[McDabs]

Just read somewhere coldest game was -59 (wind chill) in Cinci

[indio]

Playing any football game in these eelements does nobody any good..it's stupid. Fast forward to 20 yrs from.now all or most stadiums will have retractable roofs. Other 3 major sports play in climate controlled elements. Baseball usually a nice day. Frigid cold is stupid in 2015...would it be more entertaining for all to play this game in 40 to 60 degrees for all..rest my case.

That's your opinion and you're welcome to it, but for many of us, a cold weather playoff game is special, and should always be preserved. That Packers v Giants NFC Championship game in '07 was a classic, and special, and was football at its essence. In football, you have to be able to play no matter what the elements. Let's hope we always have a few northern cold weather teams playing outdoors, and if they earn the right to host playoff games with their regular season records, then so be it. If every game was played under a roof in perfect conditions, it would lose something very important to footballs very nature. Just like they say about Jazz, if someone has to explain it to you, you wouldn't get it anyway.

I still watch that Browns vs Raiders playoff game from 1980 in the cold, icy field outdoors at Memorial Stadium with 80,000 people. Something about it that made it more than just a game.

[BuckyOne]

I think it evens the talent quite a bit - fast guys won't be quite as fast - the Vikes have a better chance in this kind of weather - it is a coin flip at this point. What about the revenge factor or possible complacency by Seattle because they won so easily last time? The vikes have a better chance here than the experts think.

[chico2663]

http://www.scout.com/nfl/vikings/sto...s-playoff-game

Temperature could be zero at kickoff

never beat the freezer bowl. took me 2 weeks to get thawed out. some dumbass sitting in front of me was shirtless the whole game. He died later that day!

never beat the freezer bowl. took me 2 weeks to get thawed out. some dumbass sitting in front of me was shirtless the whole game. He died later that day!

[nyplayer33]

But the super bowl is played most of the time in perfect weather...so the theory of playing in all weather elements doesn't apply most of the time in super bowl. Any sport survives by its fans. Witho u t them..it's just a game nobody cares about. Since the people at the game are likely to be miserable and said elements produce a less quality game..it's dumb. This is likely to change. Hey dad your 9 yr old son is freezing watching game..having fun...ummm no.

[jjgold]

favors seattle 100%

[iheartAlabama]

Seattle OK with that

[k-i-d-d]

Sea vs min game


The NFL has seen a number of cold weather games over the years, and today in the newsletter, I will put together the most comprehensive stat book on the top 15 coldest NFL games ever that you have ever seen. The reason for that, in case you haven't seen the forecast for the Seattle at Minnesota game for Sunday the weather report says 0 degrees for the high, with a 10 MPH wind, and higher gusts. That means this will go down as a top 10 coldest game in NFL history, as the 10th coldest is also zero degrees at kickoff. So let's start with a look at the top 15 from coldest to warmest:

12 degrees HOU at CHI Chi -1 34 FINAL: Hou 24 Chi 5 ROAD AND UNDER
9 degrees CHI at MN ?? ?? FINAL: Minn 16 Chi 13 ?????????????

