The Dolphins’ loss to the Bills in Week 18 not only cost them a division title, it also cost them the right to host a wild-card game. If there’s one team that could have really taken advantage of home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, it’s Miami.
Instead of playing at home this week, the Dolphins will hit the road for a game in Kansas City, and if they want to advance to the divisional round, they’ll have to do something they haven’t done in seven years: win a cold weather game.
The Dolphins are arguably the worst cold weather team in the NFL, and if you need proof, just look at their recent history: In their last 10 games where the kickoff temperature was 40 degrees or lower, the Dolphins went 0-10, and they lost those 10 games by an average of 17 points.
The current forecast in Kansas City calls for a kickoff temperature of around nine degrees for Saturday’s game, which begins at 7:15 p.m. CT. Not only is the temperature WELL below 40 degrees, but this could go down as the coldest game in Dolphins history.
The Dolphins’ coldest game was in Kansas City in 2008, on a day when the temperature was 10 degrees at kickoff.
Here’s a look at how the Dolphins performed in their last 10 games where the kickoff temperature was 40 degrees or colder:
|
Steelers 30-12 against Dolphins |
17 degrees |
January 8, 2017 |
|
Dolphin Bills 24-16 |
22 degrees |
December 17, 2017 |
|
Chiefs 29-13 vs. Dolphins |
23 degrees |
December 24, 2017 |
|
Packers 31-12 against Dolphins |
33 degrees |
November 11, 2018 |
|
Dolphin Bills 42-17 |
33 degrees |
December 30, 2018 |
|
Browns 41-24 against Dolphins |
39 degrees |
November 24, 2019 |
|
Dolphin Bills 56-26 |
35 degrees |
January 3, 2021 |
|
49ers 33-17 vs. Dolphins |
38 degrees |
December 4, 2022 |
|
Dolphin Bills 32-29 |
29 degrees |
December 17, 2022 |
|
Dolphin Bills 34-31 |
27 degrees |
January 15, 2023 |
This losing streak dates back seven years, meaning most of the current players haven’t been around for the entire streak. However, head coach Mike McDaniel was unable to stop the streak. The Dolphins coach is 0-3 in cold weather, and things aren’t looking much better for Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua is 0-4 in all games where the kickoff temperature is below 45 degrees, and in those four games he has had a passer rating of just 71.8 while only completing 55.5% of his passes, both of which are well below his career average of 97.1 and 66.9%. He also turned the ball over five times in those games, compared to just four touchdown passes.
The problem for the Dolphins is that there is simply no way to simulate the weather they will face in Kansas City. Temperatures in Miami this week will be in the mid-70s, meaning the Dolphins will practice in mild weather. Even if they work out indoors and turn on the air conditioning, it will probably only take them back to the 60s.
Not only are the Dolphins forced to play in cold weather, but they will face a Chiefs team that seems to thrive in the cold. In their last 10 home games where the temperature was below 40 degrees, the Chiefs were 9-1, including 4-0 in the playoffs.
