Jets vs. Bills: Possible Alternate Venues

As of now the Bills say Sunday's game is on at its original time and venue. Whether that remains the case will be determined in the next day or two. The NFL is no stranger to needing to reschedule and even at times move games on short notice for weather and other reasons. Given the practice time the Bills missed, it might be possible this game will be moved back to Monday. Four years ago the league even moved back a game between the Eagles and the Vikings from Sunday to Tuesday.

If any city in America is equipped to move vast amounts of snow in a short time, it's Buffalo. If the city pulls this off and keeps the game, the Jets are probably going to be walking into the most intense road venue they will face all season. In the event the game needs to be moved, here are some potential alternate venues.

Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON)

It's a short distance away from Buffalo, and it has hosted Bills games since 2008. The stadium's schedule appears to be open. Two potential obstacles might be the logistics of getting the teams across the border in such a short timeframe and the willingness to put an NFL game in Canada the weekend of the CFL's Division Finals.

Carrier Dome (Syracuse, NY)

The home of the Syracuse Orange is only around 150 miles away from Buffalo. It might not be available, though, due to a minor league hockey game Saturday. Perhaps the NFL could get enough extra bodies there in theory to make the clean up happen at warp speed, but there would be enough logistical hurdles here without adding an extra one.

Ford Field (Detroit, MI)

Buffalo to Detroit is only around a 250 mile hop over Southern Ontario. The Lions aren't home this weekend, and Ford Field has already pulled off a game on short notice. In 2010 a game between the Giants and Vikings was moved there on one day's notice after the Metrodome roof collapsed as the result of a snowstorm.

Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, PA)

It is under 250 miles from Buffalo to Pittsburgh. The big problem would be the condition of the field. Heinz Field is notorious for its bad turf, and this is going to be a busy weekend. Four high school games are scheduled for Friday, and the University of Pittsburgh has a game Saturday. The field is probably not going to be in great shape for another game.

FirstEnergy Stadium (Cleveland, OH)

Cleveland is on Lake Erie less than 200 miles from Buffalo. The Browns are on the road the next two weekends.

MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

It's just a guess, but I imagine this would be an absolute last resort. It wouldn't be in anybody's interest to play this game in the Meadowlands. Would the NFL really feel good about making a competitive Bills team play both games against a division rival on the road? Given the state of the Jets, it is difficult to imagine many people buying tickets at the last minute. It would likely be an embarrassingly empty stadium, and many who did come would be disgruntled. The Jets could also potentially end up with the rare distinction of losing two games in their home stadium to the same team. There is precedent here. The league moved the Saints' home opener against the Giants to the Meadowlands in 2005. The Saints wore their home uniforms and had their name painted in the end zone, but it was a bad experience. I imagine the NFL would like to avoid a repeat.

The Giants play at home Sunday night so under this scenario the game would have to be moved to a different date. No, the league wouldn't have the Jets play at home in the early afternoon and the Giants at night. The NFL has stated that if the Jets and Giants ever both hosted conference championship games, they would be played on different days.

Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)

Here's a wild card. Yankee Stadium will be configured for football this weekend due as it hosts the 150th game between rivals Lehigh and Lafayette. The new stadium has never hosted an NFL game, but the old stadium in the shadows was home to multiple professional football teams. It also was the site of some great moments in college and pro football. The legendary 1958 NFL Championship Game was played there. Ultimately this would create many of the same issues as holding the game in the Meadowlands, but it could draw some interest from a novelty and nostalgia perspective.