The National Football League

Lerxst1992

Get_Right said:

Lerxst1992 said:

wouldn’t they need an entire week to fit in one game? If not, they would be forcing the Bills and Bengals to have two short weeks heading into the playoffs. Or, they move the entire schedule one week forward? The logistics of that… stadiums, travel, television…sound very expensive, just for one game. Not easy to cancel a game, but that might be the only option here, unless they are willing to cancel the Super Bowl bye week and pro bowl…for one game.

Agree it would be a challenge and the schedule probably does not allow then to make it up. I do not think they would move the playoffs, way too much money there. The Bills and Bengals would of course need to agree to a game Tuesday or Wednesday before the playoffs. The other teams probably want to know where they are going by Sunday. Just thinking corporate LOL.

Interesting idea floated, move the AFC playoffs back one week, and play the Bills Cincy game same week as NFC wildcard, and AFC championship could be played during the Super Bowl bye week. Solves many logistical problems, such as not shutting the entire league down right when everyone is excited for playoffs to begin. The huge downside being the AFC champion at a big disadvantage in the Super Bowl playing the NFC champion with an additional week of preparation time and rest.

The Juggler

They can't give one team an extra week to prepare for the Super Bowl.....

MayDay10

There are drastic disadvantages there.  Would Buffalo and Cincinnati choose to play for seeding in an extra week, while their wild card opponents are resting?  I could see both teams just playing backups, which would make everyone look terrible if the schedule is altered that drastically for a preseason-style game.

The best solution I have seen, is drop the game, and go by win %.  However, give the #1 seed the choice of having the bye or home field.  The #2 seed gets the perk not chosen by #1.  

Gern Blansten

Get_Right said:

Lerxst1992 said:

wouldn’t they need an entire week to fit in one game? If not, they would be forcing the Bills and Bengals to have two short weeks heading into the playoffs. Or, they move the entire schedule one week forward? The logistics of that… stadiums, travel, television…sound very expensive, just for one game. Not easy to cancel a game, but that might be the only option here, unless they are willing to cancel the Super Bowl bye week and pro bowl…for one game.

Agree it would be a challenge and the schedule probably does not allow then to make it up. I do not think they would move the playoffs, way too much money there. The Bills and Bengals would of course need to agree to a game Tuesday or Wednesday before the playoffs. The other teams probably want to know where they are going by Sunday. Just thinking corporate LOL.

I just can't imagine that happening

Gern Blansten

https://twitter.com/OmarJimenez/status/1611031428518580225

tempo_n_groove

Gern Blansten said:

https://twitter.com/OmarJimenez/status/1611031428518580225

I just heard!  That's great!

CROJAM95

Promising news for sure. 

Glad to hear, it’s pretty remarkable considering how long they worked on him… those first responders are amazing 

Gern Blansten

I would NOT want to play the Bills this weekend. They are going to be fired up.

Poncier

Gern Blansten said:

I would NOT want to play the Bills this weekend. They are going to be fired up.

eeriepadave

Did I hear this correctly, the game will not be made up?

Wobbie

This is great news! I was really fearing for the worst on Monday night.

mickeyrat

eeriepadave said:

Did I hear this correctly, the game will not be made up?

correct.....

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-set-to-cancel-bills-bengals-game-and-is-now-considering-some-wild-scenarios-for-afc-playoffs-per-reports/

mickeyrat

 I https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-damar-hamlin-updates-c086e472b10b4e79cd24502bcbf2e09b

  

Buffalo Bills NFL Damar Hamlin

Damar Hamlin asked who won Bills-Bengals when he woke up

By JOHN WAWROW and CAROLYN THOMPSON

1 hour ago

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has begun to communicate in writing with his family and others who have been at his bedside since he went into cardiac arrest three days ago — and his first question was, “Did we win?” his doctors said Thursday.

“The answer is yes, Damar, you won. You’ve won the game of life." Dr. Timothy Pritts told reporters in a conference call from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Hamlin was rushed after collapsing and being resuscitated on the field during the Bills' game against the Bengals on Monday night.

Hamlin remains critically ill and in the hospital's intensive care unit, but he began to wake up Wednesday night, and it appears his neurological function is intact, meaning he can follow commands and move, Pritts said.

