Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Associated Press
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
It’s back to normal for the vagabond Buffalo Bills.
Finally.
The more than 6 feet of snow from the severe lake-effect storm that paralyzed much of the Buffalo region last week has mostly melted away. So has the Bills two-game skid, following a 38-3 rout of the New York Jets in a “home” game at Detroit on Monday night.
And after a much-needed day of rest Tuesday, the Bills (6-5) can turn their attention to hosting the Cleveland Browns (7-4) in a key AFC playoff showdown this weekend.
“It was just a busy, hectic week. And really this win was for the city of Buffalo, giving back for everything that they’ve been through,” receiver Robert Woods said. “It feels good, especially after a win. Now we’ve just got to get another one.”
First things first, said team president Russ Brandon.
“I’m just happy we’re home,” Brandon said, after the team returned home at 1 a.m. Tuesday, after spending the previous four days in Detroit.
“It’s great to be sitting back in Orchard Park and looking forward to preparing for Sunday.”
And, yes, Brandon expects the game against Cleveland will be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Following a tour of the facility, Brandon anticipates the stadium will be “100 percent operational,” despite experiencing some minor damage during the storm.
The problems ranged from burst pipes, to leakage, to parts of the wall separating the field from the stands being damaged during the snow-removal process. A portion of the wall of the Bills’ practice facility caved in, but has already been repaired.
Brandon said engineers found no structural issues to the stadium itself.
A weekend warmup contributed to the speedier than expected cleanup. Crews of about 500 snow-shoveling volunteers did the rest by working three shifts around the clock from Saturday morning to Monday night.
If not for the thaw, the Bills projected it would have taken until Friday to clear the 200-acre grounds of the estimated 330,000 tons of snow — enough to fill the team’s fieldhouse about 12 times over.
The Bills hope to find themselves on better footing, too, after their most lopsided win since beating Indianapolis 38-0 on Sept. 20, 1992.
Buffalo’s defense allowed a season-low 218 yards offense, and had a season-best seven sacks to up its NFL-leading total to 46. The Bills special teams produced a touchdown, when Anthony Dixon blocked Ryan Quigley’s punt, which was recovered in the end zone by Manny Lawson.
And the Kyle Orton-led offense ended a seven-plus-quarter touchdown drought. Buffalo also produced touchdowns on each of its three red-zone possessions, after going 0-for-6 in its previous two games.
Not bad for a snowbound team that didn’t have a chance to practice last week until arriving in Detroit on Friday.