5 degrees SF at GB SF -3 46.5 FINAL: SF 23 GB 20 PUSH AND UNDER
4 degrees WASH CHI CHI -4.5 38 FINAL: WASH 21 CHI 17 ROAD AND PUSH
4 degrees TN at NE NE -6 34 FINAL: NE 17 TN 14 ROAD AND UNDER
2 degrees DET at GB GB +3 36 FINAL: DET 24 GB 17 ROAD AND OVER
0 degrees LAR at BUF BUF -7 33.5 FINAL: BUFF 29 LAR 23 ROAD AND OVER
0 degrees LAR at GB GB -3 32.5 FINAL: GB 28 LAR 0 HOME AND UNDER
0 degrees GB at MN MN ?? ?? FINAL: GB 23 MN 7 ROAD AND UNDER
-2 degrees CHI at MN MN ?? ?? FINAL: MN 23 CHI 10 HOME AND LIKELY UNDER
-4 degrees NYG at GB GB -7.5 41.5 FINAL: NYG 23 GB 20 (OT) ROAD AND OVER
-5 degrees OAK at CLV CLV -3.5 38 FINAL: OAK 14 CLV 12 ROAD AND UNDER
-6 degrees IND at KC KC -8 41.5 FINAL: IND 10 KC 7 ROAD AND UNDER
-9 degrees SD AT CN CN -4.5 45 FINAL: CN 27 SD 10 HOME AND UNDER
-13 degrees DAL at GB GB ?? ?? FINAL GB 21 DAL 17 ?????????????
________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the success of the road teams, and not so much of a surprise is the under dominance. There have been just 515 total points scored in the 15 games and that is an average of just 34.3ppg. It is also noted, that in the NFL's coldest games, no team has ever scored as many as 30 points! The loser also has scored 20 points or less in all but 1 game, and 17 or less 80% of the time!

NOW THE DEEP LOOK:

AVERAGES PER GAME:

Plays 119.6
Rushes 61.6
Passes 58.0
TD passes 1.6
Sacks 4.6
Fumbles 5.2***
Fumbles lost 2.1***
Turnovers 4.2***

***- There you see what has typically happened. The frozen balls, are very slick, and hard to throw, hard to catch, and hard to hang onto. The fact that 5.2 fumbles a game on average have occurred is extremely high, and these games are going to go to the team that holds onto the ball, not the better team! Home turnovers =35 and away=31, so who knows. The fact that just 32 of 78 total fumbles were lost low, so it could be even worse!

Expect running plays to exceed passing plays, low scoring, high turnovers, few TD passes, and now the choice is yours!

[arrgy]

This is why I hate these cold weather stats, because you forgot to list the dates of these games.

9 of the 10 games you listed were played BEFORE 2000. Half of them were played before 1990.

Why is this important? Because the ENTIRE game of football was DIFFERENT back then. Just the rules forced teams to rush more and pass less. Do you even know who the teams were that played in those games? Were they defensive oriented? The teams and games are dramatically different from today to the old ice bowl game of 1967.

The Under dominance is also a myth

In all games were the temperature was 32 degrees or lower, from 2005-2014...the Over has won in post season games 60% of the time going 9-6. In regular season games the Over has won 59% of the time going 58-40. (Source..sport insight Jan 2014)

[frostno98]

This might be bad timing for Seattle. This is where Peterson might become a factor. Without Wilson airing the ball everywhere, no way Seattle covers.

[SEAHAWKHARRY]

Because lynch can't run and our run defense sucks Huh oh btw Kam bam bam will be back and Wilson has been on fire

But Minny has a chance untill kickoff

[kyhawk]

That cold weather is nothing. The key is the wind. I remember, as a kid in Minnesota,we could go out to recess until it got to 15 below.
Everybody is such a wimp. Let's go Vikes.!

[frostno98]

Huh, you talking about Marshall Lynch that hasn't ran in over 3 months? The Vikings were also missing two key defensive starters. This will be a close game either way, where the last possession wins.

[POOLSIDE]

Doesn't this game have over written all over it? I feel like we'll see a much more normal football game than the hype would have us believe.

Also, this does not favor Adrian Peterson in my opinion. Freezing, warm, hot, rainy, whatever. Everyone in the whole world knows that he's running the football. Seattle was already going to sell out on the run, just like they did last time. All this does is make it even more unlikely that Teddy will beat them through the air, and that was already unlikely to begin with.

[Manny0825]

Doesn't this game have over written all over it? I feel like we'll see a much more normal football game than the hype would have us believe.

Also, this does not favor Adrian Peterson in my opinion. Freezing, warm, hot, rainy, whatever. Everyone in the whole world knows that he's running the football. Seattle was already going to sell out on the run, just like they did last time. All this does is make it even more unlikely that Teddy will beat them through the air, and that was already unlikely to begin with.

