The Most Memorable Snow Games at Rich Stadium

David Hegler
2 days ago
5 min read

As the NFL season comes to a close, snow often decorates many of the home fields on the East Coast. Whether it's a light flutter or a heavy flurry, the added element always leaves spectators in awe. Since the city of Buffalo usually endures the most snow, its football stadium has become synonymous with snow. Now that Highmark (né Rich) Stadium is closing its doors, it's only fitting that we take a look back at its most memorable moments in the snow.

1/12/1991: Bills vs Dolphins

From the outset, this game was set up to be a good one. Coach Don Shula led his troops from balmy Miami into the fray at chilly (31 degrees, 12 mph winds) Rich Stadium where Marv Levy and his band of Hall of Famers were waiting. It was a clash of two frenetic offenses with Dan Marino enjoying the services of Mark Duper and Mark Clayton while Jim Kelly had a trifecta of good fortune in receivers Andre Reed and James Lofton as well as one of the most versatile running backs of the era, Thurman Thomas.

Reed got the party started early with a 40-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. After Pete Stoyanovich nailed a 49-yard field goal, Buffalo's Scott Norwood hit field goals of 34 and 22 yards before Thurman Thomas could put the cherry on top with a five-yard dash into the end zone to give the Bills a 20-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Sensing his season slipping away, Dan Marino quickly found Mark Duper for an exhilarating 64-yard bomb to cut the deficit down to ten points. This set off a furious back-and-forth where James Lofton and Marino each scored to end the half with the Bills up 27-17.

While the game had started with hardly any while on the ground, by the time the second half got underway, Rich Stadium's green turf had begun to turn a shade of white that only got more dense as the game went along.

The third quarter was relatively quiet for the two high-flying offenses as the teams managed to simply trade a pair of field goals. The fourth quarter began spectacularly when Marino found guard Roy foster for a two-yard touchdown, making the score 30-27, Bills. Not wanting to give up the lead, Thurman Thomas quickly scored on a five-yard scamper and Andre Reed followed suit with a 26-yard dagger right into the heart of Miami. The Bills won the game 44-34.

1/3/2010: Bills beat Colts 30-7

After beginning the year 14-0, the Indianapolis Colts elected to rest most of their starters, essentially forfeiting the final two games of the regular season. However, they did play their starters for a spell and the Bills were eager to show them up. Sitting at 5-10, the Bills had been eliminated from playoff contention weeks earlier. At that point of time, all that they had left was their pride.

Fleet-footed running back Fred Jackson (33 carries for 212 yards) started the scoring barrage early in the first quarter by turning Ryan Fitzpatrick's throw into an 11-yard touchdown. The Colts answered right back with a one-yard plunge by Mike Hart. Lee Evans (21 yards) and Terrell Owens (41 yards) each scored a touchdown in the second quarter before Rian Lindell's 31-yard field goal extended the lead to 17 points. Two more field goals by Lindell in the third put the game out of reach.

All told, league MVP Peyton Manning completed just 14 of 18 passes for 95 yards and an interception while his backup Curtis Painter completed just four of 17 pass for 39 yards and another interception. On the other side of the field, Ryan Fitzpatrick was good enough for the victory, completing 16 of 25 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns, all while posting a sizzling 120.8 passer rating.

12/11/2016: Bills vs Steelers

Snow games have a way of separating the men from the boys, revealing a team's capacity for the colder climate. Every once in a while, the conditions unveil a player's special talent. Steelers running back LeVeon Bell owned this game. He carried the ball over the goal line three times while rumbling 38 times for 236 yards and catching four passes for an additional 62 yards.

The two teams were clearly on separate tracks with the Steelers on their way to the playoffs while the Bills would finish the year out of the postseason for the 17th straight year. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Steelers were ahead 24-7 when the Bills made an attempt at a comeback, scoring 13 unanswered points to end the game with a 27-20 loss.

12/10/2017 -The Snow Bowl

The city of Buffalo was buried under 16 inches of snow that day while eight t0 nine of those inches fell on Rich Stadium's turf throughout Buffalo's game against the Indianapolis Colts. It was a true winter wonderland as many could hardly tell where the all-white Colts were on the field. Still, it was a defensive masterpiece by both squads all game long.

The game was tied 0-0 late in the second quarter when Nathan Peterman found Kelvin Benjamin in the end zone to give the Bills a 7-0 halftime lead. Back and forth the two squads went and still thee score remained 7-0 with time running out. Finally, with less than two minutes left, Jacoby Brissett threw a three-yard strike to Jack Doyle to send the game into overtime. Late in overtime, Bills running back LeSean McCoy rumbled 21-yards for the deciding touchdown. The Bills won 13-7.

12/17/2022 -Bills vs Dolphins

The seven inches of snow that fell before the game slowed the Miami Dolphins warp-speed offense just enough for the bills to come out victorious. Still, the game grew into a shootout by the fourth quarter. Late in the game, with the scored tied at 29, the crowd sang "Let it Snow" as the snow covered the field. Tyler Bass's 25-yard field goal gave Buffalo a hard fought 32-29 victory.

12/1/2024 -Bills vs 49ers

A blizzard hit Buffalo hard before the game, with 20-24' of snow blanketing the city. The Bills continued a longstanding tradition by hiring fans for $20 an hour to clear the stadium of snow before the game. After the 49ers Jake Moody gave San Francisco a 3-0 lead, the Bills took over the rest of the game. They led 21-3 at thee half,

Midway through the third quarter, Josh Allen threw a pass to Amari Cooper deep in the red zone. Once Cooper was wrapped up by a 49ers defender, he pitched Allen the ball and watched as that year's league MVP dove into the end zone for one of the most unique touchdowns of the season. After the Bills secured the 35-10 victory, Josh Allen and coach Sean McDermott made snow angels right there on the field to celebrate clinching the AFC East.

References

The Most Memorable Snow Games at Rich Stadium

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