The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled together as a team to finish the 2023 season with three straight wins, earning them a very unexpected Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. With the game originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, weather reports showed a massive storm bringing apparently impassable snow with it. On Saturday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Wild Game would be moved to Monday at 4:30 PM EST. As upset as many fans are over the news, this might not be the last change this game sees.
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Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills 2023 Wild Card matchup was already moved once due to weather, and another move could be on its way
Steelers' Wild Card Matchup Could Be Moved Yet Again
As fans in both Buffalo and Pittsburgh scramble to adjust to the new game day and time, Pittsburgh may not be done moving things around if the weather continues to be an issue. While the snow is reported to be less of a concern on Monday, there is no guarantee that the storm will have passed or eased by then.
Tim Graham of The Athletic posted on X/Twitter soon after the game change was announced and put another twist on an already frustrating situation. If the weather doesn't calm to a point where the state believes safety is no longer an issue, then another move to a Tuesday game is a legitimate possibility. As angry as the idea of yet another change to Pittsburgh's Wild Card game will make fans, the focus will be on the ability for people to safely travel rather than appeasing either city's fan base.
Two of my sources say Tuesday still very much in play for Steelers at Bills playoff game.
— Tim Graham (@ByTimGraham) January 13, 2024
Check all the latest updates from @TheAthletic team here in the coming hours (AND DAYS) … https://t.co/x7NE6d3g17
Had the Steelers and Bills kept the original schedule, they would have been trying to battle in more than seven inches of snow. While the general expectation is that NFL teams adjust to the weather they are handed, in this case, the worry extends beyond the players on the field. Concerns about the television cameras being able to actually capture any of the action became a reality. With all the issues piling up, the safest and smartest choice was to move the game to Monday.
The forecast for Monday shows a slight increase in temperature, but it's the snowfall that is the main focus. NFL teams play through all kinds of challenging weather, but if there isn't a sufficient decrease in the concern for safety, then fans could get a second shift with which they will again need to adjust. While it isn't what anyone would want, until there is assurance that a safe, watchable game will be presented, nothing is set in stone.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris understands that for the 2023 season to be successful, the team has to stick together
Steelers Are Prepared For Any Changes That Happen
It has certainly been a whirlwind for the 2023 Steelers over the past few weeks. Prior to their Week 16 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh was flailing about and had given up the chance to control their own playoff destiny. A three-game losing streak against lower-end teams was where most people counted the Steelers out and began looking ahead to 2024.
Mason Rudolph had other plans, though, and with Najee Harris and a reenergized offensive line, the Steelers won their final three games to get to 10-7. No one outside of Pittsburgh sees this team as a possible Super Bowl contender, but then again, no one saw the Steelers even being a playoff team in the first place.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph has handled his challenges with maturity and now has a chance to prove he was always worth the draft pick
Most of the 2023 season was about the Steelers underperforming against expectations. Offensive struggles, the Matt Canada debacle, a lack of production from a second-year Kenny Pickett, and a slew of injuries, had Pittsburgh reeling more often than not. Despite the ridiculous amount of doubters, Mike Tomlin took a patchwork team and somehow got them to become a genuine playoff football team. What was a sad story about a once-proud franchise now fallen has become a tale of resurgence and resiliency, not to mention Rudolph's comeback narrative.
There is no sure thing in the NFL playoffs, as the changes with the Wild Card game already show. The Steelers are riding a wave of momentum and positive energy, but is it enough to help them upset the Bills? Could the 2023 Steelers actually be poised to make a deep playoff run? Until the game happens, questions are all that exist, but there is one thing for sure: this Tomlin-led team will be prepared, no matter what.
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