[BN] Blitz: Complete coverage from a scary night in Cincinnati as Damar Hamlin suffers cardiac arrest

Jan. 3, 2023

Bills safety Damar Hamlin in critical condition after collapsing on field in Cincinnati

Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the first quarter Monday night at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

The game, which now feels so meaningless, was postponed. The Bills, who were visibly shaken after witnessing their friend and teammate go through minutes of CPR on the field, flew back to Buffalo. And, most importantly, Hamlin, a 24-year-old from western Pennsylvania, is in critical condition.

Jay Skurski has the news story on one of the "scariest sights ever to be seen in an NFL game."

The decision to postpone the game was made long after Hamlin collapsed, but there was no other conclusion to reach.

From Ryan O'Halloran: "The football side of postponing the game will be debated. Call the game a tie? Try to play on Tuesday or Wednesday? Those questions will be answered, but at 10:26 p.m., sitting here in the Cincinnati press box, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was the health and well-being of Damar Hamlin."

Here's O'Halloran's column on the 11 minutes that felt like 11 hours.

READ MORE

MORE BILLS & NFL NEWS

Off the field, Hamlin is a generous soul: Damar Hamlin has distinguished himself with the Bills as a mature, outgoing, well-liked member of the organization, Mark Gaughan wrote. Read more

Donations swell: Hamlin had a GoFundMe going through his Chasing M's Foundation. It was for a toy drive in western Pa. Before the horror of Monday night, its goal was at $2,500. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the donations had swelled to more than $3.1 million, with more than 124,000 donors. Read more

Bills, Bengals fans gather to support: Dozens of fans from both teams gathered late Monday night across the street from UC Medical Center to show support for Hamlin, who was in critical condition inside the hospital. “This is one of those things that is going to stay with me the rest of my life." Read more

News photographer Harry Scull Jr. was there, too, and spoke with some fans on video.

Photos: Here was the scene on the field as Bills players reacted and then prayed for Hamlin. View photos

Bills fans in Cincy react: Stephen T. Watson communicated with Bills fans who were at the game. "I don't even want to watch the football game, at this point," one fan said. "I don't even know how they play next week." Read more

Report of 5 minutes to warm up is 'ridiculous and insensitive': Troy Vincent, the league's executive vice president of football operations, addressed the broadcast report that teams were given five minutes to warm up before potentially resuming the game. Read more

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Today in sports history: Jan. 3

Have thoughts on the [BN] Blitz newsletter and our Bills coverage? Email Executive Sports Editor Josh Barnett at jbarnett@buffnews.com.