The weather has been talked about all week regarding the Buffalo Bills’ upcoming wild-card matchup with the New England Patriots.
Playing a part there is the first time these two AFC East rivals met. In that outing, extreme weather via wind appeared to hamper the Bills (11-6) while helping the Patriots (10-7)., a game New England won.
Gor defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, the forecast nor the first match between these two is playing a part at all.
In fact, he had the most Buffalo-like answer possible when discussing the freezing temperatures that are being forecasted this weekend.
Worried? Nope. Nothing weather-wise will affect this man.
“I think it’s so funny how we try to find a narrative in these weeks and stuff. I mean look, the weather is completely out of our control and who gives a s— if it’s cold? Let’s just play football,” Phillips said via video conference. “If it’s four degrees, nine degrees, 20 degrees, it doesn’t matter, let’s just play the game.”
That mindset will be appreciated by western New Yorkers rooting on the Bills. Specifically by those who will be attending the contest and battling the elements with the players at Highmark Stadium.
One could expect that Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott likes this mindset from Phillips. Above all else, it shows he’s ready to go.
But that doesn’t mean the coach isn’t going to… coach.
McDermott acknowledged himself that preparations were underway for the weather. On Thursday, the Bills were practicing outside during a cold but not quite freezing afternoon.
Because it’s slated to be even chillier come Saturday, McDermott said the coaching staff froze balls even more than they already were for practice.
Aside from that, McDermott didn’t overcomplicate it much more than. He knows that many of us can understand the elements and difficulties ahead.
“Even when growing up playing in the backyard and it’s cold, I’m sure in Buffalo for a lot of people out there it’s the case at this time of the year. Trying to be out there and just playing touch football and tackle or whatever,” McDermott said via video conference. “Just trying to make sure we adapt our guys to that.”
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