Getty Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on during a game against the Cleveland Browns.
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott was able to escape blizzard-trapped Buffalo, but his thoughts were with all the fans still trapped in the after-effects of the region’s record-breaking storm.
The Bills had their game moved from Buffalo to Detroit this week in advance of what became a major winter storm, dumping more than six feet of snow in Buffalo’s southern suburbs and crippling the region. The team was able to overcome the difficult week, beating the Cleveland Browns 31-23 thanks to a big day from kicker Tyler Bass.
After the win, McDermott delivered a message to the Bills fans still stuck in the storm.
McDermott Dedicates Win to Fans
The Bills had a tense week, starting even before the record-breaking storm came off Lake Erie. They were unable to practice on Wednesday after a non-COVID injury hit several players, then learned on Thursday that their game would be moved to Detroit. They were unable to practice again on Friday, as Erie County was declared a state of emergency and a ban placed on non-essential travel.
The team escaped the region on Saturday to travel to Detroit, but many in the region were still trying to dig out. After Sunday’s game, McDermott said his thoughts were with those still dealing with the after-effects of the blizzard.
“Everyone who’s back in Buffalo still digging out, that was for you,” he said.
Many fans played an active role in helping the team make it out of Buffalo and to Detroit on Saturday. Several members of the Bills had driveways buried in snow, with neighbors helping them dig out to make it to the airport.
The City of Good Neighbors always comes through. 💙
Bills Get Back on Track
After consecutive losses including a heartbreaking 33-30 overtime defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on November 20, the Bills got back on track with Sunday’s win. Though they started slow, punting on two of the first three drives of the game, they scored on all seven drives to end the game.
The location change may have given the Bills a benefit. Though several drives stalled short of the red zone, Bass came through with a franchise-record tying six field goals — a feat that may have been very difficult in the cold and wind of Orchard Park.
McDermott said after the game that the trying circumstances may have helped give the team a bit of extra motivation.
“When you go through a shared experience like this, it can bring a team closer together,” McDermott said.
Allen had a bounce-back performance as well. After throwing two interceptions in each of the team’s last two games, he had no turnovers on Sunday, completing 18 of 27 passes with one touchdown.
It was instead the Bills’ run game that took over, with rookie James Cook rushing for a career-high 86 yards. Devin Singletary added 86 yards and a touchdown.
Devin Singletary walked a quarter mile through waist deep snow to make his ride to the #Bills plane.
He’s ready to go in Detroit.
Singletary may have had an even more impressive run before the game. As WROC-TV’s Thad Brown reported, he had to walk a quarter of a mile through waist-deep snow in order to get to his ride to the airport on Saturday.
The Bills will now fly back to Buffalo for a short week before returning to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day game.