Bills vs. Bengals has more emotion than usual in wake of Damar Hamlin’s collapse
FILE - Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) walks onto the field for warm-ups before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Hamlin isn’t sure what to expect when he steps back on the field in Cincinnati on Sunday, the place where the Buffalo Bills safety’s life nearly ended in January. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Bills and Bengals face off Sunday in Cincinnati, on the same field where Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest earlier this year.
Once the games gets going, it probably wont take center stage, but it’s been a topic leading up to it.
Hamlin’s collapse was frightening. He was clinically dead and then revived. He spent time getting stabilized in a hospital in Cincinnati. After some time, he headed back to Buffalo, where he continued his remarkable recovery, which includes a return to the team.
There is no doubt some emotion for Bills players as they return to Paycor Stadium. It’s something they’ve been talking about behind closed doors.
Now, the 5-3 Bills are turning their attention to the game itself.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of emotions flowing through some guys there and being back on that field, especially tomorrow,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “But, you know, at the same time, we got a job to do and we got to figure out how we can either use it to motivate us or put it behind us and focus towards, you know, the game on Sunday night.”
“We’re so thankful that Damar is in a good spot,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I think we all learned a lot of valuable lessons from that on the individual level to be grateful for every day and then on a team level and then on a league level. That said, we acknowledge it, but we’ve got to — we’ve got a football game to play and a job to do so that’s what we’re focused on right now.”
Damar Hamlin teamed up with the American Heart Association for a video about the importance of learning CPR. You can see that video here.