Head coach Zac Taylor isn’t too bummed his Cincinnati Bengals ruined the NFL’s plans regarding potential playoff scenarios this month.
“It is tough because they have to formulate the plans for coin tosses, and they got to formulate the plans for neutral site games, and we just keep screwing it up for everybody,” Taylor said following Sunday’s 27-10 win at the Buffalo Bills, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “And I hate that for people who have to endure all the logistical issues, we just keep screwing it up. So I’m sorry.”
After the Week 17 Bills-Bengals contest was eventually canceled following the medical emergency involving Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, the league announced that a coin flip could determine the location of a wild-card playoff clash between the Bengals and Baltimore Ravens if Baltimore defeated Cincinnati in Week 18.
Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn made it known at the time the franchise was unhappy with this idea because a pre-existing NFL policy said playoff seedings would be determined by final records and the “per game average for all teams” in the event of a canceled game.
Cincinnati ultimately beat Baltimore on Jan. 8 and then did so again in the wild-card round the following Sunday. However, the Bengals were then left fuming over the fact that the league sold tickets last week for a possible neutral site AFC Championship Game between the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs that would’ve occurred at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons. The Bengals removed that venue from the equation by defeating Buffalo on Sunday to secure an AFC Championship Game rematch at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, this coming Sunday.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow smugly told CBS’ Tracy Wolfson shortly after Sunday’s victory in Buffalo that the league had “better send those refunds” for the neutral site AFC Championship. It sure sounds like Burrow, Taylor and others associated with the Bengals have chips on both shoulders heading into the conference title game in Kansas City.
