Though he hasn’t publicly commented, Mike Tomlin’s response to the NFL moving the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills Wild Card game is predictable.
We do not care. Both teams have to deal with it.
And that’s true. Like Pittsburgh, Buffalo is sitting and waiting for the all-clear that their game will go on tomorrow at 4:30 PM/EST instead of the originally scheduled Sunday at 1 PM/EST. But for former NFL head coach Rex Ryan, the impact of the game being changed isn’t split down the middle. The Steelers are hurt by it more than the Bills. On ESPN’s NFL Countdown, he explained why.
“I’m telling you, you lose some of that energy,” Ryan said of the Steelers having to wait an extra day. “And I’ve been on both sides of it or whatever. But this is the side, I’m telling you, Mike Tomlin’s team is gonna be affected more than the home team.”
While the Bills are sitting at home, the Steelers are still waiting to get into the city. They’re expected to leave at 3 PM/EST today with an arrival time shortly before four. But they had to shut down Saturday’s walkthrough, mid-way through practice when the postponement was announced. They restarted things today, holding their complete walkthrough before boarding their plane.
Monday’s forecast remains ugly, cold and windy, but conditions are expected to be far better than Sunday. In parts of Buffalo, it’s a blizzard with gusty winds blowing around snow that’s fallen on the region over the last 24 hours. Better weather also gives the Bills an advantage, Ryan said.
“I think with the weather and the snow. Yeah, I think this was gonna be a tight ball game. I mean, Pittsburgh is built to play in bad weather. They are a downhill running football team. The two backs, I mean, these last three weeks, they’ve been one of the best running football teams there is in the league. I think a little more built for bad weather as the opposed to the spread out Buffalo Bills. I think good weather favors the home team in this.”
As we’ve pointed out, the Bills can run the ball. With second-year James Cook breaking out, Josh Allen’s size and power, and a big group up front who loves to get on the move, Buffalo can play power football. But their passing game would’ve been limited by whiteout conditions, keeping the score down. And Pittsburgh is a strong gap-scheme football team putting in three excellent rushing performances to muscle their way into the playoffs.
Ultimately, and to the point Tomlin will surely make, none of this really matters. The game will be played when it’s played. Pittsburgh’s approach won’t change. Win or lose, they won’t use the weather as a crutch, even if it’s significantly impacted the game already.
