NFL monitoring snowstorm situation ahead of Browns-Bills game

Weather forecasts aren't improving as it pertains to Sunday's showdown between the 3-6 Cleveland Browns and 6-3 Buffalo Bills held in Western New York. 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, chief NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy has confirmed the league is keeping an eye on the situation as a worrisome snowstorm continues to appear destined to impact Buffalo's Highmark Stadium and the region. 

"We continue to monitor the weather and have been in contact with both clubs," McCarthy said in an email. 

On Wednesday afternoon, Victoria E. Freile of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle noted that "several feet of snow" could fall on the Buffalo area between Wednesday evening and early Saturday morning. AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff has said that "record-setting amounts of three-to-six feet" of lake-effect snow could fall ahead of Sunday's scheduled kickoff. 

"But forecasters say that Orchard Park is right on the dividing line to northern Erie County, where heavy lake-effect snow is expected to continue through early Sunday afternoon," Freile added. "So it's possible that heavy lake-effect snow could still be falling as the game is set to start, according to the Weather Service." 

Forecasters hope to have a better understanding of what is to come by Thursday or Friday at the latest. 

If the snow wasn't bad enough, wind gusts could reach 35 mph during the storm. Thus, ticketholders could be asked or possibly required to remain off roads that lead to the stadium through early Sunday afternoon. 

Florio explained that the NFL postponed a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles from a Sunday to a Tuesday because of snow back in December 2010. In January 2017, a playoff contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs was delayed due to inclement weather. 

In non-weather-related news, ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg mentioned that five Buffalo players missed Wednesday's practice because of illness.