After the Cincinnati Bengals upset the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round on Sunday, their head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow were making quips about the NFL head office. The NFL had sold 50,000 tickets to fans of the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in case both teams won, which would have meant an AFC Championship Game at a neutral venue.
Better send them refunds
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow set tongues wagging in his postgame interview on Sunday. Burrow was asked about how much motivation the NFL selling tickets to a neutral venue in case the Buffalo Bills won provided him and his team.
“Better send them refunds,” Burrow said with a wide grin.
Joe Burrow was asked about the NFL's plans for a neutral site AFC Championship game, and the tickets that were pre-purchase.
“Better send them refunds”
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 22, 2023
Burrow was not the only one with something to say about the situation. Head coach Zac Taylor also chimed in his press conference.
“It is tough because they have to formulate the plans for coin tosses, formulate the plans for neutral site games and we just keep screwing it up for everybody,” Taylor said. “I hate that for people who have to endure all the logistical issues, we keep screwing it up.”
#Bengals coach Zac Taylor: “It is tough because they have to formulate the plans for coin tosses, formulate the plans for neutral site games & we just keep screwing it up for everybody. I hate that for people who have to endure all the logistical issues, we keep screwing it up.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 23, 2023
Since the Bills versus Bengals regular season game was not completed because of the life-threatening collapse of Demar Hamlin, some adjustments to the postseason venues were made. A game involving the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Conference Championship would have to be played at a neutral venue. This was after owners voted it the fairest way to settle the homefield debate.
The NFL proceeded to sell 50,000 tickets to the game at the neutral site. This did not sit well with the Bengals, who apparently thought they had been written off. However, it seemingly gave them added motivation as they manhandled the Bills in the Divisional Round. They were comfortable 27-10 victors and the result was never really in doubt.
The Bengals will now face off against the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
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