On the heels of one of the most emotional weeks in NFL history, the Bills responded with an equally emotional win.
Buffalo topped the Patriots 35–23 while keeping the health of their teammate, safety Damar Hamlin, in mind. The 24-year-old entered cardiac arrest during the Bills’ since-canceled Week 17 game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Running back Nyheim Hines provided an unforgettable moment on the game’s first play, returning the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He later replicated the feat with a 101-yard return in the third quarter, after which Buffalo led 21–17.
“It was a spirited game. I knew we would come out spirited,” Hines said. “We have received support from not only the fans but every team in the NFL. It was all about 3. It was all about Damar.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen became emotional after the game as he reflected on the significance of Hines’s touchdown.
“I can’t remember a play that touched me like that in my life,” Allen said. “It was spiritual. I was just going around to my teammates saying ‘God is real.’ You can’t write or draw that up any better.”
Allen pointed out that three years and three months had lapsed since Buffalo’s last kick-return touchdown, which happened on Oct. 20, 2019 against the Dolphins.
Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White was also exuberant after Buffalo’s regular-season finale, eagerly pointing to the “3” patch on his jersey and hat in a video tweeted by the team.
“On to the playoffs. We did it for 3. You see it right here, and right here,” White said. “We gonna celebrate for 24 hours, and then back to work.”
The Bills will host Miami in the AFC wild-card round next weekend.
