Bills' Demar Hamlin still in critical condition, after collapsing on field during Buffalo's Week 17 visit to Cincinnati
The Bills and Bengals Week 17 matchup was cut short early on in the night when a very scary incident involving Buffalo S Demar Hamlin resulted in him going into cardiac arrest on the field during the first quarter. The Bengals were up 7-3 at the time of the incident.
CINCINNATI - The stage couldn’t have been set any better.
What should have been a titan AFC showdown between Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals with the playoff implications on the line, took a tragic turn for the worst midway through the first quarter.
Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin made a routine tackle on Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins, before collapsing on the field in what has now been determined was a state of cardiac arrest. An eerie silence fell over both sidelines and the sold out crowd at Paycor stadium as they all became bystanders watching on as medical staff from both teams and independent doctors scrambled to administer CPR on the 24-year-old.
It was announced they were able to get a pulse back with the help of an AED before he was rushed to hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The Bills released a statement this morning stating he remains in the ICU where he has regained most normal vitals, but has still been put to sleep and intubated due to his inability to breathe on his own.
The unprecedented moment was a shock to all with many players from both teams visibly distraught and emotional. The game was suspended at the time, before both coach Zac Taylor and coach Sean McDermott were seen in discussion with the refs before ultimately choosing to not resume play.
Many weren’t wanting to speculate as there is still very little information available, but independent medical experts have begun to come forward with the belief that Hamlin suffered what’s know as Commotio Cordis. The condition is quite rare but can occur from blunt force trauma to the chest at just the right time of the heart’s electrical rhythm, forcing an arrhythmia, and subsequently, cardiac arrest.
Hamlin is a second year Pittsburgh product who has stepped up in a large way this season to account for the many injuries Buffalo’s secondary has had to deal with. He has solidified his spot as a core piece of the Bills’ defence and has become a favourite amongst players and the community. Every year, Hamlin spearheads a Christmas toy drive with a monetary goal. Heading into last night’s matchup, the drive had amassed just north of $2500, but following last night’s incident, donations have been pouring in as the fundraiser has eclipsed the $3 million mark.
The NFL has confirmed that the game will not go sometime this week, and they have yet to determine when, and if, the game will be made up. They also stated the Week 18 slate will not be affected.