Bills win for Hamlin and eliminate Patriots from playoffs
Associated PressORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The echoes of “Let’s Go Buffalo!” pregame chants were still reverberating through an emotionally charged Bills stadium celebrating injured safety Damar Hamlin, when another roar suddenly erupted as Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. “We as a community, I feel like we needed this win,” Hines said before recalling the message Hamlin’s father, Mario, delivered to the team on Wednesday in urging them to play. “He said, that’s what Damar wanted, he would want us to push forward, and to win against New England.” The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 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.” Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, who at times this season questioned if he’d ever recover from a knee injury sustained in November 2021, had difficulty holding back his emotions after earning his first interception of the season.