No to neutral.
That’s the position of Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, per reports.
While the NFL rulebook outlines final win-loss record as the basis for playoff position in the event of a game cancellation, the league introduced an alternative to be considered by league owners Friday.
But CBS Sports said Friday citing NFL sources that the Bengals are seeking allies to push back against the league’s plan to utilize neutral sites to resolve possible issues created by eliminating the Bengals-Buffalo Bills game that was postponed Monday.
NFL owners are scheduled for a noon ET meeting on Friday to vote on the proposed postseason changes involving Week 18 outcome-specific plans for a neutral site AFC Championship game and possibly the Bengals’ wild-card game.
Cincinnati (11-4) hosts the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) on Sunday and if the teams wind up wild-card opponents based on the outcome of the Week 18 game, a coin flip would decide which team hosts the playoff game. If the Bengals lose Sunday, they would still have a higher winning percentage despite two losses to Baltimore this season. Because of the winning percentage component, Baltimore would not automatically be awarded the home game.
A member of the competition committee, Katie Blackburn, executive vice president of the Bengals and Brown’s daughter, sent an email Thursday night outlining her opposition to the plan, CBS Sports reported.
–Field Level Media
