The AFC Wild Card Game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET looked to be almost hard to schedule.
The players, supporters, and those scheduled to attend Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park faced a risky situation due to the conditions in Western New York.
Both the NFL and New York Governor Kathy Hochul concur. At a last-minute press conference on Saturday, she declared that the game would now take place on Monday at 4:30 PM ET.
The National Weather Service reports that wind gusts in Western New York are predicted to reach 65 miles per hour this weekend. On Saturday, lake effect snow will start to accumulate in the area and linger through Monday. It is predicted to bring up to two feet of snow to the area.
As for Hochul, she has already declared a state of emergency in New York. She also put in place a total travel prohibition in Erie County, which went into effect on Saturday night at 9 PM ET.
On Friday, Buffalo Bills Vice President of Operations Any Major had stated that the game will still go on as planned.
“At this moment, Sunday at one o’clock is our only priority,” he stated. That’s what we want. That is our strategy. That is our goal. We are aware that Saturday will be difficult throughout the afternoon, evening, and late hours into Sunday. However, we are prepared to proceed with that plan.
Of course, things changed.
In terms of the NFL Playoffs, this implies that Monday will have two games. At 8:00 PM ET, the Philadelphia Eagles will pay a visit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
