A frightening scene unfolded during the first half of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Just minutes before halftime at M&T Bank Stadium, players from both teams suddenly took off their helmets and knelt on the field.
CBS’ cameras did not capture the incident, but the broadcast reported that someone on the sidelines in Baltimore needed medical attention and CPR. It turned out that a member of the convict gang had collapsed.
The broadcast went to commercial without further explanation and the game resumed after a break. CBS then reported that the referee was carried off the field on a stretcher, waving his hands.
Harbaugh said he was “grateful” that the inmate crew member was resuscitated. He said emergency services “were the heroes today.”
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) 15 September 2024
Sideline reporter AJ Ross reported that the prisoner crew member “passed out” during the game but regained consciousness. According to the Ravens, he was “awake and responsive” and was transported from M&T Bank Stadium to a local hospital.
The officer’s identity and further details about his condition were not immediately clear.
Referee carried off field during Texans-Bears game
A similar incident occurred a few hours later on Sunday evening at NRG Stadium.
Early in the second half of the Houston Texans’ game against the Chicago Bears, a referee tripped and hit his head after falling backward on the sideline. The man, identified by NBC as Dwight Steffler, stepped back as Texans running back Joe Mixon ran toward the sideline on the play and tripped on the 20-yard marker directly behind him.
Steffler hit the ground hard on his head and remained on the ground for quite some time while the Bears’ medical staff tended to him. He was eventually carried off the field and play resumed a few minutes later.
Nothing is known about Steffler’s condition, but he was awake and alert when he was driven into the tunnel.
