The Buffalo Bills are up against two tough challenges this week: the league-leading Detroit Lions and Mother Nature.
On December 12, the team announced on social media that their practice schedule had been significantly altered due to a major winter storm—the second in just a few weeks.
“Today’s practice has been canceled, and the team is meeting virtually due to inclement weather,” the Bills shared in a post on X.
This adjustment might put the team in a tricky spot, as they prepare to face the league’s top offense without the benefit of a full week of practice.
Dangerous Conditions Lead to Practice Change
The Buffalo Bills had to adjust their practice schedule due to a significant lake-effect snowstorm that pummeled parts of Buffalo. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on X that multiple counties, including Erie County where the Bills play, were under states of emergency. The storm was predicted to dump several feet of snow in the hardest-hit areas, accompanied by heavy winds and whiteout conditions.
According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Orchard Park—the Bills’ home—already accumulated 30 inches of snow by midday Thursday, with nearly a foot more expected before the day’s end.
Getzenberg noted that the team’s Thursday practice was canceled, leaving the Bills with limited preparation time for their game against the Detroit Lions. After holding a walkthrough on Wednesday, Friday is expected to be the team’s first full practice, though it’s typically a shorter session to wrap up the week.
This isn’t the first major storm to disrupt the Bills’ plans this season. In early December, a snowstorm dumped several feet of snow, prompting the team to hire shovelers to clear the stadium for their game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The limited practice time could present challenges for the Bills as they prepare to face Detroit’s top-ranked offense. The team is coming off a narrow 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams but has already secured their fifth consecutive AFC East title. However, they remain in pursuit of the top seed in the AFC, currently held by the Kansas City Chiefs, along with the coveted first-round playoff bye.
Bills Familiar With Weather Changes
The Buffalo Bills have frequently had their schedule disrupted by severe weather in recent years. Last season, their wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was pushed back a day due to another major storm in the region.
As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg highlighted, the Bills have even had to relocate games because of extreme weather.
“In 2022, before playing the Lions, the Bills had a game against the Cleveland Browns moved to Detroit due to blizzard conditions and safety concerns in Orchard Park,” Getzenberg reported.
Additionally, the team faced travel challenges after a Christmas Eve game in Chicago that same year. A powerful storm with fierce winds hit Buffalo, forcing the Bills to stay in Chicago overnight. They eventually flew into nearby Rochester and were escorted back to Buffalo by state police along the Thruway on Christmas Day.
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