If the Dolphins had beaten the Bills in Week 18, they would be preparing to play a wild-card game in balmy Miami weather, but due to their loss, they now head to Kansas City for what will likely be the coldest game in franchise history.
When the Dolphins and Chiefs kick off Saturday night, the temperature is expected to be around 5 degrees with a wind chill of -10, according to the National Weather Service. If that projection holds true, this will become the coldest game the Dolphins have ever played, which isn’t good news for them considering they’ve lost 10 straight games when kickoff temperatures is 40 degrees or less (you you can read more about it here).
In a strange coincidence, the game that currently holds the title for coldest game in Dolphins history was played in Kansas City in 2008, on a day when the temperature was 10 degrees at kickoff. Unless the forecast changes drastically by Saturday, it’s a safe bet the record will fall.
If the kickoff temperature drops to 5 degrees, Saturday’s game will become the coldest game the NFL has seen since December 2016.
At the start of the week, the expected temperature at kickoff was around 10 degrees, but that number has dropped over the past two days and if it continues to drop, the Chiefs could also set their franchise record for the coldest game ever played. In 1983, the Chiefs played a game where the temperature was 0.5 degrees at kickoff, which is currently the coldest in franchise history, according to Pro Football Reference.
If the forecast changes drastically by Saturday, there’s an outside chance we could see NFL history being made. According to the league, there were only four games where the kickoff temperature was below freezing.
|
Packers 21-17 against Dallas (Ice Bowl) |
-13 degrees |
Green Bay |
December 31, 1967 |
|
Bengals 27-7 against Chargers (Freezer Bowl) |
-9 degrees |
Cincinnati |
January 10, 1982 |
|
Seahawks 10-9 vs. Vikings |
-6 degrees |
Minnesota |
January 10, 2016 |
|
Giants 23-20 against Packers |
-1 degree |
Green Bay |
January 20, 2008 |
If the kickoff temperature drops to -1, this will become one of the coldest games ever.
Even if it’s cold for the players, it will be even colder for the fans. Not only are the temperatures expected to stay in the single digits all night, but the wind chill is expected to be between -10 and -16 as the game unfolds, so if you’re planning on attending this wild card showdown, you better bundle up.
Regardless of the temperature, the Chiefs probably won’t care, as they tend 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.
