Buffalo Bills once again request fans to help shovel snow ahead of playoff showdown against Kansas City Chiefs

By Sam Joseph, CNN

(CNN) — The Buffalo Bills turned up the heat in the Wild Card round, downing the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17, but the winter weather still has Highmark Stadium firmly in its grasp.

Ahead of the Bills’ divisional round match-up against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo has asked for more volunteers to help clear the stadium of snow “in order to provide a safe venue” for Sunday’s game.

Volunteers will be paid $20 per hour and “a comfortable warm break area will be provided.”

The Bills had previously put out a request on their website and social media channels for shovelers ahead of their first-round playoff game against the Steelers after a winter storm enveloped western New York over the weekend.

The game was scheduled to take place on Sunday but was delayed by a day due to what the NFL described as an “ongoing weather emergency.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the decision on X, formerly known as Twitter, and posted a video of Orchard Park being ravaged by the storm.

After the storm had subsided, the Bills requested fan help overnight and through the morning to help clear the snow, providing volunteers with breakfast and drinks in addition to the hourly rate. With the field cleared, the game went ahead on Monday after a remarkable effort from those involved which was described as “admirable” by Bills head coach Sean McDermott.

Despite the work, however, much of the seating in the stadium was still coated in snow, with fans having to make their way through the conditions ahead of kick-off. One Steelers fan was seen using his body to plow his way through the snow in order to get to his seat.

Buffalo braved the cold though, coming away with the win after a four-touchdown performance from star quarterback Josh Allen to set up a meeting on Sunday with the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

The sight of snow being tossed into the air by fans accompanied each scoring play as the home team, seeking its first Vince Lombardi Trophy controlled proceedings against Pittsburgh.

“Bills Mafia showed up,” McDermott said after the game. “I know that there wasn’t always clean seats to sit on, but it didn’t seem like it mattered to them, so I applaud (them).”

The Bills and the Chiefs, seeded No. 2 and No. 3 respectively, last met in December, when a costly offsides penalty erased a potentially game-winning touchdown from Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney, allowing Buffalo to escape with the victory.

Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, a two-time MVP, is set to play his first ever road playoff game, after only ever taking the field at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium or at a neutral Super Bowl venue in the postseason.

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