It was seemingly impossible for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills AFC Wild Card Game to be played on time at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.
Conditions in Western New York made it a dangerous proposition for the players, fans and others set to take to Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the NFL agrees. She announced during an emergency press conference on Saturday that the game has been postponed until Monday at 4:30 PM ET.
According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts are expected to hit 65 miles-per hour over the weekend in Western New York. Lake effect snow will develop in the region on Saturday, lasting until Monday. The expectation is that it could bring up to two feet of snow in the area.
As for Hochul, she has already declared a state of emergency in New York. She also implemented a complete travel ban in Erie County starting 9 PM ET Saturday night.
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Buffalo Bills VP of Operations Any Major had indicated on Friday that the plan was still to play the game as scheduled.
“Our sole focus right now is 1 o’clock on Sunday,” he said. “That’s our goal. That’s our plan. That’s our mission. We know (Saturday) is going to be a tough day, in the afternoon into the into the evening, overnight to Sunday. But we’ve got everything ready to go for that plan.”
Obviously, things changed.
As for the NFL Playoffs, this means we’ll have a doubleheader on Monday. The Philadelphia Eagles are slated to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 8:00 PM ET.