Bengals fans wondering why Bills playoff game not at neutral site

DAYTON — With the Cincinnati Bengals beating the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night, they will be on the road to play the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, New York.

There is plenty of talk around the league about why the game will not be played at a neutral site after what happened with the teams two weeks ago in Cincinnati following the collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The NFL canceled the game later that week and it impacted playoff seeding.

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News Center 7′s John Bedell spoke with Bengals fans Monday across the Miami Valley. So many Stripes fans make the short trip down Southbound Interstate 75 to Paycor Stadium but that won’t be happening Sunday.

Cincinnati will play Buffalo in the AFC Divisional Playoff in Western New York. Some people think the NFL’s possible neutral site AFC Championship game is coming one round too late in the playoffs.

“Who Dey Nation!” yelled Robert Baker, Bengals fan, as he was leaving Paycor Stadium Sunday night.

Many fans were fired up after Cincinnati beat division rival Baltimore for the second straight week.

“We the big dogs in the north!” said Steven Mormon, Bengals fan. “They got no business in our stadium. The Jungle!”

>>WHO DEY: Bengals go on road to play Bills in AFC Divisional Playoffs

Bedell says Bengals fans are looking forward and are fired up for the road ahead.

“We’re going to Buffalo!” said Baker. “And then, we’re going to Kansas City! And then, we’re going to Arizona!”

Jeff Fisher, from Kettering, was at Paycor Stadium Sunday night and has been a Bengals season ticket holder for 49 years.

“It was just very electric,” he told Bedell. “I mean, I’ve never seen the stadium like that.”

Fisher says he wishes the Bengals had another home game in next round of the playoffs but says it is what it is. He is confident the Stripes can get a road win Sunday.

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Bedell reached out Monday to the Cincinnati-area Chamber of Commerce and asked how much money Bengals home games bring into the region. He also asked how much cash they will be missing out with the team on the road for Sunday’s games. They did not respond.

Fisher is hoping the Bengals get one more playoff game at Paycor Stadium this postseason.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “Because we were talking to our favorite beer vendor and I said, ’Hey, I’ll see you next year.’ He goes, ‘What do you mean? See in two weeks.’ Because technically, if the Bills and the Chiefs lose, we’ll play another home game. I’m like, ‘okay, Scotty, we’ll see you in two weeks.’”

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Bedell reached out to the NFL League office on Monday and asked what they would say to Bengals fans who are upset this game is not being played at a neutral site. They did not respond.

There is only one place in Dayton to catch the game.

Kickoff between the Bengals and Bills is Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. and the game will be televised here on Channel 7.

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We will have coverage of the Bengals and Bills leading up to kickoff.

This includes the Orange Zone Sunday morning, January 22, at 11:30 a.m. with John Bedell and Larry Hansgen.

News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis will also provide live coverage from Orchard Park.

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