ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It was about this time two years ago when Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Western New York native and longtime Buffalo Bills fan, issued a warning to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Patrick Mahomes, you've got nothing on Josh Allen. You are in trouble, my friend. I don't mind trash-talking you every day of the week, because we're going to take you down!" Hochul said on Jan. 22, 2022, one day before the infamous "13 seconds" game, where the Bills lost 42-36 in overtime in Kansas City.
Now the New York governor is issuing another lighthearted warning, this one for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are considered a heavy underdog this weekend.
"One final bit of advice, and this one's for our friends who are thinking about traveling from Pittsburgh to watch the game," Hochul said Thursday during a news briefing about the arriving winter storm this weekend.
"We think it's just better if you stay home and tune in on television. It will be safer for all of us. It's going to be a rough game for you anyhow."
The Bills and Steelers meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium in an AFC wild card game.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh have met three times in the NFL postseason, but this will be the first time the Bills will be the home team. The winner in each of the previous three playoff meetings advanced to the Super Bowl.
The Steelers won 32-14 in 1974 before making their first Super Bowl. The Bills won 24-3 back in 1993, and Pittsburgh won the last time, 40-21 in 1996.