In the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s injury on Monday Night Football last night, many have wondered how the NFL will handle this matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills.
This is a truly unprecedented situation, and due to the nature of the severity of Hamlin’s injury, many reporters and analysts are rightfully handling this situation with caution and sensitivity.
This is so delicate and emotional for entire organizations. Several NFL head coaches have been on the phone with each other sharing ideas on how to lead their teams…even coaches who are facing each other in a few days.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) January 3, 2023
For both teams, last night’s game (before Hamlin’s injury), was filled with anticipation.
If the Bills would have won, they would be one game closer to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
If the Bengals would have won, they would even their record with the Bills, giving them a chance to get the home-field advantage as well.
How the league will proceed, remains to be seen.
For now, both coaches (Zac Taylor and Sean McDermott), along with other head coaches and staff members across the league, have been putting their heads together, trying to come up with an amicable solution for what’s to come.
It’s Tuesday, and the Bills and Bengals are both slated to play games on Sunday.
Will they be able to come up with a solution in the next several hours?
It’s going to be an interesting week in the league.
There’s anticipation from every side involved, from learning about Hamlin’s status to understanding how the rest of the season will play out, to figuring out what this means for playoff implications.
Everyone is on pins and needles waiting to hear more information about everything that’s going to dream in the next few days.