Why was the Bills vs Jets game delayed today?

The game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets on Sunday was delayed for about 12 minutes due to a malfunctioning overhead remote camera. It happened in the third quarter with the Bills leading 14-10. The Jets had the ball and Zach Wilson was leading them on a drive when the incident occurred.

The errant SkyCam refused to come under control and hovered over the field, bobbing up and down in space. It was finally corralled by a camera operator to put an end to the bizarre spectacle.

However, it had the effect of breaking the offensive momentum of the Jets as they were immediately penalized for a false start thereafter. Later, Von Miller strip-sacked Zach Wilson, which was recovered by AJ Epenesa to give the Bills the ball.

The Jets would, though, go on to score a touchdown later in the quarter. Had they not recovered to beat the Buffalo Bills 20-17, this particular incident would have been discussed further. Instead, thankfully, we are left talking about a phenomenal performance and win by them.

Bills vs Jets not the first instance of technology failing in the NFL

With technology, we have seen a marked improvement in how the NFL is played and watched. For example, helmet audio technology, in force since 1994, allows coaches to reach their quarterbacks and defensive captains on the field. However, from time to time, it fails and can lead to frustration for a team.

While the above example is limited to player-coach communications, there have been instances of technology delaying games like it did today. Perhaps the best-known example was during the biggest stage of them all: the Super Bowl.

In Super Bowl XLVII, as the Baltimore Ravens played the San Francisco 49ers, and the lights went out in the Superdome. The game was delayed for 34 minutes.

NFL broadcast issues are not even new to the current era. One of the most famous examples of a botched broadcast is the 'Heidi Game'.

On November 17, 1968, the Oakland Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes to triumph against the New York Jets. But the game ran past its allotted 4-7 PM slot.

Network executives were already scheduled to run the TV film Heidi after 7 PM, which they did, much to the chagrin of watching fans. Network superiors could not reach the executives to change the decision either, as irate fans had jammed the NBC telephone switchboards with complaint calls.

Ultimately, whatever era, the very best of technology is what makes the NFL experience come alive. From time to time, there will be glitches though.