Josh Allen did not hesitate Thursday evening when asked if the felt in his heart that the Buffalo Bills could be ready to play a football game on Sunday.
“I do,” the Bills’ quarterback said.
After waking up, Hamlin wrote a question: Who won the game? One of the doctors responded: "Damar, you won. You've won the game of life."
The Bills’ game against New England is on as scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium. It will mark the end of the regular season for both teams. The Bills are 12-3. The Patriots are 8-8 and almost surely need to win to make the playoffs.
The NFL announced Thursday night the Bills' postponed game against the Cincinnati Bengals has been canceled. The key reasons are the outcome of the game would have no impact on which teams make the playoff field and finishing the game would impact all 14 playoff teams by delaying the start of the playoffs for a week. The NFL also surely did not want to eliminate the extra week between the conference finals and the Super Bowl.
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The NFL has called a special league meeting for Friday to vote on a proposal that would address the fact the Bills and the Bengals could have claimed the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will play only 16 regular-season games.
If approved, the AFC Championship Game would be held at a neutral site if the Bills or Bengals qualify for the game as the road team.
If the Bills and Chiefs both win or both tie Sunday, a Buffalo-KC title game would be at a neutral site. If the Bills and Chiefs both lose and Baltimore beats Cincinnati, a Buffalo-KC game would be at a neutral site. If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, a game between the Bills and Bengals vs. Kansas City also would be at a neutral site.
The Bills' resolve to get back to football was bolstered by the videoconference call the Bills players and coaches had on Wednesday with Damar Hamlin’s father, Mario, and reinforced by good news the team received Thursday on Hamlin’s improving condition.
“Damar's father spoke to the team, and, really, his message was the team needs to get back to focusing on the goals that they had set for themselves,” coach Sean McDermott said. “Damar would have wanted it that way, and I'm paraphrasing. And so that includes our game against New England this week. And I think that has helped.”
“The things that he kind of told us and, really, he didn't tell us – he demanded us,” Allen said of Mario Hamlin. “And you can't not honor his request to go out there and charge forward – and do that to the best of our abilities. And, obviously, we'll be playing with less heavy hearts now, knowing that today's news was a lot of tears of joy, I'll tell you that. But to know that's what he wants. That's what his dad wants. I think guys are excited to get out there.”
A number of fans have suggested that rather than announcing the starting lineup before Sunday's game, the Bills should announce the names of the medical staff.
McDermott, Allen, center Mitch Morse and cornerback Dane Jackson met with the media Thursday for the first time since Hamlin collapsed on the field in Cincinnati on Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest. It was clear that emotions on the Bills’ team still are raw from the trauma of Monday’s event.
But the Bills have two more days to prepare to retake the field on Sunday. The team held its first full practice Thursday.
“Being able to do a little bit of football today was very therapeutic for a lot of guys,” Morse said.
“I think putting that helmet back on today was a really good thing for our team and just to kind of go through that process,” Allen said. “But I'd be lying to you if I didn't say some people will be changed forever, you know, after being on the field and witnessing that and feeling those emotions. But again, the best way that we can continue to move forward, obviously, the updates that we keep getting on Damar really lift our spirits, leaning on each other, talking to each other. I think the fact that we just keep hearing good news about Damar, it just keeps pushing us forward.”
What kind of scene are the Bills expecting on Sunday in Orchard Park?
NFLPA president J.C. Tretter said Thursday it was a “clear no” to resume the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game Monday night following Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s injury and questioned why it took so long for the league to suspend the game.
“A lot of 3 jerseys, 3 signs,” Allen said. “It'll be, I'm sure it'll be a little surreal to be ... at home, last week of the season. ... Obviously, some stuff that we need to still talk about as a team and get through, but going to have a good week of practice.”
“The fan outpour, no doubt, will be tremendous for Damar and for this team,” Morse said. “I think once we start getting into the flow of it, it'll feel like football again, I think people are really welcoming that – hopefully – that experience. And if some people don't feel that way, that's OK. It's just one of those things that we're just going to kind of ride the roller coaster, per se, and see how this plays out for a lot of guys, and it'll be kind of an ever-evolving situation.”
Allen said he thinks he will be able to put thoughts about the riskiness of the sport behind him.
“We've been reassured this is the freakiest of freak accidents, and it took the worst possible timing for this to happen,” he said. “But, again, the mental aspect of it. Going out in that field, if you have that thought, that's putting yourself at risk even more, putting your teammates at risk even more, and I know coach ... he's been doing a great job about making sure guys understand that mentally you have to be bought in.”
“It has been a week like no other,” Morse said. “I don't plan on ever having a week like this, and I pray to God I never do. We're just figuring it out on the fly. The fact that there is a game coming up Sunday is a blessing a little bit, and at the same time has been daunting, trying to balance both being a football player and your emotions and just being a human being living in this moment. I'll tell you Monday, I guess, because we're still kind of figuring it out.”
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Injury report
The Bills released an injury report, and the only non-participant at the practice who was dealing with an injury was Jordan Poyer. He did not practice due to his sore knee and veteran rest. Cornerback Taron Johnson, who suffered a concussion Monday in Cincinnati, was limited. Also limited were Allen (ankle/elbow), Dawson Knox (hip), Matt Milano (knee), Cam Lewis (forearm), Jordan Phillips (shoulder) and Tyrel Dodson (knee).
All of those players except for Johnson were full participants Wednesday. However, Wednesday’s session was only a walk-through, so most players dealing with minor injuries would not need to be limited.
