NFL: Bills-Bengals will not resume this week; Week 18 proceeding as scheduled
FOXBORO -- Football has been secondary this Tuesday as the world awaits word on the condition of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night and remains in intensive care. But the NFL is moving on with Week 18 as scheduled.
Monday night's Bills-Bengals game was stopped after Hamlin collapsed on the field following a play in the first quarter. The 24-year-old had to have his heartbeat restored on-field and remains in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon. Roughly an hour after the incident, the NFL announced that the game had been suspended.
While many different scenarios on how the NFL could finish that game have been thrown around, the league announced Tuesday afternoon that it will not resume that game this week. No decision has been made whether or not the game will resume at a later date, either.
The NFL also announced that it has not made any changes to the Week 18 schedule. So the Bills will next take the field Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, when they host the 8-8 New England Patriots.
Here is the NFL's full statement from Tuesday:
"The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association.
After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not resume this week.
The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.
The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 schedule.
We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available."
The Patriots can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Sunday, while the Bills are looking to remain in the conversation for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Buffalo and Cincinnati (the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively) may have to make up Monday night's game at some point, but the NFL isn't ready to put that on the schedule at this point in time.
