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Football

How does weather impact NFL games? Chiefs vs Dolphins forecasted ‘coldest NFL game in history'

Tayyib Abu
How does weather impact NFL games? Chiefs vs Dolphins forecasted ‘coldest NFL game in history'Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
What are the challenges of playing in the extreme cold?

This Saturday's Super Wildcard Weekend game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins is forecast to be one of the coldest games in NFL history. 

With an 8 p.m. kick-off time, forecasters predict temperatures will potentially plummet to -34.44 degrees Celsius. This game could break NFL temperature records alongside the famous Freezer Bowl of 1982 and the Ice Bowl of 1967. But how difficult is it to play in these extreme weather conditions? 

 

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Here is DAZN's breakdown of the various challenges. 

Gripping the ball

NFL quarterbacks find it very difficult to grip the ball in severely cold conditions. Their hands and fingers become numb and tight. Moreover, they have less flexibility in the finger muscles. All this impacts the quarterback's grip, passing ability and ball security. 

Quarterbacks generate spin and velocity on the ball with their hands. The freezing weather makes that much more difficult. Furthermore, the ball becomes much more slick. Holding onto the ball becomes a trickier challenge. 

This is particularly pertinent for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins star has never won a cold-weather game, and concerns over his grip strength and hand size have dominated the pre-game buildup. 

Tagovailoa confirmed he will not play with gloves on Saturday, but he is eager to test the conditions out pre-game.

At his press conference, Tagovailoa said, "I think it's just a feel of how everything is, what the ball feels like, what throwing feels like, what holding the ball feels like, if there's wind, if there's no wind, you have to consider all those things. But we'll go there, test it out and see what we have to do as far as adjusting or not."

Wind

Windy conditions can also cause havoc with quarterbacks and how they pass the ball. In swirling, stormy conditions, quarterbacks often find pushing the ball against the wind challenging. In 2021, the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots played a game with winds of up to 23mph. The Patriots won that game despite passing the ball just three times. 

On Saturday night, the wind could reach up to 25mph. While Arrowhead Stadium is a high-rising ground, the wind can still cause chaos inside the bowl-shaped field. Again, this might be an issue for the Dolphins.

They spend a large chunk of their time in Florida's warm, wind-controlled climes. Moreover, strong-armed quarterbacks can fight the wind and push the ball downfield. Tagovailoa may find the gusts just as challenging as actually gripping the ball. 

The wind can also trouble pass-catchers, kickers, and kick returners. Tracking the ball in the air becomes a significant challenge while kicking with differing breezes can upset and confuse kickers. 

Hits and injuries

But the biggest issue for all players in extreme conditions is how they deal with hits and injuries. Stingers and big hits can cause players to suffer contusions. And it takes players longer to recover or gather their breath after getting winded or taking a bone-jarring hit. 

Muscle aches and pains take longer to settle, while bent fingers or broken fingers could end a player's participation. Both teams are taking precautionary measures with sideline heaters, heated layers and thermal undershirts. Nevertheless, the weather will exacerbate any injuries or issues the players experience.