CNN
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The NFL has announced that Atlanta will host the AFC Championship Game if the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs meet in the conference title game.
Previously, NFL owners approved the unprecedented postseason plan to hold a game at a neutral site following the cancellation of the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.
The match was first suspended and then postponed after Damar Hamlin collapsed in cardiac arrest.
The post-season scenario was set up as the Bills played one game less than the Chiefs and did not have a fair opportunity to secure the AFC No. 1 seed.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will host the game if the two teams meet.
“We are encouraged by Damar Hamlin’s continued improvement and progress in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain a priority for the entire NFL community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday.
“We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta if the Bills and Chiefs move forward. We thank both clubs for their assistance in the planning process.
The NFL said Thursday that the league has named Atlanta as a possible host site for moved postseason games before the start of the season.
The NFL noted that Atlanta “is nearly equidistant from the cities of the two potential participating teams.”