The Buffalo Bills are hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers for an opening-round playoff matchup this Sunday. Bad weather won’t change that fact.
A Pittsburgh radio host claimed Thursday that the game could move from Buffalo to Cleveland if a state of emergency is declared in Western New York over the weekend. However, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones said there’s “no truth” to that rumor.
Multiple sources tell me there’s no truth to rumor the Steelers-Bills wild-card playoff game could be moved to Cleveland due to weather concerns in Western New York.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 11, 2024
WKBW’s Matthew Bové called the report of potentially playing in Cleveland “inaccurate.” According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, the Steelers haven’t received any notice about moving the matchup to enemy territory.
Any fans going to Highmark Stadium might want to bundle up.
The weather forecast calls for below-freezing temperatures in the 20s around game time. Possible snow and gusting winds between 20 and 35 mph will make it feel even colder.
A lake-effect snow band is expected to hit the area, but it’s unclear if it’ll reach Orchard Park on Sunday.
Sean McDermott said his team is bracing themselves for adverse conditions.
“We’ve been through a lot of games here where we’ve had to, no pun intended, weather the storm that way, right,” McDermott said before Wednesday’s practice, per the team site. “It affects how you play the game, how you manage the game. So when we have that here, it’s an added dimension to our preparation.”
Josh Allen threw an AFC-high 18 interceptions this season with the league’s fifth most passing attempts. However, he’s prepared for his offense to take a more ground-heavy approach to counter the weather.
“The wind may move the ball a little bit,” Allen said. “Typically, it’s going to be, with weather like this, a game that both teams are going to run the ball and it’s going to be very possession-limited, so we got to make these possessions count.”
Averaging 70.2 yards and 8.6 points per game more than the Steelers, the Bills are the biggest favorites of the first round. Yet the weather could prove a neutralizer in a sloppier, low-scoring affair, opening the door to a possible upset.
Sunday’s game at Buffalo starts at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.