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Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNDec 12, 2024, 03:20 PM ET
- Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills canceled Thursday’s practice due to lake effect snow in the region ahead of Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
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The team will instead meet virtually due to unsafe conditions.
A travel ban went into effect in parts of Western New York, including Orchard Park — where the team’s facility and stadium are located — prohibiting driving on the roads. Blowing snow is a major concern with speed around 23 mph, per the National Weather Service (NWS), and gusts as high as 40 mph.
Orchard Park received about 30 inches of snow before noon on Thursday with more falling during the day. The NWS expects an accumulation of seven to 11 more inches Thursday evening.
The Bills (10-3) held a walkthrough on Wednesday. Friday — when the snow is expected to end — will be the team’s first full practice, although it is typically a shorter practice to end the week. Ahead of facing the Lions in 2022, the Bills had a game against the Cleveland Browns moved to Detroit due to weather conditions and safety concerns in Orchard Park.
Despite the lack of practice, the Bills added safety Damar Hamlin (back/ribs) to the injury report, joining safety Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) and cornerback Rasul Douglas on the list of injured starting defensive backs ahead of facing the league’s No. 1 scoring offense.
