The NFL’s solution for the playoffs in the wake of the tragic injury to Damar Hamlin has the Cincinnati Bengals furious. Fans and even Bengals’ executives are not happy with the NFL “shafting” them with their resolution. Social media is filled with outrage after the NFL is resorting to a coin toss to settle the question of home-field advantage if the Bengals lose this week.
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The NFL’s proposed solution treats the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and even the Baltimore Ravens fairly. However, many feel that the Bengals are getting the short end of the stick. Even Bengals’ head coach Zac Taylor feels the NFL has wronged his team. He says, “It seems like there are positives for a lot of teams and just negatives for us.”
Here’s the deal with the resolution that passed on Friday: it doesn’t matter if the Bengals win. The resolution only resorts to a coin toss if the Bengals lose to the Ravens in week 18. So to avoid any further mishap, all they have to do is win. Which is exactly what Taylor intends to do.
“We just have to turn our focus to getting ready for Baltimore and then doing everything we can to control what we can control at that point,” Taylor says.
Who Dey Nation and Cincinnati Bengals not amused with new playoffs rules
Fans of the Bengals are not happy at all with the recent developments. Having supported their team walking off the pitch on Monday, they feel they are being punished for being good samaritans. A lot of them feel the NFL is using this opportunity to please the richer fan bases. To try and make as much money as they can out of this.
Am I the only one who thinks the Bengals are kinda getting screwed here
— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) January 6, 2023
The NFL has officially declared it bad to be good people and you are 100% better off forcing the other team to play despite tragedy or forfeit the game.
— Ryan The Cocaine Hippo (@RoyleRedlegs) January 6, 2023
If you feel the Bengals are being punished for refusing to continue to play after a life threatening injury, that might be by design.
Remember how both teams were expected to play after a 5 minute break? They want to make sure that is enforced in the future.
— Dadio Makdook (@dadiodefacto) January 6, 2023
There's an asterisk on this season unless the #Bengals win it all.
— 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@BengalsCaptain) January 6, 2023
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) January 6, 2023
If you needed any more proof that the @NFL has biases against some markets, you have it today.
Disgusting.
— 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@BengalsCaptain) January 6, 2023
NFL: We wanted "perfect equity"
Bengals: Apply the rules as written or apply the homefield coin-flips to more games.
NFL: No not equity like that.
— Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) January 6, 2023
If the Bengals win the AFC championship game, Roger Goodell will flip a coin to decide whether it’s KC or Buffalo that gets to play the Super Bowl instead
— Mark Chalifoux (@markchalifoux) January 6, 2023
Basically, the NFL gave the Bengals and Bills a Loss for Monday Night.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) January 6, 2023
There is absolutely no way you can look at what the Bengals received in comparison to KC and BUF in a game they were winning and say this is fair. At minimum if they play BUF it should be at a neutral site. They went from a chance to win the 1 seed to a coin flip against BAL
— Ace Boogie (@NewStripeCity) January 6, 2023
If the NFL is gonna make the Bengals play a division champion schedule next season, then they need to guarantee them a wild card round home game, which is a reward for winning the division
— Blake Jewell (@BlakeJewellNFL) January 6, 2023
The Bengals are rightfully angry about the league's proposal. Zac Taylor, Katie Blackburn, and Joe Mixon have all alluded to the same ideas at this point. We'll see if any of it matters.
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) January 6, 2023
The NFL had no choice but to cancel the Bill-Bengals game, which was postponed after Damar Hamlin’s injury. As predicted, that move had a massive impact on the playoffs picture, and the NFL has been trying to fix it ever since. Only their solution ended up angering a lot of Bengals’ fans. Things can get even messier if the Bengals end up losing to the Ravens this week.
A few years ago, a handful of New England Patriots fans held protests in the NFL offices to try and overturn the Deflategate verdict. If nothing else motivates the Bengals’ to beat the Ravens, the thought of the Who Dey Nation marching on the NFL headquarters should give them enough reason to not lose. What does this week have in store for us? Will chaos be the headline next week? Only time will tell.
Also Read: Who is Denny Kellington? Meet The Real Hero Who Saved Damar Hamlin By Timely Administering CPR
