If the Dolphins had beaten the Bills in Week 18, they’d be getting ready to play a wild-card game in the balmy weather of Miami, but due to their loss, they’re now headed to Kansas City for what will likely be the coldest game in franchise history.
When the Dolphins and Chiefs kick off on Saturday night, the temperature is expected to be right around 5 degrees with a wind chill of -10, according to the National Weather Service. If that projection holds up, then this will become the coldest game that the Dolphins have ever played in, which isn’t great news for them, considering they’ve lost 10 straight games when the kickoff temperature is 40 degrees or below (You can read more about that here).
In a bizarre coincidence, the game that currently holds the title for coldest in Dolphins history was actually played in Kansas City back in 2008 on a day where the temperature was 10 degrees at kickoff. Unless the forecast changes dramatically between now and Saturday, it’s a pretty safe bet that record is going to fall.
If the kickoff temperature drops down to 5 degrees, then Saturday’s game will become the coldest game that the NFL has seen since December 2016.
When the week started, the expected temperature at kickoff was projected to be about 10 degrees, but that number has dropped over the past two days and if it keeps dropping, the Chiefs could also set their franchise record for coldest game ever played. Back in 1983, the Chiefs played a game where the temperature was 0.5 degrees at kickoff, which currently stands as the coldest in franchise history, according to Pro Football Reference.
If the forecast changes dramatically between now and Saturday, there’s an outside chance that we could see NFL history made. According to the league, there have only been four games ever where the kickoff temperature was below zero.
| Result | Temperature | Site | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Packers 21-17 over Dallas (Ice Bowl) |
-13 degrees |
Green Bay |
Dec. 31, 1967 |
|
-9 degrees |
Cincinnati |
Jan. 10, 1982 |
|
|
-6 degrees |
Minnesota |
Jan. 10, 2016 |
|
|
Giants 23-20 over Packers |
-1 degree |
Green Bay |
Jan. 20, 2008 |
If the kickoff temperature drops down to -1, then it will become one of the coldest games of all-time.
As cold as it’s going to be for the players, it’s going to feel even colder for the fans. Not only is the temperature expected to be in the single digits all night, but the wind chill is projected to be between -10 and -16 while the game is being played, so if you’re planning on attending this wild-card showdown, you better bundle up.
No matter what the temperature ends up being, the Chiefs probably won’t mind and that’s because they tend to thrive in the cold. In their past 10 home games where the temperature was under 40 degrees, the Chiefs have gone 9-1, including 4-0 in the playoffs.
