The NFL decided not to resume the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals that was suspended Monday night after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field.
However, because of that, they’ve had to change the rules for the playoffs as the Bills and Bengals will enter having played fewer games than other teams. And Cincinnati appears to be pretty unhappy with the development.
The crux of the new rules is that they could create a potential neutral-site AFC Championship based on a series of factors. The new rule also will determine home-field advantage for a Wild Card game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Bengals if the Ravens happen to beat Cincy on Sunday.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor shared his displeasure with that development on Friday morning, saying “It seems like there’s positives for a lot of teams and negatives for us.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor on the proposed playoff changes: “It seems like there’s positives for a lot of teams and negatives for us.”
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) January 6, 2023
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport went on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday morning and also shared some insight into the Bengals’ frustrations with the rule change.
“Cincinnati is mad because they win the AFC North, and if they lose to the Ravens this week, they will still be winners of the AFC North despite the fact the Ravens beat them twice because the Bengals have played one fewer game. Even though all that happens, if they lose to the Ravens this weekend, they would have to flip a coin to see who gets home field,” Rapoport said. “They are mad because there are rules, as Zac Taylor said, and this is basically an alteration to the rule. It also might make them play a harder schedule next season. There’s a lot of things that make it harder for them because they won the [AFC] North but they don’t automatically get home field.”
"Here's why the Cincinnati Bengals are mad" ~@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/i47KqE4JSd
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 6, 2023
The only good news for Cincy is that if they beat the Ravens on Sunday, they control their own destiny and they get home-field advantage in the Wild Card round. And since Lamar Jackson isn’t playing, that’s a good sign for them.
