After Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest eventually led the NFL to cancel Bills-Bengals from last Monday night, a potential logjam at the top of the AFC saw Cincinnati draw the short straw in the new plan. While everyone made concessions in a proposal that could never be perfect considering the circumstances, the Bengals — the AFC North champions, mind you — were not guaranteed a home playoff game.
Were matters to break against a frustrated Joe Mixon and Co., a coin flip would actually determine whether the defending AFC champions would get to host a team — in this case, the Ravens — in their home digs.
After Mixon scored an early touchdown while the Bengals sent Baltimore an early statement on Sunday, he pulled a hidden coin out to celebrate. While gathered around by Bengals teammates, Mixon flipped the coin and kicked it away once it hit the turf.
I guess we really know how the Bengals feel about the NFL’s AFC playoff plan for them:
Mixon really had a coin in his glove 😂#BudLightCelly | @budlight pic.twitter.com/eg8evfvtsT
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 8, 2023
Mixon’s celebration and mocking of the NFL’s plan are fitting. If the Bengals beat the Ravens — and by early indications, it seems they’ll humiliate third-string Baltimore QB Anthony Brown — the proposed coin flip won’t even come into play. The Bengals would get their desired guaranteed home postseason game, at least in the Wild Card Round.
The statement from Mixon and the rest of the team makes it pretty clear they know they can control their destiny here.