I'm extremely happy that Damar Hamlin is awake and seems to be mentally whole! Since that has happened, how will the NFL handle the uneven number of games having been played when it comes to playoff scenarios? Here is what I think will happen, and I think it will be announced sometime on Friday.
The NFL has permanently cancelled the game between Buffalo and Cincinnati. It will not be played. That means Buffalo and Cincinnati will have played 16 games while every other team will have played 17 by the end of Sunday night.
Current records of affected teams...
Kansas City 13-3
Buffalo 12-3
Cincinnati 11-4
Baltimore 10-6
If Kansas City wins on Saturday and Buffalo wins on Sunday, then only Buffalo could have caught them for the number 1 seed (by beating Cincinnati), so if Kansas City and Buffalo win and happen to meet in the AFC Championship Game, that game would be played at a neutral site.
If Kansas City loses and Buffalo wins, then Buffalo would get the number 1 seed, period. That's fair because the Bills beat the Chiefs back in October and would have one less loss.
If they both lose and Cincinnati wins, that would give a scenario where Kansas City would have the best record by only one win, so if either Buffalo or Cincinnati were to meet the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, then it would be at a neutral site.
How about Baltimore? If Buffalo had beaten Cincinnati, then Baltimore would have had a chance to win the AFC North by beating Cincinnati on Sunday. The NFL is suggesting that if Baltimore wins and if those two teams play each other in the playoffs, that game would be played at the home of the team that wins a coin toss. To me, that helps but is not perfect because it doesn't give the Ravens a chance to host a game if they win and the Chargers lose to the Broncos. That's because the Ravens would be in the number 5 playoff slot causing them to play at the Tennessee at Jacksonville winner. Cincinnati would be in the number 3 slot and play the Chargers at Cincinnati. Maybe a sharp owner will realize this and suggest some idea to compensate for that scenario. If you ask me, the Bengals will probably beat the Ravens on Sunday rendering the point moot.
Feel free to comment or email me at draftmanrick@gmail.com with questions. I'm about as good as it gets with this seeding and tie-breaking stuff, LOL!
May God always be your number 1 draft pick!
Draftman Rick