Anyone who’s played a game of junior football in their life will know the thrill of kicking frost off the ground at 9am on a wintery Sunday morning, with fog so thick you can barely see the goal posts at the other end of the ground. But we dare say few, if any, of us have ever strapped on the boots for a game in conditions like this. The NFL‘s Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts played a game in weather that can only accurately be described as “fair fucked.”
Buffalo’s famed lake-effect snow was in full force, dropping a huge amount of snow across the region and turning the Bills/Colts game into a spectacle for the ages.
The snow was already layered on thick prior to the game, with visibility not helped in the slightest by the Colts’ decision to wear all-white uniforms.
The Bills are wearing their color rush uniforms so we went with camo. #INDvsBUF pic.twitter.com/w1SdSnNWcI
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 10, 2017
And for people at the game, visibility was more or less a nightmare.
That’s the football field in Buffalo. And this picture is not doing it justice. I literally can’t see the full field. Snowing too hard. pic.twitter.com/m7Bo9kFxDW
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) December 10, 2017
The scoreboard at far end is no longer visible. Worst I’ve seen it here that I can recall. pic.twitter.com/KlKRrXK0DG
— Sal Maiorana (@salmaiorana) December 10, 2017
It didn’t look much better on TV either. The blanketing snow made the whole thing take on an eery haze.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman is the first player in #NFL history to score a touchdown where nobody actually saw it.#GoBills #SnowStorm pic.twitter.com/baWfLp087w
— Brian Chojnacki (@BroadcastingBri) December 10, 2017
As you’d imagine, this didn’t help play whatsoever, with both teams adopting a heavy run-based offence. Both quarterbacks were reduced to just 22 and 10 passing attempts respectively, of which an even 50% was completed.
But it’s the kicking game that really felt the brunt of things. In what had to feel like swinging your foot through solid concrete, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri‘s attempt at a 33-yard field goal – an automatic distance on a fine day – did ah… not go so great.
Good try, good effort, Adam Vinatieri pic.twitter.com/WG0NTcz0xi
— Richard Lee-Sam (@RLeesam) December 10, 2017
Poor Adam Vinatieri — this had no chance. Laughter erupts in he press box. #Bills #Colts @news4buffalo pic.twitter.com/aG1T82dYu2
— Nick Filipowski (@NickFilipowski) December 10, 2017
‘Course while the snow taketh away, it also giveth. And later in the game Viantieri knocked through this unbelievable extra point from 43-yards out (the Colts got pinged for offensive pass interference on the 2PC attempt a play earlier) that curved so far that it practically disproved flat earth theory.
Oh my goodness, @adamvinatieri. Got it! ❄️❄️❄️ #Colts https://t.co/mQAhS5jjBe
— NFL (@NFL) December 10, 2017
Seriously, there was a lot of snow on the field. A lot.
❄️ WINter Wonderland ❄️#INDvsBUF #GoBills pic.twitter.com/6WRkXscdy4
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 10, 2017
Spare a thought for the diehard fans, many of whom not only gamely sat in the stands for the duration of the game, but also showed up the day before to help shovel the stadium out (seriously).
You think you love your sports team a fair bit? You ain’t got shit on Bills fans.
https://twitter.com/ItsBorys/status/939955374030979072
This is Buffalo.
We love you so much, Bills fans. #OneBuffalo pic.twitter.com/VpxL3lcoM9
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 10, 2017
RIP these blokes’ nipples.
Credit: Getty Images / Tom Szczerbowski
Makes a cricket game dashing off the field over a light drizzle seem pretty pathetic by comparison, TBH.
For the record, the Bills defended their snow, eking out a remarkable overtime win thanks to a walk-off touchdown via running back LeSean McCoy.
THE WALK OFF!#INDvsBUF #GoBills pic.twitter.com/0253rN9D6A
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 10, 2017
Football weather. How about it.
