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The Buffalo Bills will square off against the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon in their first game since the Bills’ safety, Damar Hamlin, collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest in the midst of a Monday night game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Kickoff time is set for 1 p.m. EST at the Bills’ home field, Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and a strong show of support for Hamlin is expected at the regular season finale.
In a tweet Sunday morning, the Bills appeared to dedicate the game to Hamlin, 24: “Today is for 3,” the tweet said, alongside a picture of Hamlin’s #3 jersey.
The Bills will also wear “3” hats on the sidelines in honor of Hamlin’s number, and a special “3” patch on their jerseys, according to the NFL.
The Patriots also tweeted a photo of a #3 jersey inside its locker room emblazoned with the phrase, “Love for Damar.”
Fans can expect to see many more of those: In a statement posted to Twitter Saturday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told fans that “players and coaches from all 32 teams will wear “Love for Damar 3″ T-shirts during pregame warmups in a league-wide show of support for Damar.”
Other tributes expected Sunday include a pregame tribute to Hamlin and the first responders and medical staff caring for him, and the outlining of the “3” in each 30-yard line number on the field in the Bills’ colors of red or blue, the NFL said.
The game comes a day after Hamlin made his first public comments since he collapsed during Monday’s game, thanking fans for their support and asking them to keep the prayers coming.
“Thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed,” Hamlin tweeted Saturday. “This will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me!”
Hamlin collapsed Monday after having made a hit in the first quarter of the game against the Bengals. Trainers surrounded Hamlin and he received CPR for several minutes as the Bills knelt to pray on the field. According to a statement from the Bills, “his heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” referring to the University of Cincinnati’s Level 1 trauma center.
That game was suspended and then postponed. The NFL said it will not be made up.
In a tweet Saturday, the Bill said that according to Hamlin’s physicians, he “is making continued progress in his recovery yet remains in critical condition.”
“He continues to breathe on his own and his neurological function is excellent,” the tweet continued.
Hamlin will not be playing Sunday or for the foreseeable future, with the Bills putting him on their injured reserve list, they said Friday. The NFL said Hamlin will receive his full $825,000 for 2022 despite landing on the injured reserve list.
Experts who are not involved in Hamlin’s treatment suggested that a rare phenomenon called “commotio cordis” could be to blame, noting that a healthy heart hit with blunt force at a specific time can launch into an abnormal and potentially deadly rhythm.
Bills and NFL fans have rallied around Hamlin since his injury, raising millions of dollars for a charitable donation and toy drive he founded and arriving outside the hospital to express their support, according to NBC affiliate WLWT of Cincinnati.
Phil Helsel, David K. Li and Erika Edwards contributed.
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