Erie County, which includes Buffalo, declared a state of emergency Thursday and imposed a driving ban starting at 9 p.m. local time for all but those authorized to travel in an emergency; The Bills will now play a rematch in Detroit, where they will face the Lions again on Thanksgiving Thursday.
Last Updated: 18/11/22 8:26am
Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, will host the Buffalo Bills’ Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills’ home game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday will be held at Ford Field in Detroit, due to severe storms expected in western New York.
Confirming the move in a statement Thursday, the NFL cited “public safety concerns” due to the difficult season expected in Buffalo. Forecasters believe more snow could fall by the end of the week.
The storm is also expected to bring gusts up to 35 mph off Lake Erie, making travel dangerous and potentially causing power outages.
Erie County, which includes Buffalo, declared a state of emergency on Thursday and banned driving from 9 p.m. local time for all but those authorized to travel in an emergency. Buffalo Public Schools has announced that it is canceling all classes and closing its central offices on Friday.
The Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, said in a press release on Thursday that the storm coming to the coast was “life threatening”.
“I want people in western New York to take this seriously,” he said. “What we’re talking about is a very, very large storm. This is considered severe weather. That means it’s dangerous.”
Complicating any postponement of the Bills-Browns game is the fact that Buffalo is scheduled to play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday, four days after hosting the Browns. With Sunday’s game being moved, the Bills will now play back-to-back games in Detroit.
The match will start on Sunday at 1pm local time (6pm UK time) as originally scheduled. Only the Lions are on the road this Sunday, visiting the New York Giants.
The NFL added in a statement: “The decision to move the game from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY was made in consultation with the Buffalo Bills and local and state officials as the region prepares for the storm.”
The Bills have previously had a home game postponed due to snow, in November 2014, when they defeated the New York Jets 38-3 in a replay at Detroit’s Ford Field.
For the occasion, the Bills left Friday for Detroit, where the team spent the weekend practicing at the Lions’ facility. Buffalo had to organize snowmobiles to pick up players who couldn’t dig their cars out of the snow to get them to the airport.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Deonte Thompson makes a catch during their fifth game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.
The last time the Bills played in a snowy game was in 2017, when they hosted the Indianapolis Colts on December 10th of that year, even though the storm dumped 16.7 inches on the field. The Bills won the game 13-7 in overtime.
“It was surreal,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer recalled. “You come into the cave grass is green, while you go back out with two feet of snow.”
The Bills, the Super Bowl pick by many, fell to 6-3 last week and lost at home to the Minnesota Vikings (8-1) in overtime. They hope to avoid a three-game losing streak against the Browns (3-6).
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There was a late game between the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings with the Bills defense holding the Vikings offense at the goal line, before allowing them to punt and fumble and then force overtime!
Unhelpfully, Buffalo canceled the team’s game on Wednesday due to the absence of players due to illness. Due to the shortage of players, the team only worked with those who were healthy and available.
Quarterback Josh Allen (elbow) and safety Jordan Poyer (elbow) were among the players who participated, despite serious injuries.
Among the players who did not participate were defensive tackles Tim Settle and Jordan Phillips, linebacker Matt Milano, safety Cam Lewis and cornerback Reggie Gilliam. McDermott said Von Miller’s absence was scheduled as a day off on Wednesday.
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