The Buffalo Bills’ home playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed, New York governor Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday. The Buffalo Bills confirmed the report soon after.
I’ve been in communication with @NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend.
In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2024
The game has been moved from 1:00 pm Eastern on Sunday to 4:30 pm Eastern on Monday. Monday is a federal and state holiday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The reason for the postponement is a full travel ban in Erie County, where Buffalo’s home field resides in Orchard Park. A lake-effect snow band is expected to impact the area surrounding the stadium and, coupled with very high winds, will create whiteout conditions across the area from Saturday night through the end of Sunday.
In 2017, the NFL changed the start time of a playoff game between the Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs due to ice. It went from a 1:00 pm kick to an 8:00 pm start time.
This is not the first time a Bills game has been moved due to inclement weather. In November 2022, the Bills’ home game against the Cleveland Browns was moved to Detroit after a massive snowstorm left the field inundated. In 2014, the Bills hosted the New York Jets in Detroit after a similar event. In December 2017, the Bills and Indianapolis Colts played in an unexpectedly massive snowstorm that didn’t start until game time.
This will certainly play a role in the next round of the playoffs, as well. The winner of the Bills and Steelers will be playing against a team that won their game on Saturday with two extra days of rest.
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