CNN
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The Buffalo Payments are set to face the Cincinnati Bengals subsequent week for the primary time since Payments security Damar Hamlin’s on-field collapse introduced a sport between the 2 groups to a halt and set off a nationwide outpouring of assist.
The Payments and Bengals every superior to the Divisional spherical of the playoffs Sunday, with the Bengals defeating division foes Baltimore Ravens 24-17 at Paycor Stadium and Buffalo earlier within the day successful 34-31 in a sport towards the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium.
The reunion set for January 22 is bound to be an emotional one, coming 20 days after Hamlin, a defensive participant in his second NFL season, suffered a cardiac arrest and fell to the bottom in entrance of a shocked stadium following a sort out.
That night time, gamers had been in tears as they watched a medical staff resuscitate the 24-year-old earlier than an ambulance carried him off the sector in essential situation. Hamlin was discharged Wednesday after a hospital keep watched nationwide that concerned him being sedated and placed on a ventilator.
The rest of the Payments-Bengals sport was canceled as Hamlin remained hospitalized and NFL groups and followers throughout the league paid tribute to the soccer participant with T-shirts, indicators, jersey patches and on-field prayers.
“Now that everybody has the information that he’s doing loads higher and he’s again with the staff, that makes us really feel loads higher about enjoying soccer,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow stated Sunday.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed pleasure over enjoying towards Buffalo at New York’s Highmark Stadium.
“I really feel like two deserving groups. Buffalo is likely one of the biggest environments to go play in all of soccer. I’ve been there many, many instances and it’s a enjoyable surroundings,” Taylor stated. “It’s a worthy playoff surroundings and so our guys are going to be juiced up and able to go. Ought to be a heck of a sport.”
Hamlin visited the staff’s facility at Orchard Park in New York Saturday, forward of Buffalo’s victory over Miami.
Payments gamers described an emotional reunion with Hamlin, with teammates embracing and gathering round to ask questions.
“I bought to say howdy to him and his household,” Payments quarterback Josh Allen stated. “Clearly a giant ole hug and there was a giant line of fellows prepared to like up on him. It was a blessing come true to see him again within the facility.”
Hamlin was initially hospitalized in Cincinnati however was transferred to a Buffalo facility final Monday and discharged just a few days later. Even from his hospital mattress, Hamlin watched his teammates video games on TV and cheered them on in a collection of tweets.
But it surely was seeing him in person who introduced pleasure to the staff.
“For him to be within the constructing, it introduced smiles and completely happy tears to everyone within the constructing. Simply to see him strolling round, wholesome, recovering effectively,” Payments security Dean Marlowe stated.
“We sat subsequent to him throughout the ability simply sort of requested him only a couple questions, how he’s feeling and stuff,” Marlowe stated. “All we wanted was simply to see his face and seeing him strolling round. As soon as we knew he was wholesome, we sort of had a weight lifted off our shoulders however then truly seeing him in individual it was superb. Each man on the staff was so completely happy to see him.”
Payments head coach Sean McDermott stated phrase of Hamlin’s go to unfold rapidly.
“It was nice having him. He got here to walkthrough … together with each of his mother and father and his little brother,” McDermott stated.
“Phrase traveled quick as a result of by the tip of walkthrough everybody had gotten down there to say howdy … Good to see him again within the constructing and good to have his mother and father there as effectively,” McDermott stated.
Previous to the sport on Sunday, Hamlin tweeted that he could be watching from house.
“My coronary heart is with my guys as they compete at the moment!” Hamlin tweeted. “Supporting from house as I concentrate on my restoration. Nothing I would like greater than to be on the market with them!”