NFL Ref Warns Bills Fans To Stop Throwing Snowballs, Threatens Penalty Against Buffalo In Surreal Scene At Orchard Park

ORCHARD PARK -- They're going to call Saturday night's game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills the snow game for the strangest reason: snowballs!

The packed crowed at Highmark Stadium decided it would show off the local skill of snowball throwing by pelting both teams throughout the first half.

And they used the snowballs on each other, too.

Fans in the upper deck would rain down snowballs on fans in the lower bowl.

Fans in both end zones fired snow balls at Dolphins and Bills players when Buffalo scored a couple of touchdowns. Jordan Poyer was hit by one of the snowballs.

The jumbo screen at Highmark multiple times displayed a sign warning the crowd: "Do not throw any items including snow."

The message threatened ejection without refund and possible prosecution.

Yeah, that didn't work.

Both bench areas were littered with snowballs that fell just short of hitting any human targets.

It got to the point that referee Bill Vinovich announced to the crowd that if they didn't stop, the Bills would be penalized 15 yards. He did say, "please."

It may have worked.

When Salvon Ahmed scored Miami's first touchdown of the game with 2:59 to play in the half, there were no snowballs thrown.

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Armando Salguero is a national award-winning columnist and is OutKick's Senior NFL Writer. He has covered the NFL since 1990 and is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for the Associated Press All-Pro Team and Awards. Salguero, selected a top 10 columnist by the APSE, has worked for the Miami Herald, Miami News, Palm Beach Post and ESPN as a national reporter. He has also hosted morning drive radio shows in South Florida.