has the NFL Determined an AFC Championship Game Location?
The initial announcement for the AFC’s new playoff format came ahead of Week 18 after the NFL had officially canceled the Bills vs. Bengals game.
At the time, two different matchups could elicit a neutral site: Bills vs. Chiefs or Bengals vs. Chiefs. However, given that both the Chiefs and Bills emerged from Week 18 victorious, a third consecutive playoff game between these foes is the only way fans see a game (outside of the Super Bowl) played at a neutral site.
There were many different options the NFL could have gone for the AFC Championship location. But on Thursday, Jan. 12, the league announced that Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, would host the AFC Championship Game if a neutral site is needed. Given that the Falcons were eliminated from the playoffs, the stadium will not have any game conflicts.
Even further, Atlanta is just about equidistance from Buffalo and Kansas City, giving neither fan base a travel advantage. While all of this may be for nothing, the NFL still has to have a plan in place, so if fans are treated to a Buffalo vs. Kansas City AFC Championship Game, see you in Atlanta! You can see the rest of the NFL postseason bracket here.