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The NFL still hasn’t decided if or when the Week 17 game between the Bills and Bengals will resume. Another potential dilemma looms for the league.
During a conference call Wednesday afternoon regarding Hamlin devastation situation, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent hasn’t ruled out the possibility of postponing the Week 18 game between the Patriots and Bills, if Bills players and coaches aren’t ready to move forward.
“We haven’t had that discussion,” Vincent said regarding the possibility of postponing the Buffalo game. “It’s really important that we keep the pulse of the coach and the players, and not get ahead of that. And we’ll let Sean [McDermott] And his team, his staff and his players, who are the most important thing here, to guide this, if we have to make this decision collectively with the club.”
On the one hand, it would be very difficult to imagine the Bills not playing in Week 18, as it is very likely that they will never finish their game in Week 17. On the other hand, it is impossible to expect Bills players and coaches to continue if they are not ready to play.
Really, who would expect them? They were so traumatized that it may not heal that they could pull themselves together properly and play football again after just six days. If they can properly and safely process their feelings and functioning, great. If they can’t, it’s a decision someone will have to make at the right time.
Time is still the key word. As Steve Miller said, time keeps slipping, slipping, slipping into the future. At some point, time makes decisions for you.