If the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have to face each other in the 2023 AFC Championship game, they will have to head down south for their unique neutral site matchup.
The unfortunate incident that occurred in the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game in Week 17 made national headlines. Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field and nearly dying brought a postponement to the action and eventual cancellation of the game.
That single game being removed from the schedule put the league in a difficult position where the top of the NFL playoff picture would be in question if both the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills finished with the same record. In a normal situation, the Bills would have earned home-field advantage and a bye in the Wild Card round if they did, because Buffalo had the tiebreaker over Kansas City.
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After the Bills and Bengals game was officially canceled, and the Chiefs and Bills won their season finales, both were left with a case to have home-field throughout the postseason. To resolve the unusual situation, the NFL and all 32 teams approved a plan for a neutral site if both teams reached the AFC Championship, and that location was revealed today.
Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will play in Atlanta for possible AFC title game
On Thursday afternoon, the NFL officially announced that Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, will serve as the site for a potential AFC title game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
“As part of standard NFL contingency planning, Atlanta was designated a possible backup host site for postseason games prior to the start of the 2022 season and is almost equidistant from both potential participating teams’ cities.”
– NFL statement on neutral site reveal
The Kansas City Chiefs will be on a bye during NFL Wild Card Weekend, while the Buffalo Bills will face division rivals the Miami Dolphins at 1 PM on Sunday. In a rubber match after splitting their two regular season games in 2022.