Conditions are supposed to be rather awful Sunday in Buffalo for the AFC Wild Card Round matchup between the No. 2 Buffalo Bills and No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Winds are supposed to be nearing 50 MPH, and snow is expected to be dumped during the Lake-effect storm. That should make things rather difficult for both the Bills and Steelers, especially offensively.
But Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is expected to return to the lineup Sunday for the first time since Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts, isn’t anticipating anything to change with Buffalo’s offense.
Speaking to reporters Thursday ahead of the playoff game, Fitzpatrick stated that he expects the deep ball from quarterback Josh Allen to remain a big part of the Bills’ offensive attack.
“I still expect ’em to throw the ball. I think the deep ball is a big part of their game. It’s a big part of what they do,” Fitzpatrick said, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “They have guys like Gabe Davis out there to, to catch the deep ball, so I think that they’re definitely gonna try.
“Josh Allen has a strong arm who can cut through the wind or cut through the weather. They play up there all the time in bad weather, so it’s definitely still gonna be a part of part of their game.”
Allen was drafted by the Bills due to his strong arm, helping him thrive in poor conditions near Lake Erie. He’s shown time and time again that his arm strength plays in Western New York, allowing him to make big-time throws in awful conditions.
That will again be the case on Sunday against the Steelers, due to the wind and the snow. Though wide receiver Gabe Davis was ruled out for the Wild Card matchup with a knee injury suffered in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo still has Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir, Trent Sherfield, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox as pass-catching weapons for Allen.
The Bills have done a great job in the last two months of the season running the football, leaning on an offensive line that is playing quite well, allowing for running back James Cook to emerge, but an aggressive passing game remains a big part of the Bills’ attack.
Though the weather might help slow down that passing attack some, the Bills are still undoubtedly going to be aggressive with Allen. Fortunately for the Steelers, getting the likes of Fitzpatrick and veteran safety Damontae Kazee back in the lineup will help immensely.
