Bills Central

What Bills HC Sean McDermott said about possibility of a snow game vs. 49ers

Weather looks set to play a role in the Buffalo Bills' Week 13 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kyle Silagyi

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The days preceding and following Thanksgiving are annually some of the country’s busiest with regard to travel, and those who have plans that involve Western New York this weekend perhaps won’t be shocked to learn that their travel may be thwarted by Mother Nature.

The region’s most significant winter storm of the season thus far looks set to hit from Friday through the weekend, with the lake effect snow event set to bring upwards of two feet of snow to some areas. As is the case with all lake effect snow storms, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where the band will set up shop; some parts of Western New York may be snowbound while others receive but a dusting.

Meteorologists expect the weather to impact the Buffalo Bills’ Sunday Night Football clash with the San Francisco 49ers, but to what extent remains to be seen. Highmark Stadium is technically under a Lake Effect Snow Warning through Monday evening, and though one can’t definitively predict the amount of snow that will fall in Orchard Park or if it will come down during the game, it’s likely safe to assume that at least some snow will be present come kickoff.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott has seen his fair share of games impacted by snow throughout his eight-year tenure in his post, playing one game in a blizzard in 2017 before having a game moved to Detroit due to snow in 2022. He even saw one of his club’s postseason games delayed last season due to a travel ban that was in place throughout much of Western New York, and while this weekend’s storm may not project to be as significant as past events, the sideline boss must account for it when formulating a gameplan.

He talked about this weekend’s forecast during his Wednesday media availability, telling reporters that he’s confident the team’s staff (and fans) will have the stadium ready to go for kickoff should shoveling be necessary.

Related: What Bills HC Sean McDermott said about WR Keon Coleman’s injury after bye week

“Yes, [snow is impactful] from a preparation standpoint,” McDermott said. “We’ve been through it before. We have some experience with it. We can’t control the weather, I think only He can control the weather. I know He can control the weather. I think it’s really just about how we respond to it. Our staff does a phenomenal job, the people that have shown up [to shovel out the stadium] for the years that I’ve been here, at minimum and beyond, my time here of shoveling the stadium out. I think that’ll happen again if need be. We’ll get ready to play a football game.”

The weather will not only have an impact on strategy, but also on travel to and from Highmark Stadium; situated in Buffalo suburb, there aren’t many roads that lead to the venue, and poor conditions/decreased visibility could present issues for fans (and players) entering and exiting Orchard Park come Sunday. McDermott took time during his presser to note that workers across Western New York do a tremendous job of clearing the roads of snow and making sure they’re safe to traverse.

Sean McDermot
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“I’ve always been amazed since moving here that you can get a foot, two feet, three feet, seven feet, and the roads are cleared in some miraculous way,” McDermott said. “Credit to all of the people who are out there working, or that will continue to work this winter as we get into the snowy months and days and weeks here. What a phenomenal job they do, really.”

We’re still a few days out from this weekend’s storm, so meteorologists should gain (at least a bit more) certainty about the forecast and how it will impact the game as the week progresses.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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