The injuries have devastated the Buffalo Bills defense. On Sunday, safety Taylor Rapp had the scariest of the year.
Rapp suffered a neck injury against the New York Jets late in the second quarter and was taken off the field at Highmark Stadium in an ambulance. According to Bills head coach Sean McDermott, he was relaxing at home on Sunday instead of being taken to the hospital.
Following a 15-yard catch-and-run, Rapp bowed at the waist and dropped his shoulder to tackle New York running back Breece Hall. Taron Johnson, a cornerback for the Bills, was involved in the collision and chased after the play.
Hall’s helmet and Rapp’s right shoulder collided as the running back averted his head to avoid the blow. Following the hit, Rapp moved a short distance in the direction of the Bills sideline, pulled on his left shoulder pad, and then requested a trainer. He knelt, then collapsed to his knees.
When the team first ran out to Johnson, he managed to stand up and jog to the athletic trainers’ locker room.
After an ambulance pulled onto the field, Rapp’s facemask was taken off and he was strapped to a backboard by trainers. As he was hoisted into the ambulance, Rapp was seen flexing his left hand.
At the beginning of the third quarter, CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson reported that Rapp was not taken to the hospital but instead stayed in the locker room to receive care from the team’s medical staff. Rapp’s neck injury led to his official exclusion. Johnson has a concussion and will miss the game.
Following his departure from Highmark Stadium, McDermott informed reporters that Rapp was taking a nap at home.
Damar Hamlin, who is not participating in the game, was captured by CBS cameras observing the action from the sidelines. In January, Hamlin had a cardiac arrest while playing the Cincinnati Bengals.
Running back Damien Harris of the Buffalo Bills was loaded onto an ambulance last month following a hit on Sunday Night Football by New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke. Due to a neck injury, Harris was admitted to the hospital for the night and put on injured reserve.
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