NFL Playoffs 2023: Scenarios For Neutral-Site AFC Championship Game Involving Bills, Bengals, Chiefs

Now that the NFL has determined that the Week 17 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals won't be resumed, the league could be making changes to the playoff format. Both teams will be awarded a no contest and the 2023 AFC Championship Game could be played at a neutral site if certain scenarios play out over the next few weeks.

The Kansas City Chiefs can clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed by winning their regular-season finale. The Bills controlled their own destiny for the No. 1 seed before Monday's game was suspended after safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field. The Bengals could've finished atop the AFC standings had they won their final two games and the Chiefs lost in Week 18.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's competition committee have approved three scenarios for which neither team in the AFC Championship Game would have home-field advantage. If 24 of the league's 32 owners also approve the plan, there's a good chance that the final AFC playoff matchup will be played on a neutral field.

What are the scenarios that would create a neutral site AFC Championship Game?

If both the Chiefs and Bills win in Week 18, an AFC title matchup between the two teams will be played at a neutral stadium. If the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals all lose in Week 18, a Kansas City vs. Buffalo Championship Game would be played outside of those two cities. In the event that the Chiefs and Bills both lose but the Bengals win their final regular-season game, a conference championship matchup between Kansas City and either Buffalo or Cincinnati would become a neutral-site game.

The Chiefs visit the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday night. The Bills close out the season at home against the New England Patriots. The Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.

The Bengals, Bills and Chiefs are all division champions. Cincinnati clinched the AFC North title with the Week 17 no contest. Had the Bengals been defeated by the Bills, the Week 18 matchup between Cincinnati and Baltimore would've determined the division winner.

If the Ravens beat the Bengals in Week 18 and it sets up a Wild-Card Weekend matchup between the two rivals, their first-round playoff game will be played on a neutral field. If Cincinnati beats Baltimore or the two sides meet in the playoffs after the wild-card round, the higher seeded team will host a potential postseason matchup.

The Chiefs defeated the Bills 42-36 at Arrowhead Stadium in an overtime game during the divisional round of last year's playoffs. Cincinnati upset Kansas City 27-24 on the road in overtime in the AFC Championship Game, coming back from an 18-point deficit.

Both the Bills and Bengals have beaten the Chiefs in the 2022 regular season.