Insider provides clarity on rumor about Steelers-Bills game

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Insider provides clarity on rumor that NFL could move Steelers-Bills game due to weather

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/11/24

While the weather is expected to play a factor in Sunday’s Super Wild Card Weekend matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, a rumor of the NFL possibly moving the game to Cleveland has been debunked.

Marty Griffin of “The Big K Morning Show” in Pittsburgh reported that Browns officials were told to “be ready” in case a state of emergency was declared in Western New York and the league had to move the game. However, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones refuted the report on Thursday evening, stating multiple sources told him otherwise.

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

Per Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now, a team spokesperson also confirmed the league has not told them anything about potentially moving the game to Cleveland.

“As long as the conditions are the same for both teams, I'm not overly concerned about it,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after Wednesday's practice.

The temperature for Sunday’s game is expected to be in the mid-to-low 20s near kickoff with a wind chill near zero and winds around 25 mph and gusts reaching as high as 50. There’s currently a 70% chance of snowfall on game day.

While the Bills are used to playing bad-weather games on a regular basis, the last time the Steelers played in a game with similar conditions as the ones expected for this weekend was a 13-10 Christmas Eve win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 of last season. The temperature for that game was nine degrees with 21 mph winds.

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