BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A potentially dangerous winter storm that was expected to hit the Buffalo area over the weekend prompted the NFL on Saturday to postpone the Bills' wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the NFL cited public safety concerns as the reason for the postponement. Starting Saturday night, up to 2 feet of snow is expected to fall in the Buffalo region within 24 hours.
“The decision to postpone the game until Monday was made in consultation with New York Governor Kathy Hochul in the best interest of public safety, as well as the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers as the region prepares for the storm.” the NFL and Bills said in a joint statement.
Hochul said she began talking to the NFL on Thursday about the possibility of having to postpone the game because of what she called a “dangerous storm.” Hochul, who is from just outside Buffalo, concluded her press conference by saying, “Go, Bills.”
“We want our Bills to win, but we don't want 60,000 to 70,000 people traveling to the football game in terrible conditions,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference in the Buffalo suburbs.
Officials advised residents to stay off the streets starting Saturday after dark. The driving ban comes into force from 9 p.m. The game will now be played at Highmark Stadium on Monday at 4:30 p.m. instead of Sunday at 1 p.m.
The weather forecast for the Buffalo area called for heavy snow and wind gusts up to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) Saturday, with 1 to 2 feet or more of snow eventually accumulating. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. Monday, saying “travel will be very difficult to impossible at times” as the combination of snow and very strong winds results in near-zero visibility.
Much of the storm was expected to be centered on a narrow strip of snow-like lake hovering over Buffalo's southern suburbs, which includes the Bills' home in Orchard Park.
Postponing the game frees up sheriff's deputies, who are normally assigned to Bill's game-related duties, to deal with storm-related emergencies, Poloncarz said. Officials were concerned that Steelers fans might make the trip to Buffalo in treacherous conditions.
The Steelers themselves have postponed their travel plans and will now travel to Buffalo on Sunday.
The Bills are familiar with weather-related schedule changes. In 2022, a lake-effect storm caused Buffalo's home game against Cleveland in November to be moved to Detroit. A month later, a severe snowstorm delayed the Bills' trip home and forced them to spend the night in Chicago on Christmas Eve.
Although NFL playoff games have been postponed in the past for various scheduling reasons or to add games to determine the tiebreaker, this is only the third time that weather has played a direct role.
In January 2017, wintry weather in Kansas City caused the NFL to postpone the start of an AFC divisional playoff game between Pittsburgh and the Chiefs from 1:00 p.m. to 8:20 p.m
In 1932, the league added a “playoff” game to finalize the standings between the Portsmouth Spartans and the Chicago Bears. Extremely cold temperatures and heavy snow resulted in the game being played at Chicago Stadium, with the Bears winning 9-0 on an 80-yard field.
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Peltz reported from New York City. AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
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