Sean McDermott said he knew LeSean McCoy had a history of success in snow games. McCoy scored in overtime to send the Bills to a 13-7 win over the Colts (Dec. 10, 2017) Sal Maiorana
ORCHARD PARK - You would think, given that New Era Field is smack dab in the middle of a snowbelt south of Buffalo, that in the stadium’s 45-year history there would have been more games like the one that took place Sunday afternoon.
But hard as it may be to believe, rarely have there ever been more severe conditions than the ones the Bills and Colts endured in this ultimate of snow globe games.
Somehow, each team managed to score a touchdown in regulation, and the Bills were able to pull out a remarkable 13-7 overtime victory when LeSean McCoy broke a 21-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left.
The victory was vital as it keeps Buffalo firmly entrenched in the AFC playoff race with a 7-6 record.
There have been many snow games, and dozens of freezing and bitter cold games in Orchard Park, but veteran observers could not recall a game where the snow fell as hard, for the entire game, as this.
The snow began falling about an hour before kickoff, and it was so intense that the field was soon covered, never to be seen again. From the press box, the huge scoreboard at the far end of the field could not be seen, and as warmups went on, the Colts, in their all-white uniforms, were invisible. The Bills wore their all-red color rush uniforms, and they were tough to make out, too.
![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
1 of 64![Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle, center, celebrates]()
2 of 64![Indianapolis Colts strong safety Matthias Farley (41)]()
3 of 64![Indianapolis Colts strong safety Matthias Farley (41)]()
4 of 64![Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott gestures during]()
5 of 64![Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy runs for a]()
6 of 64![The Buffalo Bills celebrate after scoring the winning]()
7 of 64![Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy reacts after]()
8 of 64![Buffalo Bills players make snow angels after beating]()
9 of 64![Buffalo Bills offensive guard Vladimir Ducasse makes]()
10 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
11 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
12 of 64![Teammates smother LeSean McCoy after he scored the]()
13 of 64![Bills LeSean McCoy scores the winning touchdown in]()
14 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: LeSean McCoy #25 of]()
15 of 64![Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, center,]()
16 of 64![Buffalo Bills fullback Mike Tolbert, left, tries to]()
17 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Marlon Mack #25 of]()
18 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Chris Milton #28 of]()
19 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Marlon Mack #25 of]()
20 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Head Coach Sean McDermott]()
21 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Kelvin Benjamin #13]()
22 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Joe Webb looks to throw during]()
23 of 64![Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle scores a touchdown]()
24 of 64![Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri (4) reacts]()
25 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: A Buffalo Bills fan]()
26 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman is helped]()
27 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman is helped]()
28 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman is helped]()
29 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman (2) is helped]()
30 of 64![Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White reacts during]()
31 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Workers blow snow off]()
32 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Marlon Mack #25 of]()
33 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Marlon Mack #25 of]()
34 of 64![Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy runs the ball]()
35 of 64![Buffalo Bills defensive back Shamarko Thomas, left,]()
36 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman throws the]()
37 of 64![Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy runs the ball]()
38 of 64![Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott during the]()
39 of 64![Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin scores]()
40 of 64![Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano, right, chases]()
41 of 64![Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin catches]()
42 of 64![Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin scores]()
43 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
44 of 64![Buffalo Bills' Kelvin Benjamin catches a touchdown]()
45 of 64![Buffalo Bills' Kelvin Benjamin catches a touchdown]()
46 of 64![Buffalo Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin celebrates]()
47 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
48 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman, second from]()
49 of 64![Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy, left, runs]()
50 of 64![Indianapolis Colts' Marlon Mack runs the ball during]()
51 of 64![The Buffalo Bills play against the Indianapolis Colts]()
52 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: /Adam Vinatieri #4]()
53 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Fans hold up a sign]()
54 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Indianapolis Colts]()
55 of 64![Buffalo Bills' LeSean McCoy, center, runs the ball]()
56 of 64![Buffalo Bills' Kelvin Benjamin makes a catch during]()
57 of 64![Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman passes during]()
58 of 64![Buffalo Bills' Kelvin Benjamin, second from left, makes]()
59 of 64![Fans watch during the first half of an NFL football]()
60 of 64![Buffalo Bills' Charles Clay, left, tries to make a]()
61 of 64![Indianapolis Colts' Frank Gore, left, runs the ball]()
62 of 64![ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Buffalo Bills players]()
63 of 64![Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills]()
64 of 64
When the game began, the conditions stayed abhorrent and passing the ball was near impossible. Not that running it was much easier because the backs could not get any footing, and the result was 22 bodies just banging into each other.
For reference, the 2007 game in Cleveland, played in a blizzard, comes closest to this. In that game, Browns kicker Phil Dawson made two incredible field goals and the Browns also recorded a safety for an 8-0 victory.
Indianapolis had the first scoring chance as it drove to the Bills' 15 on its first possession, but Adam Vinatieri badly missed a 32-yard field goal at a time when the wind was whipping viciously and the snow was driving down.
Neither team could do a thing for most of the rest of the half, and when the Bills took possession at their own 20 with 1:42 remaining, a touchdown was about the furthest thing on anyone’s mind.
Instead, McCoy broke two runs on back-to-back plays for 23 and 25 yards, and suddenly the Bills had life at the Colts' 32. Two more runs netted three yards, and then came the two biggest plays of the game. On third-and-7, Nathan Peterman threw a gorgeous pass down the right sideline and 6-foot-4 Kelvin Benjamin went up to catch the ball over Colts cornerback Kenny Moore for a 21-yard gain.
On the next play, Benjamin ran a fade to the right corner and Peterman lofted another beauty which Benjamin leaped to catch for the score. Stephen Hauschka was able to make the extra point a 7-0 lead.
In the third quarter, both offenses went into the freezer again as the teams combined for three first downs.
But in the fourth quarter, the Colts went on an epic 19-play, 77-yard drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes. They converted two third-and-longs, two fourth downs, and finally scored when Jacoby Brissett threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle with 1:16 left.
The Colts then went for the win, and Brissett hit Doyle for the two-point conversion, but it was wiped out by an offensive pass interference penalty. With no option, the Colts had to try a 43-yard extra point, into the wind and snow, and Vinatieri somehow made it, one of the greatest kicks you’ll ever see given the conditions.
Both teams punted on one possession in overtime, and the Bills took possession at their own 35 with 2:25 to go. Here, Webb made one of the plays of the game, hitting Deonte Thompson with a 35-yard pass to the Colts 27.
From there, McCoy ran twice and then, on third-and-4, he broke through the middle and took it to the house to win the game.
MAIORANA@Gannett.com
Join the Nation's Conversation
To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs