The 2024 NFL playoffs are getting ready to begin. However, there was an early snag in the playoff schedule. Earlier today, it was announced that the wild card game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers is getting postponed due to weather concerns.
Because of this, the game is now being played on Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. EST. This postponement will not just impact one game. It is likely going to impact the entire divisional round schedule.
NFL Divisional Round Scheduling Concerns
Originally, there was only one game scheduled for Monday. That game was between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles. However, that game was not nearly as invasive for the divisional round schedule.
Why is this? Because of the seeds playing in each of these games. You see, the Buccaneers and the Eagles are the fourth and fifth seeds in the NFC respectively.
However, the Bills and Steelers are the second and seventh seeds. That impacts scheduling for the next round due to who could have a home game. It will be known who the winner of Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia will play and where they could play before they even kick off. However, there are far more logistics to consider for Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
Changing the Divisional Round Schedule
If you look closely, you will notice that all three AFC wild card games were originally scheduled to be played before the NFC games. Now, there is a snag in this with the postponement in Buffalo. As a result, it could push the entire AFC schedule back.
Let’s say the Steelers somehow manage to beat the Bills on the road. Theoretically, they could be asked to play just five days later against their arch-rival Baltimore Ravens. It would create a huge scheduling advantage for the Ravens, considering they are coming off of a bye.
The NFL was likely to release the divisional round schedule by the end of Sunday night. Now, they may be forced to rethink this considering there are additional ramifications now. Originally, it seemed like a good idea to have both AFC divisional round games take place next Saturday. Now, that is likely no longer going to be the case. The NFL may be rooting for Buffalo to pull this out to avoid more complicated scheduling issues.
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