NFL Cancels Bills-Bengals Game – The New York Times

The game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, which was suspended Monday night after Bills’ Dumar Hamlin collapsed on the field, will not be completed, the NFL announced Thursday. It said the decision to cancel the game under “abnormal circumstances” was “difficult but necessary”.

Buffalo’s starting safety, Hamlin, 24, went into cardiac arrest after making what appeared to be a routine tackle in the first quarter on Monday. Hamlin is still in critical condition, but doctors treating him at a hospital in Cincinnati said Thursday that Hamlin is awake and available for written communication.

On Monday night, medical professionals worked for several minutes to get Hamlin’s heart rate back up. After he was taken out in an ambulance, Bengals Zach his Taylor his coach crossed the field to talk with Bills Sean McDermott his coach and game officials.

Taylor later said McDermott told him, “I need to be in the hospital for Dummer and I shouldn’t be coaching this game.” The match was interrupted at around 12:00 (about an hour after Hamlin collapsed).

The NFL said on Tuesday that games would not resume this week, but had not decided when or if it would be rescheduled.

With the Bengals leading 7-3, the game was suspended nine minutes into the game, impacting the postseason seeding in the AFC. , which comes with a first round bye and home field advantage.

Game cancellations leave the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) one game behind the rest of the NFL when the regular season ends after this weekend’s game. This won’t change which teams make the playoffs in the conference, but it may affect how they are seeded.

To address potential competitive disagreements, the league’s 32 clubs will meet on Friday to consider a solution that includes two adjustments to the AFC playoffs recommended by Goodell and approved by the competition committee. .

First, the AFC Championship Game would be held at a neutral site if the qualified teams played a different number of games, and if all games were completed, both could be top seeded. Second, if the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) win Cincinnati for his second time this season on Sunday and the AFC North rival is scheduled to face him in his round as a wildcard, the game’s place is by coin. Determined. Throw away.

“Limiting disruption across the league and minimizing unfair competition was our principle when considering the football schedule,” Goodell said in a statement. But the proposals we are asking owners to consider address the most important potential equitable issues.”

As the NFL played the 2020 season in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, clubs could have some games canceled and may have to accept uneven standings due to circumstances. It didn’t happen because the NFL played a full schedule that season. and may go along with these changes.

“It’s been a very difficult week,” Goodell said. “We remain focused on Dummer Hamlin’s recovery and are encouraged by the improvement in his condition and the outpouring of support and care for Dummer and his family from across the country.”