Not since “Friday Night time Lights” has a coin toss led to a lot drama.
With the NFL declaring Monday night time’s recreation between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Payments a no-contest after Payments security Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the sector, the league determined to change its playoff procedures in an try at a good decision. That included a novel state of affairs that concerned the Ravens-Bengals regular-season finale.
If the Ravens defeat the Bengals on Sunday and earn a direct rematch within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs, the host could be decided by a coin flip, in line with a plan accredited Friday by NFL homeowners.
Whereas Ravens gamers and coaches appeared extra bemused than riled up concerning the uncommon state of affairs, Bengals coach Zac Taylor voiced his displeasure with the transfer.
“So far as I’m involved, we simply need the foundations to be adopted,” Taylor instructed Cincinnati reporters Friday. “When a recreation is canceled, you simply flip to profitable proportion to make clear every part so we don’t should make up guidelines.”
ESPN reported Saturday that Cincinnati voted towards the brand new playoff state of affairs that different NFL homeowners accredited on a video name Friday.
The Bengals gamers clearly weren’t completely happy, both.
After dashing for a 1-yard landing within the first quarter Sunday to place the Bengals up 10-0, operating again Joe Mixon pulled a coin from his glove and flipped it within the air earlier than he and his teammates pretended to kick it away.
Mixon, who earlier this week tweeted a piece of the rule guide coping with playoff seeding within the wake of canceled video games, adopted the recommendation of former Bengals star vast receiver Chad Johnson, who requested his former workforce earlier than the sport to rejoice with a coin toss.
It was simply one in every of many workforce celebrations for the Bengals as they took a 17-0 lead early within the second quarter. After security Jessie Bates III intercepted Ravens rookie quarterback Anthony Brown within the first quarter, the Bengals mimicked a curler coaster ultimately zone.
When Brown, making his first NFL begin, threw his second interception early within the second quarter on a ball that bounced off vast receiver Demarcus Robinson, the Bengals defenders pretended to go to sleep ultimately zone.
The Ravens may not have to attend lengthy to hunt their revenge. With a Bengals win and a Buffalo Payments win over the New England Patriots, Baltimore will return to Cincinnati for the wild-card spherical subsequent weekend. The Payments, honoring Hamlin of their first recreation because the incident, returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a landing and had been tied with the Patriots at 14 within the second quarter.
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