Bills to host Dolphins in AFC Wild Card game Sunday on CBS

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As safety Damar Hamlin continues to show progress with his recovery from suffering cardiac arrest on the field last week, the Buffalo Bills are preparing to host the Miami Dolphins in the wild card round of the playoffs.

CBS will air the AFC Wild Card game between the Bills and Dolphins at noon on Sunday. You can also watch the game on Paramount+.

The Bills clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC on Sunday with a 35-23 win over the Patriots, thanks to a pair of kickoff return touchdowns by Nyheim Hines.

The echoes of "Let's Go Buffalo!" pregame chants were still reverberating through the emotionally charged Bills' home stadium celebrating Hamlin, when another roar suddenly erupted as Hines returned returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

Some three hours later, and after Hines returned another kickoff 101 yards for a go-ahead score in a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots, the fans were on their feet chanting "Hamlin! Hamlin! Hamlin!" and Bills players holding up three fingers in honor of the injured safety's No. 3 jersey.

While Hines sparked the win, much of the Bills focus remained on the 24-year-old Hamlin, who addressed the team by videoconference on Friday, in which he told them: "Love you boys."

Six days after Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the NFL star on Sunday posted a photo of himself on social media that shows him sitting up in his hospital bed and making a heart sign with his hands while wearing a number 3 hat and a "Love for Damar" shirt.

Hamlin tweeted more than a dozen times reacting to the Bills 35-22 win over the New England Patriots Sunday, and expressed his desire to be out on the field with his teammates.

"It's GameDay & There's Nothing I Want More Than To Be Running Out That Tunnel With My Brothers," he wrote.

Hamlin also watched from his hospital bed Sunday as teams across the NFL honored him during the last games of the regular season, with players, coaches and fans expressing their support with T-shirts, signs and jersey patches featuring his name and his number 3.

Hamlin started The Chasing M's charity in 2020 to help support the daycare in his hometown of McKees Rocks, with the goal to raise $2,500 to help the children who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since his injury, donations have soared into the millions of dollars.

Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle during the first quarter of the Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals last Monday night. He was rushed from the field in an ambulance, leaving players crying and embracing, and unleashing an outpouring of support from fans and others across the country.

The game was initially postponed, then later canceled by the NFL.

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• Miami Dolphins
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