(OutKick) The NFL announced late Thursday that the Week 17 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will not be resumed and has officially been canceled.
Monday night’s primetime game was halted in the first quarter of action when second-year Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went down after suffering a cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old required intensive medical assistance and an ambulance was called out on the field.
@NFL release on playoff options following decision not to continue #Bengals #Bills game pic.twitter.com/67NOZG2hQ7
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 6, 2023
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Effects From the Bills and Bengals’ Canceled Game…
Thursday’s announcement means the Bengals are officially AFC North champs.
As relayed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL never considered adding an eighth playoff team per conference.
The NFL released a complete statement regarding the cancelation, including three scenarios regarding the canceled game’s implications on the AFC playoff scenario.
Per the League, the scenarios include:
