Friday Football Footnotes: Problems with the tweaked AFC playoff proposals; a Jets injury that may impact Steelers

This week’s “Friday Football Footnotes” takes a look at a dent in the Steelers’ playoff hopes. Plus, we examine the tangled web of playoff scenarios the NFL is creating by canceling the Bengals-Bills game.

We also look at the long-term ramifications of an in-season rules change and maybe some unintended consequences for this year that haven’t been addressed.

• Is it just me, or is the NFL overcomplicating this whole playoff seeding situation in the wake of the Bengals-Bills “Monday Night Football” cancelation?

It strikes me that they are making a messy situation even tougher to navigate.

The rules currently on the books say that if a game is canceled, the league goes by winning percentage for playoff seedings if the standings are imbalanced. That was the plan — if necessary — during the coronavirus season of 2020. It should be the way things are done in 2022-23.

I don’t see the need to change the rules midstream. When that rule was enacted, everyone knew at the time that inequity would exist. It exists now. So what?

Yet, the NFL owners are voting on proposals Friday to perhaps change this year’s playoff format because they don’t like some of the potentially unfair consequences of seeding the bracket and awarding home field based on this year’s winning percentage results. According to ProFootballTalk, a 24-vote supermajority will likely be needed.

It’s not often I agree with Mike Florio of PFT. But in this case, I do. Not only does it feel like the NFL is over-tinkering by potentially introducing things like coin-flips to determine a venue for a potential Ravens-Bengals playoff rematch and neutral site AFC playoff games, it’s going to require a massive precedent-shifting act to make it happen.

Normally, the NFL never changes the rulebook in place during the season. But now they are considering doing so because people just don’t like how the rule is playing out. So as Florio points out, “Once this starts, where does it end? Would the owners change the rules regarding roughing the passer during a season? Would they make pass interference a 15-yard penalty and not a spot foul during a season? Would they alter the overtime rules during a season?”

If the NFL feels that things are so horribly imbalanced by going by winning percentage, they never should’ve planned to do so in the first place. If the NFL feels that the winning percentage option is so grossly unfair because of how many permutations exist off the canceled “Monday Night Football” game, then they should have pushed the entire playoffs back and erased the bye between the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Some way, somehow, other teams besides just the Bengals and Bills were going to be impacted by whatever solution was in place, so why second-guess the rules that are already instituted?

• What about the division round in the AFC? If the AFC Championship Game is going to involve two of the following teams — the Bengals, Chiefs and Bills — and their win totals could have potentially skewed the seeding if that MNF game was played, the AFC title game may get played at a neutral site.

OK, but what about the divisional round? It’s possible that two of those three teams may play each other in the second round of the playoffs, too. Isn’t that elimination game just as important?

I mean, if the Bengals end up the third seed and Buffalo is the two for an AFC title game and the Bengals are so severely disadvantaged by that outcome that the league needs to put the game in a neutral location, why wouldn’t the same principles apply to a second-round game too?

As of the time of this column’s submission, that angle has not yet been determined.

• Many are wondering if Acrisure Stadium could become the neutral site of an AFC Championship Game if those circumstances arise and two of those three teams are involved.

I could see it based on the relative proximity between the three cities. My guess had been Detroit or Indianapolis since the game would be indoors. Weather affecting the contest is one thing if the game is being played in a specific team’s home city. It feels like quite another if it’s at a neutral location.

Plus, fans from those cities may be more inclined to travel and sit indoors to watch a game in one of those towns as opposed to sitting outside in Pittsburgh or maybe Cleveland. Unless those NFL venues are hosting other events over championship weekend, Indy and Detroit would be viable options because, like the Steelers, if the Lions qualify for the playoffs, they’d be the seventh seed and unable to host a title game. And like the Browns, the Colts won’t be in the playoffs.

However, it turns out that Ford Field in Detroit will be unavailable due to turf renovations.

So get your jokes in now about this being the only way for Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis (or Detroit ) to ever host a conference championship game again.

• The Steelers’ playoff chances might be taking a hit. And it’s got nothing to do with them.

In order to qualify for the playoffs, the Steelers need a win over Cleveland Sunday, plus a New York Jets win over the Miami Dolphins, plus a Bills defeat of the New England Patriots.

Now the word from SNY is that Jets QB Mike White has been ruled out.

Zach Wilson will be the #Jets backup QB to Joe Flacco, who is starting.

Mike White (ribs) is out, sources tell @SNYtv

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) January 6, 2023

White recently missed two games with a rib injury. Earlier in the week, head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that White had been dealing with some rib soreness following the Week 17 loss in Seattle.

Saleh has named veteran Joe Flacco as the Jets’ starting quarterback ahead of Zach Wilson. But let’s make one thing clear – if your playoff hopes hinge on Mike White winning a game for you, then you may not deserve to be in the playoffs in the first place.

White struggled in his first game back since Dec. 11. He went just 23 of 46 for 240 yards and turned the ball over three times in the 23-6 loss to the Seahawks.

• One other note, the Browns are perhaps going to play the Steelers Sunday without defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. He’s been sent home by the team.

The Browns have sent Jadeveon Clowney home, which might have always been his preferred scheme fit.

— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) January 6, 2023

Clowney was grousing recently about his role in Clevealnd and said that he’d likely not be back with the team next year. So it appears the Browns may be accelerating that process.