Life comes at you fast in the NFL playoffs, which is something the Denver Broncos found out in their 31-7 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday afternoon.
But it was also something Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin found out after appearing to record an interception late in the fourth quarter of his team’s dominant win.
Hamlin, who was eyeing the first ever pick in his postseason career, thought he got it after coming up with the ball on Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s deep pass to Courtland Sutton at midfield.
Immediately after his presumed pick, Hamlin took off his helmet, ran down the field and jumped into a horde of excited Bills fans in the stands. CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo noted how it was a “cool moment” for Hamlin, but also mentioned their hesitation as they agreed that the ball looked like it bounced on the ground before Hamlin caught it.
Damar Hamlin celebrating with all of Buffalo pic.twitter.com/smInjiL4Ur
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 12, 2025
Sure enough, after review the officials reversed the interception and called it an incomplete pass instead, leading to a completely stunned reaction from Hamlin:
Damar Hamlin is STUNNED pic.twitter.com/C5EVDGBEbM
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 12, 2025
Better luck next time for the fourth-year Bills safety, who is just two years removed from his scary on-field incident in which he went into cardiac arrest during a regular season game.
Despite an early deficit against the Broncos, Josh Allen and co. put up 21 points in the second half to book a divisional round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium on either Jan. 18 or 19. Maybe Hamlin can finally get his long-awaited playoff pick then.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bills’ Damar Hamlin Was in Sheer Disbelief After Refs Took Away His Pick vs. Broncos.
