It’s been a while since the public has talked about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin, as many know, almost lost his life on the field when he was hit on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, he has made a miraculous comeback and has become an impact player for the Bills.
Revisiting Damar Hamlin’s Tragic Incident
Most NFL fans are familiar with Hamlin’s life-changing event in 2022, one of the scariest sports moments in recent memory. Hamlin had an on-field medical situation called commotion carditis after taking a hit from Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in Week 17. Higgins hit Hamlin shoulder-to-chest.
After Hamlin got up from the hit, he stumbled to the ground and lay motionless. The incident was so severe that the game was eventually called off. Thankfully, the Bills’ medical staff performed the appropriate practices on him on the spot to help save his life.
Quarterback Josh Allen has opened up about the entire Hamlin situation, describing the emotions he felt while on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast.
“You’d never suspect that, right? Like what was going on?” Allen said.
“S*** that we were hearing from the training staff and the paramedics that were, you know, working on him, I mean, it’s just like, set in after about 45 seconds standing out there like what’s going on?“Like he’s OK, and then all of a sudden, you hear some stuff, and it was nuts.”
Not only has Hamlin now recovered and is healthy, he is a starting safety for the Bills. Considering he nearly lost his life and there were doubts about whether he’d ever play football again in the immediate aftermath of the incident, it’s remarkable that Hamlin has worked his way into Buffalo’s starting lineup.
Hamlin has played 79.17% of snaps, which is the second-most of any defender (behind only Christian Benford). This season, he has 101 tackles, two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He helped the Bills go 13-4, earn the AFC’s No. 2 seed, and advance to the AFC Championship Game.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott raved about Hamlin prior to the start of this season.
“The opportunity was there, and he took advantage of it and was consistent,” McDermott said about Hamlin. “Built a certain level of rapport with (Taylor) Rapp and that’s important as well at the safety positions.” I mean, what else can’t this young man do?” McDermott added.
“You know it’s one thing to come back off of an ACL or a broken bone; it’s another thing to come back off of what he came back off, let alone just to decide to play football in full pads at the NFL level. I don’t think I need to say anything more.”
Fortunately, Hamlin has not suffered any lingering effects of commotio cordis. This incident helped bring the nation together and sparked a new debate on the importance of CPR and having an AED device nearby. Hamlin has since become an activist for having the latter on hand at all times.
The incident has even caused changes in legislature. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed the “HEARTS Act” into law.
The act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to public schools for establishing or bolstering comprehensive AED programs on their campuses in consultation with “a qualified healthcare entity.” The money could be spent on training staff and students alike on how to use the devices and could go toward buying new AEDs or replacing old ones.
The House passed the bill back in September. The Senate passed it on December 10, 2024. Hamlin told ESPN he wanted to leave a legacy on the field but also have meaning and purpose off the field.
“It’s super dope, man. Shoutout to Senator (Chuck) Schumer. Shoutout to the Smart Hearts Coalition. Shoutout to the American Heart Association and to my Chasing M’s foundation,” Hamlin told ESPN when the Senate passed the bill. “We all came together to make some legacy off the field. I always wanted to, in my life, leave a legacy on the field, but to have a legacy and have meaning and purpose off the field.”
Chiefs vs. Bills Game Preview
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kanas City
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Streaming: CBS/Paramount+
Now, Hamlin will try to help the Bills defeat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
In the Super Bowl era, the Bills and Chiefs are the fifth pair of teams to face each other in the playoffs four times within a five-season span. The Chiefs could become the first team to play in the Super Bowl while seeking a Super Bowl three-peat.
The Bills lead the league in turnover margin this season, including the playoffs, at +27. Buffalo has maintained an even or positive turnover margin in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season, tying the 1952-53 Rams for the longest streak since turnovers became an official stat in 1933.
On the other side, the Chiefs have gone eight straight games without a turnover, the longest streak since turnovers became an official stat in 1933.
Josh Allen is one of the league’s best quarterbacks against the blitz. Including the playoffs, he averages the second-highest EPA(Expected Points Added) per dropback (0.30) when blitzed, with 16 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions.
However, the Chiefs excel at blitzing effectively. Including the playoffs, Kansas City blitzes at the ninth-highest rate in the league (30%) and ranks 10th in pressure rate (44%) when sending extra rushers.
The Bills have been one of the league’s best defenses on early downs this season, ranking fifth in EPA per play (0.08) on first and second down. However, their performance drops significantly on third down, where they rank 31st in EPA per play (-0.26) and have allowed the fifth-highest third-down conversion rate (44%).
That’s an ominous sign against a Chiefs offense that thrives on third downs. Kansas City ranks fourth in third down conversion rate (47.9%) and fourth in EPA per play (0.22) on third down. Conversely, they only rank 15th in EPA per play on first and second down (-0.02).
In two playoff games against the Chiefs, Allen has posted QB+ scores of 86.6 (B) in 2021 and 74.8 (C) in 2023. Meanwhile, Mahomes has earned QB+ scores of 86.9 (B) in 2021 and 79.0 (C+) in 2023 in two postseason games against the Bills.
Many fans (and Houston Texans players) were frustrated with the officiating in Kansas City’s Divisional Round win. Since 2018, the Chiefs have received nine roughing-the-passer calls in the playoffs (including the Will Anderson Jr. call on Saturday), while the rest of the NFL combined has totaled 18 such calls, with no other team receiving more than two.
Kansas City has now made seven consecutive Conference Championship appearances — only the New England Patriots had more in a row (eight from 2011-18) in NFL history.
PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Bills a 50.7% chance of winning this game while the Chiefs have 49.3% odds, showing just how close this game should be.
