If the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs make the AFC title game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta will be the neutral venue, the NFL announced Thursday. The game will be on Sunday, January 29, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
NFL teams approved a resolution last week to mitigate the competitive inequities created by the canceled Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals Week 17 game due to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
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The approved plan included the AFC Championship at a neutral site if the participating teams played an unequal number of games, both could have been the number one seed and hosted conference championship game.
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The Bills and the Chiefs are the only two AFC teams that qualify.
“We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
“We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process. We know, if necessary, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide a world class atmosphere for the competing teams, our fans and partners.”
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