Bills cancel practice over snow, meet virtually

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In the hours aft the determination was made to determination the Buffalo Bills' location crippled against the Cleveland Browns to Ford Field successful Detroit, the country surrounding Highmark Stadium received 3 feet of snowfall with much expected to fall.

The Bills made the determination to cancel Friday's signifier for the information of players and staff; however, the squad is gathering virtually. A fistful of players who unrecorded successful the country of Orchard Park, New York, are among those without power. The crippled remains scheduled for Sunday astatine 1 p.m. ET connected CBS.

"I privation to marque definite I tin look guys successful the oculus and astir of the guys were capable to get on, unit included," manager Sean McDermott said of the team's greeting Zoom. "But for the astir portion everyone looked similar they were harmless and doing well. Sometimes things get a small spot bigger than shot and past I deliberation the happening we besides person to recognize and retrieve is that there's radical retired determination that are moving successful this and having to get to hospitals and whatnot.

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"So, there's a batch a batch much going connected that's much important than shot today."

The Bills are inactive expecting to question to Detroit connected Saturday but whitethorn person to propulsion backmost the team's mean distant crippled docket from the emblematic 1 p.m. ET departure clip due to the fact that of the snowfall expected Friday and overnight into Saturday. The squad wants to springiness players clip to get retired of their homes and marque definite their families are safe.

"Playing a small spot of a wait-and-see crippled close present but anticipating having to determination immoderate things backmost successful the greeting if [the snow] does dilatory down," McDermott said. "Which that's the latest we're hearing, is it's expected to dilatory down aboriginal time greeting astir the stadium present and successful Orchard Park and whatnot, and past springiness guys clip to excavation out, marque definite their families are good, and past we'll caput into the facility, astir apt successful a moved backmost schedule, conscionable to let for that."

The squad will, however, beryllium without linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (groin/heel), antiaircraft extremity Greg Rousseau (high ankle sprain) and cornerback Tre'Davious White for the game, per McDermott. White has present been connected the progressive roster for 3 weeks aft 21-day signifier model connected the PUP database ended but has yet to play. He has not been listed connected the team's wounded study arsenic helium continues to enactment his mode backmost from a torn ACL.

"[White's] conscionable not acceptable to play," McDermott said.

Safety Jordan Poyer (elbow), cornerback Kaiir Elam and fullback Reggie Gilliam (illness) are each questionable for the game. If the Bills had practiced Friday, Poyer and Elam would person been afloat participants, which is simply a affirmative motion for their imaginable availability Sunday.

The squad besides placed wide receiver Jake Kumerow (ankle) connected injured reserve and claimed linebacker A.J. Klein connected waivers from the Chicago Bears. Klein was with the Bills from 2020-2021.

The determination was made to not permission for Detroit sooner due to the fact that the alteration successful venue wasn't reached until Thursday afternoon. General manager Brandon Beane said if it had been made sooner, possibly they would person considered the squad leaving earlier the tempest started Thursday night. The squad decided to instrumentality to arsenic adjacent to their mean away-game regular arsenic possible.

The program is to instrumentality aft Sunday's crippled and walk a mates of days astatine the installation earlier heading backmost to Detroit connected Wednesday to play the Lions connected Thanksgiving.

"Sean [McDermott] does a large occupation of messaging and making definite our guys understand," Beane said. "It's inactive going to beryllium a shot game. Everything other the same. It's a abbreviated flight. We're going to effort to support it arsenic regular arsenic possible. Is it a small disruption? Yes. But I deliberation our guys are pros. They recognize it."

The Bills practiced indoors Wednesday due to the fact that of weather, but held much idiosyncratic periods than a mean signifier due to the fact that they did not person capable players arsenic a effect of wounded and illness. The squad is expecting to get the players dealing with unwellness backmost for the crippled with Gilliam the lone 1 with an wounded designation.

They practiced extracurricular Thursday successful anticipation of the crippled being held successful Orchard Park and held an further walk-through Thursday aft the determination was made to determination the game.

"The determination to determination the crippled to Detroit has everything to bash astir safety," Bills enforcement vice president and main operating serviceman Ron Raccuia said. "Safety archetypal has been what we've been talking astir here, truly for the past 48 to 72 hours."