Shhhhh...dont tell them..let them keep pounding the under.

[TommyDog]

But the super bowl is played most of the time in perfect weather...so the theory of playing in all weather elements doesn't apply most of the time in super bowl. Any sport survives by its fans. Witho u t them..it's just a game nobody cares about. Since the people at the game are likely to be miserable and said elements produce a less quality game..it's dumb. This is likely to change. Hey dad your 9 yr old son is freezing watching game..having fun...ummm no.

The NFL not only survives, but it rules the sports world because of television.
This game, in large part because of the weather, will be television gold. NFL could care less about the fans in attendance. It's all about viewers. This is a 1 o'clock (Eastern Time) kickoff on a Sunday afternoon. Any other sport it would be a ratings disaster. Given the circumstances, this will be a ratings bonanza.

[nyplayer33]

Seattle is 3 to 1 to win nfc championship and will be on road 3 of those gsmes. Minn us 15 to 1 to win nfc championship...Seattle can win this by 10 plus

[cincy]

very strong winds have much more impact on the total points scored than very cold temperatures. I was at the Freezer Bowl afc championship in 1982 and it was the strong winds that pushed the wind chill down to -59F and Fouts could not throw the ball and Cincinnati won.

[newguy]

I was at Bears/Packers game in 2008 I believe - monday night game - think temp was around 0 for that one as well. It was cold but as long as you prepped for it you were fine - multiple socks including wool ones, enough layers on - cover the face - you are fine. I remember trying to take a piss at one point and the bathrooms were butts to nuts w people trying to stay warm. I lost it in the bathroom - why the penetrate are you here if you are just hanging out in the mens room - just go home and let us who are trying to stave off hypothermia by drinking alcohol pee so we can get back out to the game.

Bears / Panthers playoff game in 2005 - i just looked and it said temp was 42 - I didn't think it was that warm - we tailgated starting at 8am so the 430 kick was brutal. We ended up having to put the beer in the truck cause it was literally freezing just sitting out, keeping it in the cab of the car made it so you didn't just drink beer slushy.

[tatddy]

I expect Minnesota posters trytrytry and bigday to be there. I did my part in 2013 and had to travel for it.
http://www.sportsbookreview.com/foru...ners-pack.html
http://www.sportsbookreview.com/foru...b-im-boys.html

[pavyracer]

Will be so cold you won't need to go to the bathroom. Just pee in your cup and watch it turn to yellow snow.

[arrgy]

Weather is not the factor, revenge is.

You honestly don't think that the Seahawks want a revenge game in the Superbowl against the Pats (or anyone else?)

You don't think Wilson, Pete, and the rest of the team that choked away last year's Super Bowl doesn't just want to plow through the playoffs and vindicate themselves?


There is no more of a revenge factor for any team in the playoffs than the Seahawks.

[pavyracer]

Weather is not the factor, revenge is.

You honestly don't think that the Seahawks want a revenge game in the Superbowl against the Pats (or anyone else?)

You don't think Wilson, Pete, and the rest of the team that choked away last year's Super Bowl doesn't just want to plow through the playoffs and vindicate themselves?


There is no more of a revenge factor for any team in the playoffs than the Seahawks.

revenge is a dish best served cold

[daneblazer]

Temperature at Vikings game -6

[pavyracer]

Perfect ice fishing weather. Are the Seahawks a fish or a bird?

[Jeep_Life 42]

should be a great game!

[paco]

This isn't even cold for Bigday

[trytrytry]

This isn't even cold for Bigday

actually it is today. legit cold. left a high school hockey game last night and the cold on way to parking lot was fully in and the wind picked up and thought OK this is legit cold now.

[jjgold]

Today it does seem the weather is affecting this game and it usually does not happen with pros