Monday Night Football: Last MNF game of 2022 Season, Bills @ Bengals, Jan. 2, 8:30 PM ET

[Cincyfan78]

This is true, but now you are forcing your destiny on the outcome on two other teams when you were in the drivers seat. The only team that gets completely F'd in this entire situation is Cincinnati. Why?

A tie? Cincinnati is fucked.
A no contest and percentage points? Cincinnati is fucked.
A forfeit by Cincinnati? Cincinnati is fucked.

The only scenario t hat doesn't fuck Cincinnati is a Buffalo forfeit. Sad but true. Then poor Buffalo gets fucked.

There is no great answer.

Someone is getting screwed. Could be the Bengals. Could be the Bills. Could be the Ravens as well by residual outcome.

The reality is - someone is going to get screwed - so might as well make peace with that and accept that it could very well be the Bengals. It is what it is. I'm not saying anyone has to like it - but I think the no-contest and just using 16 games is the cleanest way forward.

 

[Cincyfan78]

It just doesn't make any sense that the Bengals would have to forfeit.

This line of thinking is completely irrational. Bengals are not forfeiting the game.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

With a Bengals win over BUF they'd have like a 5% chance at the 1 seed if we went by FPI guesstimating based of the chances of a KC L + CIN W.

Forget the #1 seed, you are removing the Bengals from the #2 seed as well. That is costing a potential second home playoff game.

Besides, if the stars align, Cincinnati would play Buffalo in Cincinnati in a rematch week 2 of the playoffs. If that happens, it would be ideal. The only way that happens if Buffalo gets the L.

If we are talking not playing this game, that is fine. But it can't be Cincinnati sacrificing anything.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

There is no great answer.

Someone is getting screwed. Could be the Bengals. Could be the Bills. Could be the Ravens as well by residual outcome.

The reality is - someone is going to get screwed - so might as well make peace with that and accept that it could very well be the Bengals. It is what it is. I'm not saying anyone has to like it - but I think the no-contest and just using 16 games is the cleanest way forward.

Completely disagree and I won't come to terms with it.

 

[fknhippie]

Allen and Burrows into the ring, the one that emerges victorious wins the game.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Completely disagree and I won't come to terms with it.

That's your right - but it's likely the outcome that is coming because the NFLPA isn't going to allow teams to play 3 times in 10 days.

 

[ducky]

Allen and Burrows into the ring, the one that emerges victorious wins the game.

Someone get the league office on the phone. We have a solution.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

They didn't earn that seed. They played two drives of a football game?!?!

The Bills didn't earn it either. So why should Cincinnati be the only team to get rammed up the poop shoot in all the scenarios?

 

[jayfan]

They didn't earn that seed. They played two drives of a football game?!?!

I agree.

That being said, Cincy was dominating those drives. Buffalo was in big trouble last night.

But hey, what happened happened. Tough break for everyone.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Once again, no freaking way. A win over the Bills would give the Bengals the tiebreaker in head to head and vault them into t he #2 seed which means a guaranteed second home playoff game if they advance. The second thing it does it provides a back to back weeks against a division rival which is never a good scenario for any team.

The Bengals didn't beat the Bills. They had a 4-point lead with 5 minutes to go in the first quarter. Make believe that there was no game last night and don't punish anyone in the standings. Leave the pecking order alone. That's the only fair way to do this. In every other scenario, you're artificially changing that all-important pecking order.

 

[eaglesnut]

Bengals were leading with the ball.


Call it a win and the Bills can show what they're made of in the playoffs

 

[Duffman]

Give both teams a win, that way you only screw the Ravens instead of messing with 3 teams(Chiefs, Bills, Bengals) if you do anything other than that.

 

[fightinfunbags]

The Bills didn't earn it either. So why should Cincinnati be the only team to get rammed up the poop shoot in all the scenarios?

They aren't but if you must have a reason it's because Ohio is America's bowel movement.

How would leaving the Bengals in the seed they were in before last night's non-game shoving it up the Bengals poop shoot?

 

[Wamu]

This line of thinking is completely irrational. Bengals are not forfeiting the game.

I found the suggestion of the Bengals forfeiting very odd.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I think if we were talking late in the 3rd quarter and Cinci up by 2 scores, you might be able to make that argument but not when it was this early in the game. No matter what, there is no fair outcome but I think that giving Cinci the #2 seed is just as bad as them not getting it because of this. No fan is happy with this but it is something that has never come up before. Not trying to debate you so much as just point out the inequity will be there no matter what. Either Cinci or Buffalo or both get screwed but you can't really fix it by some arbitrary decision from guys in suits either.

So maybe the right thing to do is Buffalo management to say, we respect and appreciate everything that Cincinnati has done for us during this tough time. We know the playoff implications of this game has caused some issues. However, we do not plan to play this game and we don't want to affect the Cincinnati Bengals and their chase for a SB either as we tedn to our fallen brother. We will earn our way to the SB as the #3 seed if week 18 doesn't affect this outcome, and therefore we are respectfully forfeiting this game to Cincinnati as a good faith gesture for what they were potentially sacrificing for us..

 

[Cincyfan78]

Whether anyone agrees with how the outcome should be decided, the NFL failed in not having this scenario already considered in the rules. There should have already been a contenginecy for when a game can not be played to completion for whatever reasons.

If team X is ahead a stoppage they win. Or after so many minutes/quarters played. Or it is deemed a no contest - or whatever, but trying to put this together on the fly is absolutely a failure on the NFL's part.

 

[ducky]

The Bills didn't earn it either. So why should Cincinnati be the only team to get rammed up the poop shoot in all the scenarios?

You can complain all you want but the Bengals are better served by just taking the no contest then the alternative:

Play a game tomorrow, next monday and then the following Sunday. That's the alternative really. That also is the most likely outcome of all of this.

If I am a Bengals fan, I root for the no contest and not having to play that game then I am of having them having to play 2 games in the 10 days before their 1st playoff game.

 

[molsaniceman]

They aren't but if you must have a reason it's because Ohio is America's bowel movement.

How would leaving the Bengals in the seed they were in before last night's non-game shoving it up the Bengals poop shoot?

the bills are benefitting from not playing Its the dumbest idea on here

 

[CrashDavisSports]

They aren't but if you must have a reason it's because Ohio is America's bowel movement.

How would leaving the Bengals in the seed they were in before last night's non-game shoving it up the Bengals poop shoot?

TWO POTENTIAL HOME PLAYOFF GAMES. That is by definition getting ass reamed.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Forget the #1 seed, you are removing the Bengals from the #2 seed as well. That is costing a potential second home playoff game.

Besides, if the stars align, Cincinnati would play Buffalo in Cincinnati in a rematch week 2 of the playoffs. If that happens, it would be ideal. The only way that happens if Buffalo gets the L.

If we are talking not playing this game, that is fine. But it can't be Cincinnati sacrificing anything.

How can you remove the Bengals from a seed they've never held in any week of this season?!?!