Why Damar Hamlin didn't play vs Ravens. Fury after Bills' Cole Bishop-Joey Bosa tactic fails

Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry were on fire on Sunday. The duo led the Ravens to a 20-13 lead at halftime against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium

Published on: Sep 08, 2025 7:34 AM IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry were on fire on Sunday. The duo led the Baltimore Ravens to a 20-13 lead at halftime against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Buffalo fans were, meanwhile, furious at the team's defensive tactics and questioned why coach Sean McDermott did not play Damar Hamlin.

Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills looks on during a preseason game (Getty Images via AFP)

Fury against Joey Bosa and Cole Bishop

“cole bishop is not going to work and i’m done with even attempting to believe in this mfer idc what yall say,” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I think Cole Bishop has to quit football now. I don’t make the rules, Derrick Henry does. 🤷‍♂️,” another one tweeted.

“How many times is Joey Bosa going to pick the tiny RB instead of waiting on Lamar Jackson?” a third one asked.

Why Damar Hamlin is not playing vs Ravens

In simple terms, Damar Hamlin has taken a hit on the roster. The 27-year-old, whose story is one of the NFL’s most powerful reminders of resilience, suffered a near-fatal on-field collapse a couple of years ago.

Now, his role on the field has shifted. While he remains on the Bills’ roster, he is no longer penciled in as a starter. Buffalo’s coaching staff plans to lean on Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp as their primary safeties, leaving Hamlin as a depth option who could still see action, but not at the same level of involvement as in previous years.

Over the past two seasons, Hamlin has logged significant snaps, though advanced analytics often graded him lower than other options. Last year, he stepped into a bigger role only after Bishop struggled through an injury-plagued camp.

Bills' defense depth chart

DE

Greg Rousseau

A.J. Epenesa

Javon Solomon

DT

Ed Oliver

T.J. Sanders

DeWayne Carter

DT

DaQuan Jones

Deone Walker

DE

Joey Bosa

Landon Jackson

LB

Matt Milano

Shaq Thompson

LB

Terrel Bernard

Joe Andreessen

LB

Dorian Williams

NCB

Taron Johnson

Cam Lewis

Jordan Hancock

CB

Tre'Davious White

Ja'Marcus Ingram

Brandon Codrington

CB

Christian Benford

Dorian Strong

S

Taylor Rapp

Cam Lewis

Jordan Hancock

S

Cole Bishop

Damar Hamlin

Cole Bishop

Damar Hamlin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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