The NFL’s ruling that made Monday night’s game between the Bills and Bengals a no contest certainly changed the course of the AFC playoffs. Now, the Chiefs can secure the one seed on Saturday by beating the Raiders, but that will not guarantee them home-field advantage in the AFC Championship game.
The NFL ruled that the AFC Championship game, if played by teams that did not play an equal number of regular season games that could have been the one seed, it will be played at a neutral sight.
This means that if the Chiefs beat the Raiders, which gives them a first round bye, and they win in the divisional round and they play the Bills (if they beat the Patriots) then that game would be played somewhere other than Arrowhead Stadium. Almost assuredly, the AFC Championship will be played in a dome and in a city that will not be hosting playoff games of any kind.
5 potential AFC Championship game venues
- Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis). This likely makes the most sense and has been discussed by NFL officials. This stadium is only 480 miles from KC and would be a home-away-from-home for the Chiefs.
- Mercades-Benz Stadium (Atlanta). Could make sense if the NFL wants the AFC Championship played in a dome and in a city that is more equal in distance from both KC (800 miles) and Buffalo (900 miles).
- AT&T Stadium (Dallas). We know this modern day palace is free from any Cowboys home playoff games and the short distance to KC makes it quite appealing.
- NRG Stadium (Houston). A further drive for Chiefs fans (740 miles) but a city that would be a perfect host with a stadium that is almost never used by the Texans in the playoffs.
- Caesars Supedrome (New Orleans). Similar to Houston, New Orleans offers an exciting destination and a legendary dome that has hosted seven Super Bowls.
Detroit ruled out
Props to the abundantly self-aware Lions organization, who planned much-needed turf repair at Ford Field during the playoffs as hosting a postseason game in Detroit is about as rare as seeing a fire rainbow.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport also reported that an outdoor venue is part of the discussion. While this seems unlikely, potential warm-weather cities like Miami or Jacksonville could creep into the mix.
