NFL 2022 Season

[mobilija]

It's a fine line between being curious how the NFL is going to handle the schedule issues and whining about your team getting shafted in some playoff seeding all because a guy momentarily died playing a game.

In the end, someone/some team is going to be inconvenienced by this, but not nearly as much as the guy in the hospital or those that watched him die for a few seconds.

Screw football. I'm over supporting the meaningless violence. Play/watch soccer United States!

Apologies for the height of this horse I'm sitting on...

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

It's a fine line between being curious how the NFL is going to handle the schedule issues and whining about your team getting shafted in some playoff seeding all because a guy momentarily died playing a game.

In the end, someone/some team is going to be inconvenienced by this, but not nearly as much as the guy in the hospital or those that watched him die for a few seconds.

Screw football. I'm over supporting the meaningless violence. Play/watch soccer United States!

Apologies for the height of this horse I'm sitting on...

Hamlin’s injury has brought some perspective into a pretty silly venture that many of us watch. Tua’s third concussion, Junior Seau, etc have done the same. We’re desensitized to violence in the field like we’re desensitized to violence on the streets and overseas. Football is almost fake battle, as players fight to control position on a “battle field”. It’s entertaining but pretty dumb to be honest.

[Birdman]

I say NFL going wait to see if KC win..if they do, then that would maybe ease their decision to cancel Bills-Bengals game..Bengals wouldn’t get home field, only Bills could..but if NE beats them, then Bengals- Bills game be meaningless unless Ravens beat Bengals (not happening)

[Moranis]

I say NFL going wait to see if KC win..if they do, then that would maybe ease their decision to cancel Bills-Bengals game..Bengals wouldn’t get home field, only Bills could..but if NE beats them, then Bengals- Bills game be meaningless unless Ravens beat Bengals (not happening)

the home field for a Bengals/Bills division weekend is at stake no matter what.  the winner of that game would get home field (if they both win this weekend). 

The game quite simply matters no matter the results of every other game because even in the scenario where KC wins (securing the 1), Cinci wins (securing the north), and NE wins (taking the 1 away from Buffalo and giving Cinci the 2), the Bills still could go from 3 to 2 by beating the Bengals.  I think in that scenario, they don't play the game and Buffalo just ends up as the 3 seed, but every other scenario it would seemingly be unfair to at least 2 teams by not playing the game. 

And obviously we all understand mobilija's sentiment and feel the same way.  It is just a game, but it is also a game with thousands of jobs and million of dollars on the line, and playing the game does nothing for the health and well being of Hamlin.  That is what it is at this point.  Sad, tragic, and he hopefully fully recovers, but playing or not playing has no bearing on his actual health status. 

[Phantom255x]

The NFL may consider adding an 8 seed to both conferences according to reports

So NE could probably still get in if just 2 of Titans/Steelers/Dolphins lose, they don’t need all of them to lose in that scenario

[Moranis]

The NFL may consider adding an 8 seed to both conferences according to reports

What would that do?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

The NFL may consider adding an 8 seed to both conferences according to reports

What would that do?

The No. 1 seed would no longer have a bye. A new Yardbarker article has more info.

[Roy H.]

The NFL may consider adding an 8 seed to both conferences according to reports

What would that do?

The No. 1 seed would no longer have a bye. A new Yardbarker article has more info.

That would seemingly be a bad option.

[Moranis]

The NFL may consider adding an 8 seed to both conferences according to reports

What would that do?

The No. 1 seed would no longer have a bye. A new Yardbarker article has more info.

That would seemingly be a bad option.

Yeah, that seems like a horrible idea.  Having the AFC title game be at a neutral site makes some level of sense.  I still think if the Ravens win and end up as the 6th seed, they should play Cincinnati at a neutral site in round 1. 

[Donoghus]

Summation of things at the moment from PFT

The NFL continues to discuss and deliberate the unfinished Bills-Bengals game from Week 17.

Nothing is official yet. Here’s what we currently know.


Bills-Bengals most likely will not be played. The players don’t want to do it. And there’s no good way to fit it into the schedule.

The best bad solution in this regard would be to play the NFC wild-card round and Bills-Bengals next weekend, with the AFC wild-card round being played the next weekend. This would wipe out the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. There’s no appetite for that approach.

The question then becomes seeding the AFC playoffs without Bills-Bengals. Winning percentage becomes the most obvious method. But there are concerns about equity, given that the winner of the Bills-Bengals game would have been in position to be one of the top seed AFC seeds.

One possibility would be to add an eighth team to the playoff field in the AFC. This would eliminate the bye for the No. 1 seed.

To ensure competitive balance, there would have to be eight teams in the NFC, too.

The NFL Players Association would have to agree to a temporary expansion of the playoff field.

Discussions also are continuing on the possibility of making the AFC Championship a neutral-site game. The problem with this approach is that if, for example, a team other than the Bills, Chiefs, or Bengals qualifies for the game, there’s no need to use a neutral site.

However it plays out, a decision needs to be made soon — especially if the playoff field will unexpectedly grow, in both conferences. It changes the dynamics for the teams vying for playoff positioning.

[Goldstar88]

#Bills S Damar Hamlin opened his eyes last night and is responsive. Truly incredible. One thing that's very clear from speaking to those close to him: They are endlessly appreciative of the medical care given to Hamlin on the field immediately, then over the last 72 hours.
@RapSheet

Although Hamlin remains at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after going into cardiac arrest during Monday night's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills did release an update on Hamlin's condition:

"Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University at Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.-WEEI

[johnnygreen]

There is no simple solution on how to resolve the fact that the game was cancelled. What about doing a charitable event, where the game is played via a Madden video game simulation? Both teams would have to agree to approve the results would count towards their respective records. Televise it on ESPN, as it was originally their Monday night game that was cancelled. Have a percentage of the proceeds go to the Hamlin family, and the remainder to fund an organization for NFL disabled veterans. After all, Hamlin was not the first, and certainly won't be the last player, to potentially suffer from a career ending injury while playing.

[Moranis]

Hamlin is doing well and is speaking.  His first question was "did we win?"  I don't think anyone should really be surprised by that, but that just shows the mentality of the guys that play football for a living. 

[mobilija]

Flip a freaking coin and move on. Deciding games by coin flip is long standing NFL tradition. Let the blood bath continue!

What's that movie where in the begining the guy breaks a tackle and then draws a gun and shoots his way to the end zone? ....Imagine how that would mess up playoff seeding.....

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Hamlin is doing well and is speaking.  His first question was "did we win?"  I don't think anyone should really be surprised by that, but that just shows the mentality of the guys that play football for a living.

To clarify one finer point: He isn't talking yet, because he still has a breathing tube; he communicated that question (and everything else) via writing.