(AFP)
Top playoff billing is on the line as the NFL season concludes this weekend with the league still shaken by Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during a game at Cincinnati.
Hamlin’s health improvement
Hamlin, 24, was improving on Thursday, but he remained on the minds of everyone in the NFL as they prepared for their final regular-season games.
He collapsed during the Bills’ Monday night game against the Bengals and was resuscitated on field before being hospitalized in critical condition.
The playoff-bound Bills, who host the New England Patriots on Sunday, have been buoyed by news that Hamlin is awake and appears to be “neurologically intact,” although he remains in critical condition on a ventilator in a Cincinnati hospital.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen said that after an emotional week, the team is ready to play, thanks in part to the encouraging reports on Hamlin’s progress and a “demand” from his father, Mario Hamlin.
“We want to go out there and play for Three,” he said — a reference to Hamlin’s jersey number. “It’ll be a huge driving force.”
Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ famously taciturn coach, said Hamlin’s medical emergency was sobering.
“Life’s bigger than this game and I think this is one of these humbling moments for all of us that stands out,” Belichick said.
The NFL announced Thursday night that the Bills-Cincinnati game would be cancelled, not resumed.
In a statement the league said that move would have no impact on which clubs qualify for the post-season and would not cause any team to be eliminated.
The decision “enables all clubs to know the playoff possibilities prior to playing the final weekend of regular season games,” the league said in a statement.
In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs — who take on the Las Vegas Raiders — are in the running for the number one seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Bills also have a shot at the top AFC spot, as might the Bengals — who close the season against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots, meanwhile, will be trying to grab one of the last two AFC playoff berths.
The Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars are also still in the playoff hunt.
Things looked more clear-cut in the NFC, where the Philadelphia Eagles will capture the top seed with a victory or a tie against the New York Giants, or with a Dallas Cowboys loss or tie against the Washington Commanders plus a San Francisco 49ers loss or tie against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ve got to get it done,” Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said. “We’ve got to try to get some momentum for the playoff push.
“It’s not about pressure. There’s still no pressure because once you’re in, you’re in and then it’s a whole new season. We’re trying to set us up for the new season, but trying to get some momentum.
“Build some confidence through the week so that we have confidence on Sunday. Get rid of the mistakes, play fast, play ball.”
The Eagles wasted a chance to capture the top seed for the second week in a row with a 20-10 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.
‘Dangerous’ Packers
The Saints sacked Gardner Minshew — filling in for injured quarterback Jalen Hurts — six times, and Hurts’s status remained uncertain for the regular-season finale.
The Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are chasing the last playoff spot in the NFC.
The Packers will advance with a win over the Lions, while the Lions need a win and a Seahawks loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks would advance with a win and a Lions victory.
Veteran Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 159 yards and one touchdown in a blowout win over Minnesota and was bullish on the Packers chances of advancing — despite the naysayers still pointing to their abysmal start to the season.
“We’re becoming a more dangerous team,” Rodgers said. “We’ve all seen some of the commentary outside: ‘Nobody’s worried about the Packers, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’
“Now what are they going to say?”
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