The NFL Playoffs are set to get underway, with six Wild Card games this weekend. But perhaps the biggest storyline ahead of the games? It might not be what you expect.
Because it looks as if weather might be the biggest story this weekend.
A storm system is working its way through the Midwest and into the Northeast this weekend, bringing frigid temperatures and snow along the way. Earlier this week we outlined how Saturday night’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, set for a kickoff of 7:15 p.m. local time at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, may go down as one of the coldest games in NFL history. As of Friday morning, forecasters were calling for a daytime-high of 7 degrees, before getting down into single digits during the night, with a low of -9 degrees.
However, Chiefs-Dolphins is not the only game where weather could be a factor. Sunday’s three-game slate kicks off with the Buffalo Bills hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, and conditions are expected to be tough in Western New York on Sunday. Current forecasts expect high winds and snow during the game, with winds in the 20-to-30 miles per hour range. Wind gusts could be even stronger during the game:
AccuWeather’s Friday morning forecast for Sunday in Buffalo noted “lake-effect snow and intense squalls, accumulating an additional 6-10 inches; windy and colder; travel will be extremely difficult and dangerous.”
Bills fans are probably not too excited hearing these forecasts, because of the expected wind gusts. Back in December of 2021 the Bills hosted the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football on a night that saw wind gusts in excess of 50 mpg. Mac Jones attempted just three passes on that night, while Josh Allen finished 15 of 30 for 145 yards and a touchdown.
New England won 14-10.
That is a night Bills fans would like to forget, however, Sunday could serve as a tough reminder.
