OWINGS MILLS, MD. — Calais Campbell described the mood around the league as “gloomy.” Other players just shook their heads and used words such as “tragic” and “scary” and “crazy.” Fullback Patrick Ricard said it was “very hard to watch” the scene that unfolded in Cincinnati on “Monday Night Football” on Jan. 2, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
Medical staff on the field performed CPR, and Hamlin was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he remained in critical condition as of Wednesday night. The highly anticipated game between two of the AFC’s top teams was suspended.
As the Ravens returned to the practice field two days later, they did so trying to focus on a game at Cincinnati this weekend that might — or might not — determine the AFC North crown. But they also did so knowing the inherent danger of their sport was amplified in grave terms in front of a national television audience.
“As a player, honestly, whenever you go out on the field, you think about something like that, but at the end of that day, you try to push that furthest away from your mind,” safety Chuck Clark said. “It’s part of the game. We play a tough sport, and we know what comes with it.”
Campbell went so far as to say he would understand if players retired in the light of the Hamlin situation.
“You couldn’t fault anybody,” Campbell said. “I understand. This is a very tough job. As fun as it is, and as much as I enjoy it, it’s tough, and we’re kind of reminded of that in this moment, and it gives us a perspective. We’ll continue to make the game as safe as possible. There are going to be some risks. If you want to play this game, you have to accept those risks.”
Head coach John Harbaugh said team clinician Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley and team chaplain Johnny Shelton made resources available to players, who also openly discussed the situation in some of their smaller position-group meetings.
“In this game, we’re always taught to be tough and don’t show emotions,” Clark said, “but whenever anything happens, we open up the space. ‘Just get it off. Just get your feelings out.'”
While the Ravens wrestled with their emotions less than 48 hours after the Hamlin situation developed, they also tried to focus on a game against the Bengals that could decide the AFC North title. The Ravens (10-6) have already clinched a postseason berth, but the divisional race is now mired in uncertainty because of the suspended game, and playoff seeding is in flux this weekend as well.
If the Bills-Bengals game is not resumed, the Bengals (11-4) will win the AFC North regardless of the Ravens outcome this weekend. But if the Ravens (10-6) beat Cincinnati, they would win the AFC North if the Bengals also ultimately lose the suspended game; in that scenario, both the Ravens and Bengals would finish 11-6, and the Ravens would gain the division title via a tiebreaker based on a season sweep. The Ravens beat Cincinnati, 19-17 in Baltimore in Week 5.
Harbaugh said he has gotten no clarification from the league regarding the suspended game, but he stressed that the Ravens’ primary mission at this point is to “win the game” at Cincinnati this weekend.
“All the other stuff is out of our control,” he said. “We would be excited to be playing for the division crown. That’s something that we’re hopeful for, but … our job is to go win the game.”
NOTEBOOK
JACKSON REMAINS SIDELINED, HUNTLEY LIMITED: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed practice again on Jan. 4 — exactly one month after he left the game against the Denver Broncos with a sprained knee — and backup Tyler Huntley was limited with shoulder and wrist injuries.
Head coach John Harbaugh offered no updates after practice on the potential availability of his quarterbacks, saying, “I’m just probably going to leave all that stuff alone.”
Jackson has missed four straight games, and the Ravens’ offense has scuffled badly without him. The Ravens have not scored more than one touchdown in their past five games, including a 16-13 loss to Pittsburgh this past week. They have gone 2-2 in Huntley’s four starts, beating Pittsburgh (16-14) and Atlanta (17-9), and losing to Cleveland (13-3) and Pittsburgh.
PETERS RETURNS TO PRACTICE: Cornerback Marcus Peters returned to practice after missing the past two games with a calf injury, and defensive end Calais Campbell (knee), who also has missed the past two games, said he would practice Thursday after taking another day off on Wednesday. Campbell said he was “very, very close” to playing against Pittsburgh this past week. “You’ve got to take it one day at a time, but it’s good to be back in the mix,” Campbell said. “It’s kind of hard watching football. I’d much rather be playing.”
Four players were given a rest day on Wednesday: running back J.K. Dobbins, tackle Ronnie Stanley, guard Kevin Zeitler and linebacker Justin Houston, while cornerback Kevon Seymour was limited with a finger injury.
STADIUM LEASE EXTENSION APPROVED: The Ravens and the Maryland Stadium Authority have received unanimous approval from the Maryland Board of Public Works on a 15-year lease extension, keeping the team at M&T Bank Stadium through at least 2037. The agreement includes two additional five-year options.
“We are excited that M&T Bank Stadium will be home to the Ravens for at least the next 15 seasons,” team president Sashi Brown said in a statement. “We also look forward to working with MSA to make key investments to ‘the Bank’ that Ravens fans deserve. These improvements will allow the Ravens to continue delivering one of the NFL’s best gameday experiences and to attract world-class concerts and events to Baltimore and the capital region.”
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