The postponed matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals was called off for good by the National Football League on Thursday night. The game’s first quarter was nearing its end Monday night when 24-year-old safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a tackle. Doctors said Hamlin, whose heartbeat was restarted on the field before he was placed in an ambulance, was awake and communicating via writing on Thursday, though his condition was still considered critical. In a statement on the “difficult, but necessary” decision, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell cited the “extraordinary circumstances” of the situation. “We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country,” Goodell said. The knock-on effect of the cancellation for keeping the playoffs on schedule was not immediately clear. To avoid an equity issue with postseason seeding, Goodell recommended a neutral-site solution, which the league’s 32 teams will meet on Friday to consider.