NFL Announces Neutral Field for Potential AFC Championship Game

The NFL has shared its plan for a potential neutral field AFC Championship game should the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills both advance in the playoffs. The NFL announced the game would take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has been selected as the site for a potential Buffalo-Kansas City AFC Championship Game. pic.twitter.com/qlzj7end33
— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2023

The NFL set new playoff rules in the AFC this season due to the unprecedented suspension of the Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Monday Night Football matchup in Week 17 following Bills safety Damar Hamlin's on-field collapse. The Bills had been in line for the number one seed, home-field advantage, and a bye going into the game, but its cancellation made it impossible for the Bills to match the Chiefs' record and thus nullified a tie-breaker the Bills earned in a Week 6 24-20 win over the Chiefs.

The NFL decided to award the Chiefs the top seed and the bye, but in the interest of fairness, set a contingency in place in case the Bills advanced to the AFC championship. With each passing week, that result appears more and more likely. The Bills are 13.0-point favorites over the Miami Dolphins in the Wildcard Round this week.