"He still has significant progress he needs to make, but this marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care,” the doctor said.

“His first question that he wrote when he started to awaken was, 'Did we win?′" Pritts said. “So we know that it’s not only that the lights are on. We know that he’s home. And it appears that all the cylinders are firing within his brain, which is greatly gratifying for all of us.”

---

NFL

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Dr. William Knight IV said doctors had not yet determined the cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest and that testing is ongoing.

It’s also too early to say whether Hamlin could return to football after undergoing rehabilitation, Knight said.

The developments came as the Bills returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since Hamlin collapsed when his heart stopped after making a tackle during the game's first quarter.

The game was suspended and will not be resumed, two people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league is still figuring out how to determine playoff seedings and scheduling. The NFL Players Association must approve changes.

Hamlin, a second-year player from the Pittsburgh area, spent the past two days sedated and listed in critical condition.

Pritts said during the conference call that neurological signs of improvement began Wednesday night as Hamlin gradually woke up, with the rest of his body healing. Hamlin still cannot speak because of a breathing tube in his throat.

Parents of football players are reacting after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game (Janaury 4)

Knight credited the quick medical response with saving Hamlin's life.

He said a physician was by Hamlin’s side within a minute of him collapsing and recognized that the defensive back did not have a pulse. Knight said Hamlin required CPR and resuscitation on the field.

“It’s been a long and difficult road for the last three days ... he has made a pretty remarkable improvement,” Knight said.

“Great news,” President Joe Biden said in a tweet. “Damar, like I told your mom and dad yesterday, Jill and I – along with all of America – are praying for you and your family.”

Along with being able to write, his doctors said Hamlin was able to hold the hands of family and members of the Bills’ administrative and medical teams at his bedside.

Although Hamlin is following commands, doctors have not yet fully assessed his speech and other functions, in part because he is under sedation to accommodate the breathing tube.

“When we talk about neurologically intact, it’s a very gross term of big motor movements and following commands. When we talk about the finer things that make us human — cognition, emotion, speech, language, etc., we’re looking forward to learning more about that,” Knight said.

Over the past few days, players across the league — both former teammates and those who didn’t know Hamlin until Monday — have rallied in support.

Colts safety Rodney Thomas made the two-hour drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on Tuesday just to be by the side of his former high school teammate.

“He’s a fighter. I know he’s a fighter and there’s no other thought in my mind other than him walking out under his own power,” Thomas said Wednesday.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who spent the previous four seasons playing for Buffalo, had dinner delivered to the hospital for Hamlin’s family and medical staff.

Fans, team owners and players — including Tom Brady and Russell Wilson — have made donations to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, which had raised more than $7.5 million by Thursday evening.

___

AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville contributed to this report. Thompson reported from Buffalo.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

tempo_n_groove

Hopefully he can breathe on his own soon and not need a tube.

Merkin Baller

Man... not the NE had much of a chance anyway, but at this point they may as well not even show up. 

Poncier

Merkin Baller said:

Man... not the NE had much of a chance anyway, but at this point they may as well not even show up. 

MayDay10

tempo_n_groove said:

Hopefully he can breathe on his own soon and not need a tube.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1611378185924497409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1611379894608621570%7Ctwgr%5E2a50e95bdbbb386c91104c7e8468292a64e3f794%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsabresfans70.proboards.com%2Fthread%2F53027%2Fnew-england-buffalo-sunday-1pm%3Fpage%3D2

Gern Blansten

MayDay10 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Hopefully he can breathe on his own soon and not need a tube.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1611378185924497409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1611379894608621570%7Ctwgr%5E2a50e95bdbbb386c91104c7e8468292a64e3f794%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsabresfans70.proboards.com%2Fthread%2F53027%2Fnew-england-buffalo-sunday-1pm%3Fpage%3D2

wow...good news

tempo_n_groove

MayDay10 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Hopefully he can breathe on his own soon and not need a tube.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1611378185924497409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1611379894608621570%7Ctwgr%5E2a50e95bdbbb386c91104c7e8468292a64e3f794%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsabresfans70.proboards.com%2Fthread%2F53027%2Fnew-england-buffalo-sunday-1pm%3Fpage%3D2

Looking forward to his reply!

MayDay10

https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1611423938004803584