A snow-removal mishap Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y., heralded a potential headache for NFL groundskeepers around the nation.
The second-half kickoff in the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers was delayed seven minutes after rubber pellets which backfill the artificial turf at New Era Field overtook large swathes of the field, including the sidelines and bench areas. Buffalo’s groundskeepers used leaf blowers and shovels to clear the playing area of the rubber pellets.
Blame lies with a snow-removal tractor that scooped up the precipitation and then some.
The Bills explained what happened, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
Play eventually resumed, and the Steelers went on to win 27-20.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
