The NFL recently had to postpone a game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers due to the number of positives for coronavirus. That presented a difficulty for the league, and the people started to get worried about what could happen. But, it was quickly resolved by rescheduling the matches.
However, it seems like the situation has not resolved yet, as another Titans game had to be rescheduled because of the still-growing COVID-19 outbreak. The Titans got another corona test Thursday morning, and 21 members of the team got their results back as positive.
The rising number of positives has forced the team’s facility to be closed. Now, people are wondering what’s going to happen to the game against Buffalo Bills on Sunday. But that hasn’t stopped the fans from betting on sports.
Many experts believe that the recent violation of the NFL’s coronavirus protocols is what got the Tennessee Titans in this mess. The Titans were barred from being together on the 29th of Sept. That shifted the league’s attention to the slight possibility that the team was extending their period of possible risks with unsanctioned workouts.
However, the possibility was confirmed when the Nashville prep school confirmed that many players had gathered there. The team’s facilities were already closed off by then. Also, the members of the organization told not to conduct any in-person activities.
The NFL was surely hoping to see at least two consecutive days of negative results before opening up the team’s facilities.
Now, the Tennessee Titans and even the league face a significant problem because there isn’t much room left for a reschedule. The NFL already used up some of the wiggle room to accommodate the Titans vs. Steelers match that had to be postponed by shuffling around off weeks.
If the NFL does decide to push back the game by a couple of days, they could still face difficulties because the Bills are scheduled to play a game next Thursday. They could move that back as well to accommodate any delays.
They could also try to add another week into the regular season to make room for this postponement and any others that may arise after this.
However, there is a possibility that the teams simply wouldn’t face each other. The NFL could decide that the easiest and most convenient option for them would be to cancel the game or rule a Titans forfeit.
The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, sent out a memo to all the teams earlier this week that consists of more rules and stated some penalties for the teams breaking those protocols. If the league follows that memo, they might surely go for the forfeit option against the Titans for violating the protocols.
It seems like no matter what the league decides, their decision might be scrutinized in one way or another. The reason is that it could have an effect on the competitive balance among the teams. The Buffalo Bills are 4-0 to start the season. The Titans are 3-0. Also, Buffalo is scheduled to play against the undefeated Kansas Chiefs.