The NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed from Sunday to Monday at 4:30 p.m. EST due to inclement weather.
New York governer Kathy Hochul has been in communication with the Bills, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and emergency response teams to come to the conclusion that the game should be moved. It likely will help avoid treacherous travel to the game had it been played on Sunday.
I’ve been in communication with @NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend.
In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2024
Hochul revealed that there will be a travel ban in Erie County that begins on Saturday night.
Travel is going to be extremely dangerous in Western New York this weekend.
We are implementing a full travel ban in Erie County starting at 9pm tonight.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2024
It’s a smart move by New York and the NFL to make sure that fans and the teams aren’t traveling or playing in the severe weather expected this weekend.
Instead, the league is clearly hoping that things will be cleared up enough on Monday to play the game then. There will now be two NFL playoff games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles will still close out the playoff action for this week on Monday night in Tampa.
The Bills and Steelers are the No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup in the AFC. Buffalo earned the No. 2 seed in the conference by defeating the Miami Dolphins in Week 18 of the regular season to claim the AFC East title.
Josh Allen and the Bills would host another home game in the next round of the NFL playoffs if they win on Monday.
The Steelers, who needed some help in Week 18 to make the playoffs, beat the Baltimore Ravens in their regular season finale. They earned the No. 7 seed when the Houston Texans won the AFC South after they beat the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans.
If Pittsburgh wins, it will face the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens next weekend since the Steelers are the lowest seed in the AFC.
Each team will now have an extra day to prepare for this playoff matchup, and there could be some changes to each team’s game plan since the weather might be different than what each squad was expecting on Sunday.
The NFL will still have two playoff games – both in the NFC – on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams take on the Detroit Lions in Detroit and the Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers in Dallas on Sunday.
