The NFL Preseason Football Football Championship Game: Damar Hamlin’s final game after the NFL’s ‘big game’ loss to the Bengals
The 10 minutes that followed were frightening as medical professionals tried to save his life, as Bills players knelt in a circle around him. The players hugged and cried on the sidelines. Hamlin was rushed to a hospital after he was placed in an ambulance. Broadcasters tried to narrate the scene, as they also felt the shock in their voices.
The game was stopped after the officials spoke with the team and the coach. The league said the game wouldn’t be finished.
The N.F.L. commissioner said his spirits were lifted by the news that Damar’s condition was improving. This morning, it was announced that he was FaceTiming with his team.
The N.F.L. team owners decided to change the A.F.C. playoffs because of the suspended game. Both the Bills and the Bengals were in contention for the top seed in their conference and home-field advantage through the playoffs.
The Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) will each have played one fewer game than the other teams in the N.F.L. after the regular season concludes this weekend. The A.F.C. championship game will be held at a neutral site if both teams play the same number of games in order to avoid potential competitive discrepancies.
The NFL family has waited on tenterhooks this past week on the health of Damar Hamlin as he continues to recover in hospital, but this weekend the show goes on and the final game week of the regular season still holds plenty of thrilling football.
Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of the Bills game at Cincinnati on Monday, a contest that was postponed, then canceled by the NFL on Thursday night.
The Bills will have to play their game against the Patriots (8-8) Sunday knowing that with a win and a Chiefs loss they could still clinch that top spot in the AFC thanks to a higher win percentage.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Packers: where do we stand after Hamlin’s loss? Where do we go? Where are we going? How do we want to go?
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says he “probably wants to play” his team’s next game but also understands that others don’t in the aftermath of Hamlin’s collapse on Monday.
He told reporters there would be mixed votes on that in the locker room. I think playing will be difficult, but there’s people that want to play, and people that don’t.
I probably want to play. I think getting back to as normal as possible is the way I deal with this kind of thing. But like I said, everyone has a different way of dealing with it.”
While the Ravens look toothless these last few weeks with Lamar Jackson out, there is a chance for them to move into the playoffs with some confidence.
Things have been made worse by their situation at quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is out with an injury. His replacement Malick Willis threw only 99 yards and was turned over twice against Houston, before he was replaced in their last game by Josh Dobbs.
The teams played against each other just four weeks ago, with the Jaguars coming out 36-22 on top on Tennessee soil. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was on fire, throwing 368 yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers and Lions finished the regular season in top shape after recovering from terrible starts.
The Packers have a mean defense that has helped them build their success. They have won their last four games on the spin without conceding more than 20 points in any of them.
Against the Packers is a Lions team scoring for fun. Detroit put up a 41 victory over Chicago last week and with the help of the top play from their quarterback, there was no question who the winner was.
A few weeks ago the Philadelphia Eagles looked unstoppable. They had only lost one game, had the best record in the NFL and practically sown up top spot in the NFC.
The Giants clinched an improbable playoff spot last week when they beat the Colts but, regardless of results, will come in six-seed and so face the age old question of whether to play or rest their best players.
It is important that the Eagles get a bye since they want to give star quarterback Jalen Hurts a rest after he missed two games because of a shoulder injury.
With the Cowboys facing relatively easy game against the Commanders, all eyes will be on the Eagles to see if they can turn around their mini-slump to end the season on a high, or lose all the momentum they have built up this season.