BLIZZARD OF ODDS
Bills boost playoff hopes with OT win in “Buffalo weather,”
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.— The snow sure suits Shady.
LeSean McCoy scored on a 21-yard run with 1:33 left in overtime to secure the Buffalo Bills’ 13-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in a wintry, whiteout setting best suited for snow shoes and sled dogs. Mush! He finished with 156 yards rushing, a career-best in his two-plus seasons in Buffalo. And it came nearly four years to the day the former Philadelphia running back set the Eagles franchise record with 217 yards rushing, also in a snowstorm.
“Is that right?” McCoy said when reminded of his feat.
“This is probably the best snow game I have ever played in,” he said. “Now, I’m no expert at it. I just run how I feel. And that’s what I did today.”
McCoy’s touchdown led to the Bills’ sideline erupting in celebration. Some players ran on the field to make snow angels. Others playfully engaged in snowball fights.
And then there was McCoy, who was mobbed by numerous teammates in the corner of the stands, where fans tossed up handfuls of snow as if it was confetti.
McCoy’s touchdown capped Buffalo’s second possession of overtime, and after receiver Deonte Thompson reached to his right to make a 35-yard catch while being interfered with by cornerback Kenny Moore.
Three plays later, facing thirdand-2, McCoy burst through the middle, made a cut to his left and ran untouched into the end zone.
“Buffalo weather, right?” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I’ve been part of some wind and some rain games. I think we had all but sun today.”
There was even a dose of “thunder snow,” a meteorological event that occasionally accompanies lake-effect enhanced snowstorm. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed early in the third quarter, but the game was not stopped.
As much as two feet of snow was in the forecast when the storm hit about 90 minutes before kickoff. Within an hour, the flakes fell so fast that fans sitting in New Era Field’s east-end stands were unable to make out the large video scoreboard directly across from them.
Punted balls stuck in the snow. Colts receiver Chester Rogers disappeared into a snowbank in the end zone after being unable to stop on a deep pass from Jacoby Brissett. Rogers made the catch, but couldn’t keep both feet inbounds.
Mother Nature played havoc with any semblance of a game plan, leaving both teams to lean heavily on their running attacks. McCoy upped his season total to 1,007 in reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth time of his nine-season career.
Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman, starting due to an injury to Tyrod Taylor, left the game and was placed in the NFL concussion protocol after he was hit by Colts defenders Johnathan Hankins and Antonio Morrison at the end of a two-yard scramble in the third quarter. Thirdstringer Joe Webb finished the game.
The Colts were led by Frank Gore, who finished with 130 yards rushing on a career-high 36 carries.
Buffalo (7-6) stayed alive in the AFC playoff picture, while the Colts (3-10) were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
“Tough one to say the least. I’m so disappointed and sick for these guys,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said.