Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The start of the football season is upon us in Western New York, as the Buffalo Bills will open the 2024 campaign on Sunday afternoon with a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at Highmark Stadium.
After a turbulent offseason with many roster changes, the Bills have many new faces on both sides of the ball. There are also those who may have been on the Bills now for some time, and they're being leaned on to fill a hole left by a departing body.
One of those particular players in Buffalo this upcoming season is safety Damar Hamlin, who was named earlier this week as a starter after spending the last three years with the organization.
It has been an incredible journey over the past two years for Hamlin after going into cardiac arrest during a Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2022 season.
The 26-year-old has since made a full recovery, and was able to play in five games last year. In fact, Sunday will be Hamlin's first start at safety since that "Monday Night Football" game in Cincinnati back on Jan. 2, 2023.
"Who he is as a person, everything remarkable as a player, increased level of focus, increased level of consistency," said Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who joined the "Extra Point Show" on Friday for the first of his weekly appearances on WGR. "Anytime you watch a player and a person really grow and evolve, it's just really been fun to watch, and super excited for him and his family."
Hamlin will get the start alongside Taylor Rapp in the Buffalo secondary, replacing longtime staples Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer at safety.
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Another change this upcoming season on the Buffalo defense will be a new defensive play-caller with Bobby Babich getting promoted to defensive coordinator.
Babich has been with the Bills since joining McDermott's coaching staff since 2017 as an assistant defensive backs coach. He has worked his way up the ranks over the years to the safeties coach, then the linebackers coach, and now defensive coordinator in 2024.
"Continue to watch Bobby grow every year," McDermott said of Babich with Sal Capaccio. "It's interesting. He had a chance to certainly work with the secondary, the defensive backfield there for a number of years, and then last season, moved to be our linebackers coach, and I thought really did a good job. And the connectivity of that and what that does, how that relates to our defensive line play in the front, that's all important if you're wanting to be a defensive coordinator, in this case, and call plays."
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As for Sunday's opponent in Orchard Park, the Cardinals have had a bit of a different offseason compared to the Bills.
Arizona was able to add some youth to the lineup with the help of the fourth overall pick, selecting standout wide receiver from Ohio State University, Marvin Harrison Jr. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will also have the full services of quarterback Kyler Murray once again after returning partway through last season with a knee injury.
'They're a good football team, and as always, you've got to respect everyone," McDermott said of the Cardinals. "When you look at the pieces they've been able to add, think they had a number of picks in the top-100 players this past year in the draft. They've added some explosive weapons on offense with Marvin Harrison Jr. and the new running back they got out of Florida State, [Trey] Benson. Very impressed with their personnel offensively and their ability to be explosive. Certainly Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, tight end who's really good. We'll have our hands full on that side of the ball.
"And then defensively, they've got some interesting schemes, some unique schemes, in fact, and some really good players, like Buddha Baker over there being one of them."
On the injury front, McDermott confirmed that rookie edge rusher Javon Solomon is not expected to play on Sunday due to an oblique injury. He also said defensive tackle Dawuane Smoot would not be practicing in Friday's final practice of the week with a toe injury.
Kickoff this Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. ET and can be heard with Chris Brown, Eric Wood and Sal Capaccio on the call.
