Buffalo, NY — September 27, 2024 — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had an extraordinary moment on Sunday while scoring his first career interception in the 27-20 win against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. The interception was made in the third quarter in an evenly-matched AFC East affair at a point when Hamlin was defending.
Hamlin’s interception came in the third period with a little over 5 minutes left on the clock. It began when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rolled back and looked to throw a nothing down the middle with receiver Jaylen Waddle. Hamlin saw the emerging play, expected the pass, and jumped in front of Waddle to knock the ball from his hands before it could get to the target receiver. The interception literally could not have occurred at a better time for the Bills, as it resulted in a buffalo recovery from the Dolphin’s territory.
To them, it was the stimulus of Hamlin’s play that revitalized the Buffalo spirits and turned the tide of the game in the Bills’ favor. Josh Allen led the Bills offense back down the field and threw a 15 TD pass to Dawson Knox; the Bills were up 24-13 and the Dolphins never fully closed the gap.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” Hamlin explained in his postgame interview. “I was waiting. I’d been working hard and studying tape when it presented itself. So as the ball was on its way, I was excited it presented itself, and I was just glad I made a play for the team.”
Hamlin’s interception was part of a fantastic game from the third-year safety from Pittsburgh -, who also recorded six tackles and two pass breakups-, extra credit to Hamlin for being solid defensively for Buffalo on Sunday and for the season. Hamlin’s athleticism and ball skills displayed were signs of whether he was a reliable back of the defense, receiving kudos from his coaches and teammates.
“Damar has been putting in the work day in and day out,” Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott noted. “The last few weeks in practice, he’d been furthering the consistency we need to establish, and as a key part of the defense, he established good range coverage on the formatted drive to give us an opportunity.”
