Bengals News (1/4): Zac Taylor receives praise for response

Both head coaches deserve respect for their handling of the situation on Monday night.

Statement from Bengals Owner Mike Brown Responding to Update on Damar Hamlin
Last night was supposed to be a great night for the NFL and a great showcase for our hometown. Instead, the human side of our sport became paramount … and in that moment, humanity and love rose to the forefront.

Ex-NFL star Carson Palmer on postponed Bills-Bengals matchup: ‘I don’t think you can replay this game’ | Fox News
“I don’t think you can replay this game,” Palmer said. “They gotta finish the Week 18 games this week then the playoffs start the following week. If they were gonna replay this game on Thursday, we’d hear about it I think at this point. Maybe you call it a wash and give each team a tie and move on.”

Bills’ Damar Hamlin suffers cardiac arrest on field vs. Bengals: Family’s statement, latest on safety’s health
A scary and emotional scene unfolded early during Monday night’s game between the Bills and Bengals. With 5:58 remaining in the first quarter, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after rising to his feet following a tackle of Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins. After making the tackle, Hamlin stood up only to suddenly fall to the ground. He received immediate medical attention on the field and was transported to the UC Medical Center in Cincinnati.

Report details possible Bills-Bengals rescheduling options
One option is to play the game within two days, while another bigger-picture option is to add a 19th week to the season and push everything back so that both teams can get in all of their games before the playoffs start:

Here’s what happened after Damar Hamlin collapsed during the Bills-Bengals game : NPR
After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football’s Bengals-Bills game, shocked players, coaches and fans abruptly saw the excitement of a primetime matchup replaced by a shared concern and hope: that Hamlin would survive the night.

Aaron Rodgers on Zac Taylor, Sean McDermott amid Damar Hamlin situation
“I think one person who deserves a lot of credit in this situation is coach (Zac) Taylor,” Aaron Rodgers said. “I saw him walk across the field… and just the empathy that I saw in his face and the way that he handled that thing. Coach (Sean) McDermott… this is your guy, and he was going through it. It wasn’t even a question. ‘No we’re not going to play this game. What are you talking about? Do you need more time? Do you even want to play?’ That felt like that was the conversation right there.”

Around the league

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin shares personal connection with Bills safety Damar Hamlin
“It’s a really personal thing for me being a Pittsburgher and that young man being a Pittsburgher,” Tomlin said of Hamlin, who’s from nearby McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh.

NFC playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18 of 2022 NFL season
The following are the NFC playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season, according to NFL Research. Please note that the scenarios below exclude ones involving ties. Explore NFL.com’s 2022 Playoff Picture for a complete overview of the NFC field, including the most updated standings and seeding.

Titans QB Joshua Dobbs will start vs. Jaguars in AFC South title game
Following Thursday night’s 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Vrabel was asked whether he’d continue with the veteran Dobbs or turn back to rookie Malik Willis for Week 18. Vrabel’s explanation boiled down to one key question: Which player best improves their odds of victory?

Alabama’s Bryce Young, Will Anderson Jr., Jahmyr Gibbs announce they intend to enter 2023 NFL Draft
Edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., running back Jahmyr Gibbs and quarterback Bryce Young announced their intentions to enter the 2023 NFL Draft during a Monday press conference at the school’s athletic facility. The trio helped lead the Crimson Tide to a 45-20 Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State on Saturday in the final collegiate game for each.

Art McNally, first NFL official enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame, dies at age 97
“Art McNally was a quiet, honest man of integrity. To see Art’s decades of service recognized with his enshrinement as part of the Class of 2022 was a special moment for the Hall,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement Monday. “His legacy as a strong leader who helped usher in the advanced training of officials and the technology necessary to keep up with a faster and more complicated game will be preserved forever in Canton.”