What to Know
- Buffalo Payments security Damar Hamlin, 24, collapsed on the sphere on Monday Night time Soccer after tackling Bengals broad receiver Tee Higgins; he was down on the sphere for 10 minutes and wanted CPR
- His situation has been bettering. Hamlin, who was positioned on injured reserve, seems neurologically intact and has been speaking along with his teammates and on social media, although hospital and group workers, together with family and friends, say he nonetheless has an extended restoration street forward of him
- On Sunday, a Pittsburgh Steelers participant appeared to feign giving chest compressions to a teammate after a Deshaun Watson sack, a celebration the group has executed earlier than however one which has drawn international condemnation on social media as insensitive within the wake of Hamlin’s harm
“Classless.” “Disrespectful.” “Trash.” “Clueless stupidity.”
These are just some of the non-profane phrases NFL followers are utilizing to denounce a Pittsburgh Steelers participant’s obvious mock CPR sack celebration Sunday. It was a transfer the group has executed earlier than, however one that almost all condemned as missing situational consciousness within the wake of Damar Hamlin’s life-threatening on-field collapse six days earlier.
Cameras did not catch the variety of the Steelers participant who raced over to linebacker Alex Highsmith and appeared to provide him chest compressions earlier than serving to him up after the sack of Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson. Highsmith himself has voiced his assist for Hamlin, a Pittsburgh native, as he continues his restoration in Cincinnati, Ohio.
There was lower than a minute left within the recreation when it occurred. The Steelers did not seem to deal with the controversy publicly as of early Monday. Earlier than Sunday kickoff, although, Highsmith retweeted his group’s picture of each the Steelers and Browns kneeling collectively in united prayer for Hamlin.
Images of the stadium additionally confirmed followers holding up indicators with Hamlin’s No. 3 in solidarity all through the sport.
The Steelers beat the Browns 28-14, preserving their playoff hopes alive for only a bit longer till the Payments and Dolphins quashed it by beating the Patriots and Jets, respectively.
Buffalo received in epic style, with Nyheim Hines working again a 96-yard opening kickoff return — and following it up with a 102-yard landing return later within the recreation. Hamlin himself tweeted in regards to the first one from his hospital mattress.
He solely wanted a couple of letters: “OMFG.”
The security’s progress has been hailed as miraculous by medical workers. He stays hospitalized, although continues to breathe on his personal. Personnel on the College of Cincinnati Medical Middle are anticipated to supply an replace on Hamlin’s standing later Monday. The NFL honored him with league-wide tributes earlier than the primary video games kicked off Sunday, and the sold-out crowd at Hamlin’s house stadium in Orchard Park made theirs additional particular.
The AFC East champion Payments tackle their division rival, the Miami Dolphins, in Buffalo at 1 p.m. this upcoming Sunday. It is not but clear if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who shocked the soccer world with a terrifying harm of his personal earlier this season, will likely be lively for that recreation. He has missed the final two after reporting concussion signs following Miami’s Christmas day loss to Inexperienced Bay.
Indicators point out he’s trending upward for Miami’s first playoff look since 2016. Earlier this season, the Dolphins beat the Payments 21-19 in a last-minute stunner in September. Buffalo beat Miami 32-29 of their December recreation.