Bills play by play5/18/2023 ![]() ![]() Now, Kansas City clinched that top seed in the conference with a win yesterday. They were both in the running for the top seed in their conference, especially Buffalo, which had the better record than Cincinnati. That means those two teams will end up playing one less game than everyone else. GOLDMAN: Yeah, it is right because the game where Hamlin collapsed, Buffalo versus the Cincinnati Bengals last Monday night, was ultimately canceled. But, you know, on the business of football, it's also going to be very meaningful as far as the playoffs for Buffalo, too, right? ![]() RASCOE: So, I mean, this is going to be - it's a Bills home game. But again, the mental aspect of it, going out on that field, if you have that thought, that's putting yourself at risk even more, putting your teammates at risk even more. JOSH ALLEN: You know, we've been reassured this is the freakiest of freak accidents, and it took the worst possible timing for this to happen. And when members of the Bills spoke publicly for the first time this week, quarterback Josh Allen said, it's hard not to let fear of what happened creep into your mind - and something they've had to battle this week. But what they all witnessed with Hamlin was on another level - very traumatic. Football players have to push aside fear to play a violent game. Even though the Bills have talked about their spirits being lighter considering Hamlin's recovery, will it still be hard for them to go out and play? As we mentioned, his team plays today, hosting the New England Patriots. ![]() RASCOE: So I guess we can feel a little more comfortable talking about football now, considering he is recovering or seems to be. It's a testament to him being young, incredibly fit and someone who got extraordinary medical care from the seconds after he collapsed up until now. He's still listed in critical condition, but, you know, it's amazing, considering less than a week ago, his heart stopped during a game, then was restarted on the field. He began talking, even FaceTimed his teammates. Really, it's been a dramatic past couple of days. If you know me, you know this only is going to make me stronger. I'm thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. And he said, in part, the love has been overwhelming. GOLDMAN: I guess you can call it a recovery benchmark for our time, but he posted on social media yesterday for the first time since his collapse. RASCOE: So, Tom, let's first - let's start with Damar Hamlin. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman joins me. Today, perhaps the biggest game on the schedule is in Buffalo, where the Bills are playing for the first time since Hamlin's collapse during the Monday Night Football game. The alarming cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on the field shocked many across the nation and galvanized support for the 24-year-old athlete as he recovered. But, of course, the past week leading up to this moment was anything but normal. ![]() “I’ve got tons of confidence in the guys we have around me that if I need to toss it to them from time to time, I can do that,” McDermott said.It's the last Sunday of the NFL's regular season, normally a dramatic day as teams jockey for final playoff positions. In taking over the play-calling duties, McDermott noted the depth of experience spread through his defensive staff and it is capable of handling part of the responsibility.īuffalo’s defensive staff includes two former NFL coordinators in line coach Eric Washington and newly hired senior defensive assistant Al Holcomb. Before that, he held the same role for two seasons in Philadelphia.įrazier served as Buffalo’s only defensive coordinator during McDermott’s tenure. McDermott spent six seasons as the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator before being hired by Buffalo in 2017. McDermott’s announcement was not unexpected given his lengthy defensive background, and comes one month since the Bills announced Frazier is taking the 2023 season off from coaching with plans to return in 2024. “It’s heading towards me really at this point,” McDermott told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Monday. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott will be pulling double duty in also serving as the team’s defensive play-caller in Leslie Frazier’s absence in the 2023 season. ![]()
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