The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals spoke to media for the primary time since Bills security Damar Hamlin collapsed in a medical emergency that has left him in crucial situation. Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor spoke to media as we speak, and revealed lots of the thought course of in suspending the sport.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Taylor noticed how involved Bills gamers had been within the wake of Hamlin’s medical emergency, and a dialog between he and Bills head coach Sean McDermott supplied all of the proof he wanted to ensure this recreation didn’t proceed.
Zac Taylor stated he might see how involved the #Bills gamers had been within the second after Damar Hamlin went down. Says Sean McDermott instructed him shortly thereafter, “I need to be at the hospital for Damar. I shouldn’t be coaching this game. That, to me, provided all the clarity.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 4, 2023
Taylor himself stated that he’s by no means seen something like what occurred on Monday. “It’s different when you’re on the field,” Taylor stated (through Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald). “And you can see the expressions and feel the moment. … That part was hard to process in real time.”
Taylor stated persevering with the sport after Hamlin was taken off the sphere by no means crossed the thoughts of the coaches or gamers, and that McDermott was the one main the group to get the sport postponed.
More Zac Taylor: “I really felt Sean McDermott led in that moment. He was there for his players. He processed it the right way, which was incredibly difficult, and really helped us get to the solution we needed to get to.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 4, 2023
Taylor additionally went on to reward the medical and coaching staffs for his or her response on Monday night time.
#Bengals coach Zac Taylor lauds the medical and athletic coaching staffs for his or her fast, environment friendly work Monday night time: “They were prepared. They gave Damar the best chance. I was really impressed and thankful for the work they put in to be ready for moments like that.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 4, 2023
The coaches with the ability to transfer and mobilize so rapidly within the face of maximum adversity is so spectacular. McDermott and Taylor deserve all of the credit score that they’re being given, particularly when there have been experiences each broadcasted by Joe Buck throughout the telecast and reported after the sport that officers and the NFL needed the sport to proceed after a 5 minute warmup interval.
Per Joe Buck, as soon as officers gave every staff 5 minutes to heat up earlier than resuming play, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor walked throughout the sphere and consulted Bills HC Sean McDermott. Both coaches then despatched their groups to their respective locker rooms. Such a cultured transfer by Taylor.
— Paxton Boyd (@paxton) January 3, 2023
Both coaches had been in a position to learn the feelings on their gamers’ faces and make the right determination to not proceed on this recreation. Much respect to Taylor, McDermott and each Bills and Bengals gamers throughout what needed to have been the roughest moments of their total careers.