NFL Is Heading For A Major AFC Championship Game Problem That They Probably Never Expected
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The AFC Championship Game usually fills one of the league’s largest buildings. This January could look different if a specific team keeps climbing the standings.
The Jacksonville Jaguars currently sit at 3-1 after wins over playoff hopefuls such as the Browns, Patriots, and Bengals.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-0, yet they play in a difficult AFC West. If the Jags can secure the conference’s top seed, it would send the AFC Championship Game on a path to go through their home stadium.
That outcome is still a projection, and several contenders can change the playoff picture before January. But if things keep trending this way, it could pose a bit of a problem.
Jacksonville’s Path Toward the Top Seed
NBC Sports insider Mike Florio wrote that the Jacksonville Jaguars are in position to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Jaguars still have six division games left, and the Colts, Texans, and Titans are a combined 2-10. Jacksonville plays its next two games in London, against the injury-riddled Eagles and the disappointing Texans. Stiffer tests remain at Baltimore, Chicago, and Dallas, but Florio called most of the remaining schedule winnable.
The Jaguars are playing through a stadium renovation, and capacity is currently well below a normal NFL bowl.
The renovation is already underway, so the reduced capacity is a present fact, not a rumor. What remains uncertain is whether the Jaguars actually earn the No. 1 seed.
Renovations Could Cap the Crowd at 42,000 For Jacksonville
Florio noted that a pair of postseason games could draw only 42,000 fans. His case rests on the current record, the soft division, and a schedule that still includes several winnable games. A loss in London or on the road could erase that path quickly.
“If they do, there could be a pair of postseason games with only 42,000 fans in attendance. Which won’t be conducive to maximizing ticket revenues (or crowd noise) for the games, but that’s one of the realities of actively renovating a stadium while the team is still playing there.”
He added that the setup is still better for Jacksonville than traveling to Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, or Cleveland.
Other AFC buildings have drawn their own complaints this season. Fans have already questioned obstructed views at the new Highmark Stadium, and others have called ticket prices at the new venue too high for families. A capped Jacksonville crowd would create a different problem: fewer seats, less noise and a smaller gate for the biggest home game of the year.
For now, the AFC championship game is only a possibility in a 42,000-seat setting. If Jacksonville holds the top seed, fans would watch a conference final in a building that is still under construction. That scene would be unusual, and it would also reward a team that has already beaten several playoff hopefuls.
