For the last few days, much of the talk around the NFL has been about the weather expected in Buffalo as the Bills were set to host the Browns. A massive snowstorm is expected to sweep through the area off of Lake Erie starting on Thursday night, with some models projecting 2-4 feet of snow accumulation, along with strong winds in the area.
As such, there was concern from some about whether the game could be played in Orchard Park or if it would need to be moved (as has actually happened in the past in a Browns-Bills game), as playing a football game outside in a snowstorm can be difficult, to say the least. On Thursday, the league decided to proactively move the game to Detroit, with the Lions on the road at the Giants, where the Bills will play back-to-back games — as the home team against Cleveland and then again on Thanksgiving against the Lions.
Due to public safety concerns and out of an abundance of caution in light of the ongoing weather emergency in western New York, Sunday’s game against the Browns will be moved to Ford Field in Detroit.
More info: https://t.co/wXQXAZAR39 pic.twitter.com/0RwqGgi4OJ
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 17, 2022
The game will still be a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS, but obviously is moving indoors at Ford Field in Detroit. While both teams play in the elements in their home stadiums, the Bills have a bit more experience with the specific unique weather of Buffalo, playing fairly regularly in snow and wind with a quarterback who feels those effects less than others in Josh Allen given his ability to run and also his preposterous arm strength. That won’t be a factor now in Detroit, where the Bills will spend a full week in a rare situation for NFL teams.