How Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium Could Host An NFL Playoff Game


Mercedes-Benz Stadium may be the venue for one of the biggest games in the NFL playoffs. Here are the details announced by the NFL owners on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

If either the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills don’t make it to the AFC Championship, the game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

AFC Championship Game Could Be Played in Atlanta If…

Here are the scenarios in which the AFC title game would be played in Atlanta, a neutral site this year:

  • Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both win or tie in Week 18 + both teams advance to the AFC title game.
  • Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both lose + Cincinnati (11-4) also loses or ties in Week 18 + Buffalo and Kansas City advance to the AFC title game.
  • Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both lose + Cincinnati (11-4) wins + the AFC title game is either Bills-Chiefs or Bengals-Chiefs.

When is The 2023 AFC Championship Game Being Played?

The AFC Championship game is set for Sunday, January 29, 2023, in either Buffalo, Kansas City or Atlanta.

The need for a neutral site arose after the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo game was canceled following the on-field collapse of Damar Hamblin.

In a news release, the NFL said, “If the Ravens (10-6) defeat Cincinnati in Week 18 and the Chargers (10-6) beat the Denver Broncos, and if Baltimore and Cincinnati are scheduled to play a wild-card game against one another, the site for that game would be determined by a coin toss. If Cincinnati wins the Week 18 game or if Baltimore and Cincinnati are not scheduled to play one another in the wild-card round, the game sites would be determined by the regular scheduling procedures.”

“We believe this is a focused approach that will only affect four teams, and directly address the potential for competitive inequity resulting from 30 teams playing 17 games and two playing 16 games,” Goodell said during a Friday conference call. “It was critical for the owners to vote today so that clubs know going into this weekend what they’re playing for.”

Final Words

The NFL playoffs begin this weekend with the wildcard round.

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Tee Johnson: Tee Johnson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AtlantaFi.com, Atlanta’s independent hyper-local publication focused on news, restaurants, events, jobs, neighborhoods, and lifestyle. A 15+ year Atlanta resident and longtime journalist and content creator, she covers Travel News, Events, Business, Hair Care, and Money with a practical, Atlanta-first lens. Before launching the site, Johnson worked as a substitute teacher in Atlanta Public Schools and later in corporate roles at Home Depot’s Vinings offices. A marketer by training with a degree in business management, she grew frustrated with the fragmented, hard-to-find information about what was actually happening in the city. That gap led her to create AtlantaFi as a curated, one-stop resource for the pulse of Atlanta—#ATLHAPS—without the national noise. Editorial decisions remain independent; the publication does not accept products, meals, or services in exchange for coverage. As Editor-in-Chief, she oversees original local reporting and curated practical guides that help residents, visitors, and businesses discover and engage with the city. Readers turn to her work for timely event roundups, dining and neighborhood insights, business and travel updates, and straightforward money and lifestyle coverage grounded in firsthand observation of Atlanta. A devoted lover of all things Atlanta, Tee enjoys pickleball, a good margarita or bourbon, and walking the Atlanta Beltline. She can be reached for editorial inquiries at tjohnson@atlantafi.com (serious inquiries only).

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