The Buffalo Bills beat the Miami Dolphins 34-31 on Sunday AFC wild card matchup between division rivalssetting up a potential rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks after the last game between the two teams was canceled due to Bills safety Damar Hamlin not being on the field.
Hamlin, who was discharged from Buffalo Hospital Wednesday after being transferred from Cincinnati Hospital where he was being treated after going into cardiac arrest midgame on Jan. 2, tweeted that he was watching the game from home.
“My heart goes out to my boys as they compete today!” Hamling wrote. “Support from home as I focus on my recovery. There is nothing I want more than to be there with them! LFG #BillsMafia.”
A person with direct knowledge of the player’s schedule told The Associated Press on Sunday that Hamlin plans to attend the game in person. He later said those “plans may have changed.”
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Hamlin has kept his schedule and recovery private since being released from a Buffalo hospital.
Hamlin visited teammates at Bills Stadium on Saturday but has not appeared in public since being taken off the field in Cincinnati in an ambulance on Jan. 2. He spent more than a week in the hospital, most of the time in critical condition.
On Sunday, Cole Beasley scored a 6-yard touchdown and Gabe Davis extended the lead to 34-24 with a 23-yard TD reception in a game in which Buffalo squandered a 17-0 lead.
The Bills’ defense, which forced six punts and two turnovers, then held on to secure the victory when Miami turned the ball over on downs on its final possession.
Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson’s fourth-and-6 pass went right off tight end Mike Gesicka’s fingertips with 2:22 left.
Buffalo was able to run out the clock as Devin Singletary punched his way in for a 7-yard gain to set up a third-and-7.
It was a sloppy game between two division rivals, and the result was fitting after Miami and Buffalo split their regular-season series in games decided by five points. The Dolphins beat Buffalo 21-19 in Miami in September and the Bills beat Miami 32-29 last month.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen went 23-of-39 for 352 yards and three TDs, but also had two interceptions, leading the Dolphins to 10 points. He also lost when he was sacked by Eric Rowe and Zach Siler recovered the ball and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown to give Miami a 24-20 lead just 61 seconds into the third quarter.
“It’s a one-week season, that’s all,” Allen said. “The only thing that matters is to survive and advance.”
As the second seed in the AFC, Buffalo hosts either the third-seeded Cincinnati Bengals or the fourth-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round. Their meeting will be determined after meeting the Bengals in Baltimore on Sunday night.
Hamlin was with the team in spirit, tweeting during the game from home, where he continues to recover.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/damar-hamlin-buffalo-bills-wild-card-win-miami-dolphins/
