The National Football League has announced a contingency plan that could see Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosting a highly anticipated AFC Championship game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. This unprecedented move, revealed on Sunday, January 29th at 6:30 PM ET, comes as a result of the unique circumstances arising from the cancellation of the Week 17 game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
Last week, NFL clubs approved a resolution to address the competitive imbalance caused by the unfortunate cancellation. A key component of this resolution is the provision for a neutral site AFC Championship game. This scenario would materialize if both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs advance to the conference final, and if they played an unequal number of regular season games. Crucially, this condition also applies if both teams could have potentially secured the number one seed and home-field advantage had a full 17-game season been played by all AFC teams.
Therefore, should the playoffs unfold with both Kansas City and Buffalo emerging victorious in the preceding rounds, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will serve as the neutral battleground for the AFC Championship. Atlanta was pre-selected as a potential backup location for postseason games before the 2022 season commenced, making it a strategically sound and geographically convenient choice, being roughly equidistant from both Kansas City and Buffalo. For all other AFC Championship game possibilities, the game will proceed as traditionally scheduled at the home stadium of the team with the higher seed.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the situation, stating, “We are encouraged by the continued recovery of Damar Hamlin, and he and his family are in our thoughts. We extend our gratitude to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for their willingness to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should it be necessary between the Bills and Chiefs. We appreciate the cooperation of both clubs in this planning. We are confident that Mercedes-Benz Stadium will offer a premier experience for the teams, fans, and our partners, should it be required.â€
Further details regarding the game, including ticket sales and availability, will be released at a later date. It has been confirmed that Buffalo and Kansas City Season Ticket Members who had previously expressed interest in purchasing championship game tickets will be given priority access.
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Alt Text: Aerial view of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, potential neutral site for the AFC Championship game between Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
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Alt Text: Kansas City Chiefs helmet with KC logo, symbolizing potential AFC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
