ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Winds gusting up to 75 mph tore a strip off the Bills' practice fieldhouse and tilted both goal posts inside Ralph Wilson Stadium prior to Buffalo's game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Though the blustery conditions aren't expected to delay the start of the 1 p.m. ET game, work crews used ropes and a forklift to re-secure and re-center the goal posts, which shook heavily in the wind.
Very strong gusts occurred at about 8:30 a.m., when they tore a strip 2 feet wide and more than 50 feet long off the metal roof of the 12-story fieldhouse across the parking lot from the stadium. There was damage reported inside the facility, but no one was injured. Pregame events inside the fieldhouse were canceled.
The winds also tore off part of a goal post on the Bills' outdoor practice field next to the fieldhouse.
The defending AFC champion Patriots (10-5) need to beat Buffalo (7-8) in the season finale, and require help -- with either a Miami or Baltimore loss -- to secure their sixth straight playoff berth.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Buffalo region, with the strongest winds projected to occur from late morning through late afternoon.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
