The New England Patriots took on the Buffalo Bills in frigid conditions at Highmark Stadium – but what is the coldest game in NFL history? How did the Pats vs Bills compare?
Unsurprisingly, as the NFL is primarily a winter series, cold temperatures in games are not uncommon.
Especially in the post-season, which normally takes place at prime time, games are often put on at night – when weather conditions are worse.
The Buffalo Bills hosted the New England Patriots in the first round of the Playoffs on Saturday night in 7 degree weather.
With the wind chill, this fell to -5 degrees Celsius.
The Pats were thumped 47-17 as the Bills advance through to the next round.
But how does this compare to the record?
What is the coldest game in NFL history?
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Coldest NFL game in history
The outright record for the coldest game in history is held by the 1967 NFL Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
The air temperature was -13 degrees for the New Years’ Eve clash at Lambeau – with the wind chill making it a frosty -48 degrees.
Green Bay won 21-17 on home turf to advance to Super Bowl II.
Such were the conditions, the game has entered folklore as the “Ice Bowl” – and the final play wasn’t too shabby either…
Compared to the 7 degree weather enjoyed by the Bills and Pats, it was like a sauna in New York instead of a freezer!
Other NFL games below 0 degrees
In the history of the NFL, the outright coldest temperature ever recorded came in 1982.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals faced off in -59 degree weather, once wind chill was factored in.
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However, the actual air temperature for the AFC Championship game was a relatively warm -9 degrees.
The Bengals claimed a 27-7 win in the “Freezer Bowl.”
Since the turn of the 21st century, only two matches are among the coldest NFL games in the history of the sport.
They came in 2008 and 2016.
- 2008 – New York Giants vs Packers – -4 degrees – wind chill -24 degrees
- 2016 – Seattle Seahawks vs Minnesota Vikings – -6 degrees, wind chill – 25 degrees.
As of 11pm ET on Saturday 15th January, there are still six games remaining in the 2022 NFL Playoffs.
While a game would need to go some way to top the Cowboys vs Packers as the coldest game in NFL history, one could yet beat the Bills vs Patriots.
The coldest ever Super Bowl played outdoors was Super Bowl VI in 1972, when the Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins 24-3.
The temperature clocked in at 4 degrees Celsius in New Orleans on the January day.
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