NFL player in 'critical condition' after collapsing on field

WASHINGTON -- Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during his Monday night game against the Bengals and was taken to a Cincinnati hospital where he is in "critical condition," the NFL said, adding that the match had been postponed.

Part-way through the first quarter, Hamlin took a hard hit during a tackle, stood up and then collapsed to the field.

He received medical attention for over 30 minutes, with ESPN reporting that he had received CPR.

Players from both NFL teams gathered around Hamlin during the treatment, with many of them kneeling to pray and some openly weeping.

The crowd in Cincinnati remained silent and television coverage broke away from the scene on the field.

ESPN said the 24-year-old Hamlin was provided with oxygen as he left after being placed on a stretcher and that his family, watching the game, joined him in the ambulance.

Reports said Hamlin had been taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, about four miles (six kilometers) away.

After the ambulance left the field, reports initially suggested the game was going to restart following a five minute warm-up.

But once the two team's coaches conferred with referees, players were told to head to the locker room, while the game was announced "temporarily suspended."

The NFL then issued a statement saying that league commissioner Roger Goodell had announced the game had been postponed and gave details of Hamlin's condition.

"Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition," the league said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available," the NFL added.

"The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game," the statement concluded.

ESPN analyst Booger McFarland, a former NFL player, had called for the league to abandon the game, during the wait for a decision.

"Nobody is concerned about football right now one... they are concerned about one thing, the health and safety of this young man," he said.

Video footage showed that Hamlin had been hit in the upper chest area.

The NFL, one of the most violent team sports, has been dealing with growing concerns in recent years over concussion injuries for players from hits to the head.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Bengals beat Titans as Dolphins, Chiefs make it five in a row

LOS ANGELES -- The suddenly surging Cincinnati Bengals claimed a third straight NFL victory on Sunday as the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs both took their win streaks to five games.

The Bengals, who fell to the Los Angeles Rams in last season's Super Bowl, beat the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, 20-16, in Nashville.

Quarterback Joe Burrow connected with Tee Higgins on a 27-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to secure a fifth win in six games for the 7-4 Bengals.

"This is the kind of game that great teams win," Burrow said. "It's not always going to be pretty. This is the NFL. You're playing really, really good teams on the opposing end.

"You've got to find ways to win, and we're starting to do that."

The Titans fell to 7-4 after they struggled to deal with Bengals receiver Higgins, who had seven catches for 114 yards and a TD.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs notched a 26-10 win over the Rams in a game quarterback Patrick Mahomes called "ugly."

Mahomes threw one TD, Isiah Pacheco ran for another and Harrison Butker kicked four field goals as the Chiefs failed to convert five of their six red-zone scoring chances into touchdowns.

"I felt like we didn't execute at a high level in the red zone," Mahomes said. "I threw a dumb, dumb interception there at the end of the game. But it's a team game. The defense stepped up -- they played great."

Miami's fifth straight victory was a comfortable 30-15 decision against the hapless Houston Texans.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 299 yards and one touchdown and extended his run without an interception to four games.

Miami coach Mike McDaniel said the win streak "means a lot, because it wasn't just handed to us. It's earned.

"They did things the right way and that shapes the way you do things moving forward."

Miami's defense held the Texans scoreless until late in the third quarter.

"That was awesome to see from our defense," Tagovailoa said. 

"The turnovers, the sacks, the big hits that they were making defensively -- it's always great to watch when we're also able to do some things well offensively."

- Browns down Bucs -

The Las Vegas Raiders won a shootout in Seattle in overtime, beating the Seahawks, 40-34.

In Cleveland, Nick Chubb ran in an overtime touchdown to give the Browns a 23-17 comeback win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The game-winning play capped a fine individual performance from the Browns running back, who rushed for 116 yards on 26 carries.

Tampa Bay had led 17-10 going into the fourth quarter after Brady had found Ko Kieft with a five-yard pass in the third.

But with 32 seconds left on the clock, Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett found David Njoku in the endzone to take the game into overtime.

The Bucs were forced to punt twice and Brissett led the Browns on a six-play, 71-yard drive that was finished off by Chubb.

Brissett was likely making his final start of the season with star quarterback Deshaun Watson's 11-game suspension coming to an end on Monday.

Mike White, replacing the benched Zach Wilson at quarterback for his first start of the season, threw for three touchdowns and 315 yards as the New York Jets beat the Chicago Bears, 31-10.

The Washington Commanders picked up their sixth win in seven games, beating the Atlanta Falcons, 19-13.

Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and 321 yards as the Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Baltimore Ravens, 28-27.

Lawrence found Marvin Jones with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left and then found Zay Jones for the game-winning two-point conversion.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal on the last play, an attempt which would have had to beat his own NFL record field goal distance of 66 yards set against Detroit in September 2021.

"The fact that we had a chance and I just didn't deliver, it's heartbreaking to me," Tucker said.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Rams beat Bengals in thriller to win Super Bowl on home field

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The hometown Los Angeles Rams came from behind to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a thrilling Super Bowl on Sunday, claiming the franchise's first championship since returning to Los Angeles, and its second overall.

With the victory, the Rams, whose last NFL title came 22 years ago when they were based in St. Louis, joined last year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only teams to win a Super Bowl on their home field.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford kept his poise to put together a 15-play drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp with 1:25 left to play, and Aaron Donald wrapped up Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, sealing the win.

"I dreamed this, man," an emotional Donald said after the game. "I feel amazing."

The Rams lost star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a knee injury in the second quarter and gave up a 13-10 halftime lead, but rallied to deliver Los Angeles its Hollywood ending under the lights of SoFi Stadium.

"I'm so proud of this team, so many guys on our team deserve this, guys that have given their heart and soul to this team," said Stafford, who joined the team from Detroit last offseason.

"That game today is the story of this season, it's up and down, it's tough but we got it done," he said. 

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Writing by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Tom Hogue)

-reuters-

NFL: White takes charge, powers Jets to upset of Bengals

LOS ANGELES -- Quarterback Mike White outdueled Joe Burrow in his first NFL start, leading the New York Jets to a thrilling 34-31 NFL upset over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

White made the most of his first start, completing 37-of-45 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns and a trick play for the Jets, who ended a two-game losing skid.

White hit Tyler Kroft with a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

White then caught the two-point conversion pass from Jamison Crowder on a trick play and the Jets led 34-31 with 3:50 left. 

"Anything is possible," said Jets coach Robert Saleh. "The difference between play A and player Z is an opportunity and reps. That's what professional sports is. That why they come out of nowhere.

"Someone gets an opportunity. Mike has the world in front of him. He has to take advantage of it."

Shaq Lawson gave the Jets their first interception of the season after defecting a screen pass and catching the ball with 4:32 to go. 

Cincinnati punted from its own 40-yard line with 2:19 remaining and never got the ball back.

The Jets improved to 2-5 on the season and beat the Bengals for the first time in their past four meetings. 

White said Sunday's performance was just "affirmation" of what he believed all along, that he could play in the NFL.

"I was confident enough to be able to execute and move the offence," said White. "Today was an affirmation for it."

Burrow completed 21-of-34 for 259 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for the Bengals, who fell to 5-3.

Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon scored twice and gained 91 yards on 18 carries. Tee Higgins led all receivers with 97 yards on four catches.

Agence France-Presse