Forecasted Snowmageddon In Buffalo Could Force NFL To Move Browns At Bills
Scenes of football in the snow are, pardon the pun, cool. Teams such as the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns have had their share of cold-weather games in the fluffy white stuff in their heralded history.
But thundersnow?
And 3 to 6 feet of it?
That could be a bit much for even the NFL to handle which is the reason the league is monitoring the weather in Greater Western New York in general and Orchard Park and Buffalo in particular as it considers the possibility of moving Sunday's Browns at Bills contest.
The National Weather Service issued a statement Wednesday warning of a prolonged snow event, that could include, “paralyzing snowfall for the Buffalo and Watertown areas.” The event would roll through the are starting Thursday night and could last through the weekend.
Bills and Browns may be forced to avoid playing in Buffalo on Sunday. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
Forecast For Browns At Bills
The statement said a "crippling" lake-effect snowstorm remains possible Thursday night through Sunday night. Lake-effect weather often impacts Highmark Stadium, where the Bill make their home and training headquarters.
Parts of Eerie County, where the stadium is located, already received up to 11 inches of snow by Wednesday morning with more expected.
More is expected. A lot more.
Accuweather issued a statement saying so much was headed to the area it would be "enough to bury" Buffalo. The weather service called what is coming "potentially historic."
Bills have dealt with snow before but what's coming is potentially historic. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Deja Vu?
If this sounds, and potentially looks, familiar, that's because it is. In 2007 these two teams met in a Cleveland snowstorm. Offense was essentially non-existent thanks to blizzard-like conditions. Final score: Cleveland 8 - Buffalo 0. As the winning quarterback, Browns signal caller Derek Anderson completed 9 of 24 pass attempts. Yikes!
Buffalo's running back that day - Marshawn Lynch.
'Historic' And Dangerous To Bills and Browns
The NFL loves potential history passing. Potentially historic scoring. Potentially historic play.
It does not love potentially historic snowfall that endangers travel of its teams and the lives of players, coaches and fans on gameday.
Nor does it love affecting an important game without outside factors. The Bills are trying to rebound from a loss to the Vikings.
For that reason the league is considering options for moving Sunday's game to sites such as Detroit and in Florida, per a source. The NFL has been in discussions with both the Browns and Bills about an alternate site and travel plans.
The Bills play in Detroit on Thursday so there is thinking they could stay in town if that's the way the league and teams decide to go.
Expect an NFL decision by Friday morning.