There are two things you should never really do when it comes to making long-lasting decisions: Use a singular game or playoff as the basis for your argument (looking at you, college football), and rely on what people on social media say.
However, we’re gonna do both when it comes to a suggestion that the NFL may want to consider moving the AFC and NFC Championship Games to neutral sites to avoid situations like the one during the second half of Sunday’s AFCCG in Denver.
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots were playing in chilly but clear conditions until the third quarter, when heavy snow began to fall, covering the field, soaking the ball, and severely restricting both offenses. The result was a second-half slugfest in which neither team did much at all, let alone score any touchdowns, and the Patriots survived with a 10-7 victory, sending them to Super Bowl LX.
While the weather conditions were extreme, that’s just one of the NFL’s long-standing quirks and charms. It’s also part of what makes homefield advantage so critical in the playoffs, even if it didn’t pay off for the Broncos this time.
But what if the game had been played in Miami instead? Or inside a dome, such as Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis? Would that have been better?
That’s the question posited by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio earlier this week in a column asking if conference championships should be played at neutral sites.
“After Sunday, here’s the overriding question. Are we OK with staging those games in places where the conditions could make them both unplayable and unwatchable?” asked Florio. “Do we want the team that was trailing once the skies opened and the snow accumulated to have no realistic chance to come back and win?”
Florio added that, had the game been tied and gone to overtime, it might have lasted several iterations as each team tried in vain to score (though that presumes the weather would have remained a factor).
The NBC Sports NFL contributor also added, in a video version of the column, that “Somebody was pushing the idea from within the walls of 345 Park Avenue (NFL headquarters) to have neutral site conference championship games to create a college football vibe.” Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt has also pushed for it, though he got fairly stiff pushback from his fellow owners, including some whose teams play in domed stadiums.
We’re not going to say that Florio’s consideration was met with universal disdain, but it almost felt that way on social media afterward. Many critics noted that the conditions turned the game into a chess match, heightening the drama.
Unplayable and unwatchable — unless you enjoy football, strategy, game management and drama https://t.co/puC8Bj331B
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 27, 2026
A terrible take on so many levels. For starters: who was it “unwatchable” for? Did people tune out when the snow started? I’m gonna guess no. https://t.co/wu6ojfwWqF
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) January 27, 2026
Close football in bad weather is still awesome to watch https://t.co/SkECNPHgZt pic.twitter.com/Jo6LNANMlo
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) January 26, 2026
There was nothing wrong with the AFC Championship Game. That 4th quarter was interesting enough. The idea that every sporting event has to be the pinnacle of entertainment is ridiculous. Remember the 2019 Patriots-Rams Super Bowl? In Atlanta. In a dome. Zzzzz. It happens. https://t.co/jlaQixiObb
— Mike Sielski (@MikeSielski) January 26, 2026
Patriots-Broncos was not unwatchable. Sometimes football games are played in snowy conditions. That’s the sport! Our anathema to friction extends to sports & that’s bad. The human element is part of the game. https://t.co/u83c1aBUP8
— Alex Reimer (@AlexReimer1) January 27, 2026
A neutral-site for NFL conference championship games would ruin the aura of what they are now, and it would take away from being the number one seed.
Don’t do it, ever. https://t.co/lo3TLpoK6i
— Michael Hauff (@TheFFRealist) January 27, 2026
This is a really dumb idea
Sounds Like The NFL Has At Least Discussed Indoor Neutral Site Conference Title Games And That Idea Sucks Out Loud https://t.co/WtPd6iwk0X
— Mike Mutnansky (@MikeMutnansky) January 27, 2026
Let’s Stop This Talk of Neutral Site Conference Championship Games Right Now: TRAINA THOUGHTS https://t.co/qvDOs4G9G8
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 27, 2026
The truth is that at a certain point, there won’t be that many open-air NFL stadiums left to make this much of a concern. That’s unfortunate in its own way, as weather conditions have long been a factor that teams have needed to plan for and manage. They’ve also been part of what makes places like Green Bay’s Lambeau Field so iconic. The league and the sport are always going to evolve, and there’s a chance something like this will come to pass eventually, one way or another, but by all accounts, it doesn’t seem like a change many in NFL circles want.