Bills-Bengals game will not be replayed: We discuss the playoff implications

The NFL has decided to not replay the Week 17 Monday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals, per Seung Min Kim. The game was suspended after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a medical emergency on the field and needed to be resuscitated on the field by Medical personnel. Reports on Hamlin's health have been positive, but he remains in critical condition.

We are still waiting for any moves the NFL will make to try to make this move as fair as possible, but for now we know that the Bills-Bengals game will not count.

With the game not being played, the Bengals and Bills will have one fewer game than the rest of the league, which will impact the AFC North standings and playoff seeding. The biggest change is that now the Bills don't control whether they get the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs will now be the No. 1 seed if they beat the Raiders on Saturday. A Chiefs win would put the Bills in the No. 2 seed if they beat the Patriots and possibly put them in the No. 3 seed if they lose to the Patriots and the Bengals beat the Ravens. Unfortunately, the tie-breakers for that possibility rely on strength of victory numbers that won't be known until the Week 18 games are played.

1) KC win
OR 2) KC tie + BUF tie
OR 3)BUF loss

1) BUF win + KC loss/tie
OR 2) BUF tie + KC loss

The AFC North has now been won by the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if the Ravens beat them this weekend, Baltimore won't be able to garner a high enoughwinning percentage. The Ravens could still get the No. 5 seed with a win over the Bengals and loss by the Chargers, while the Bengals have a chance at the No. 2 seed with a win and a Patriots win over the Bills.

  
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