LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 30: NFL Commission Roger Goodell speaks during round four of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 30, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
You would not want to be Roger Goodell right now. The NFL commissioner is dealing with a whole lot at the moment, with the playoffs approaching fast.
Apart from the fact that a Buffalo Bills safety is lying in the hospital fighting for his life, there’s also the matter of scheduling. Of course, there are both players and fans who don’t care about football right now and are only waiting to hear some good news regarding Damar Hamlin. But it appears the NFL subscribes to the old “show must go on” saying and has no plans on slowing down.
The league has already made it clear that the Week 18 schedule won’t be altered but the Week 17 fixture between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals that got postponed after Hamlin’s incident on Monday still needs to be played out.
A no-contest is understood to be under consideration but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk has presented another option the NFL is thought to be considering: having the Bills and Bengals play next week while the remainder of the AFC gets a bye.
.@ProFootballTalk says on @937theFan he got wind from high level NFL people that the following NFL schedule could happen:
Week 19
Bengals/Bills
NFC wild card playoffs
AFC playoff bye weekWeek 20
AFC wild card playoffs
NFC playoff bye week— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 4, 2023
Then the AFC would play the following week’s first round while the NFC gets a bye.
This solution isn’t perfect, of course, but it’s better than most. It would leave Buffalo and Cincinnati at a disadvantage as at least one of them would miss out on a postseason bye while the NFC would be better rested heading towards the Super Bowl.
That’s Freaky man! 🤯https://t.co/x48Wb8Gv2I
— TPS (@TotalProSports) January 4, 2023
The Bills, Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs have a chance to snag the top spot in the AFC ahead of the playoffs. But, should the Chiefs win this weekend, the Bengals will be out of the race, though they would have a chance at second if they beat the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFL is in a tricky position on the back of Monday’s events. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
