NFL Admits It Had Discussions About Another Neutral Site Game
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 02: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jordan Poyer #21 of the Buffalo Bills react following the injury of Damar Hamlin #3 during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The NFL was forced to scramble to find a neutral venue to host a potential AFC Championship site in the event the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills make it that far. But there were other discussions about potential neutral site games.
In a recent interview, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent revealed that the league considered making the Bills-Bengals game a neutral site game as well since their Week 17 matchup was ultimately canceled following the Damar Hamlin cardiac arrest incident. But Vincent said that the league ultimately wanted to reserve neutral site games for title games only.
“There was some discussion (about making Bills-Bengals neutral). But membership thought it was best for (only) the championship game to be at a neutral site," Vincent said, via ProFootballTalk.
The Bills finished the season 12-4 while the Bengals finished 11-5. But had the game been played and the Bengals emerged victorious, they could have received the 2 seed over the Bills.
We'll never know for sure though and in the grand scheme of things it probably doesn't matter.
The Bills now play the Bengals in a long-anticipated showdown between Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. Outside of those few minutes of the canceled Week 17 game, they have never played against each other.
How much of a difference would a neutral field have made in the outcome?
