There were a lot of eyes on Buffalo leading up to kickoff on Sunday as the Bills honored Damar Hamlin and the medical responders who saved his life on the field in Cincinnati last Monday.
Those that kept watching as the game got underway didn’t have to wait long for action. Bills running back Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, which got an excited response from Hamlin as he watched from a Cincinnati hospital and quarterback Josh Allen called it “bone-chilling” to watch after the game.
Hines wasn’t done, though. After the Patriots took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, Hines returned a kickoff 101 yards for another score. The Bills would never trail again and their 35-23 win sewed up the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
“I’m speechless,” Hines said, via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m so thankful it was me to bring that juice, but it’s way bigger than me. That’s what I always thought about, and that’s what I thought all day. It’s just bigger than me and bigger than those 10 guys who did a great job of blocking for me.”
The events of the last week meant it was going to be a memorable day in Buffalo under any circumstances and Hines’ exploits won’t soon be forgotten by anyone who watched them unfold.
