Does Cold Weather Really Make a Difference?

[OldSchool101]

Rodgers was asked about the cold temperatures recently. He did offer that he thought the ball got slippery getting close to 10 degrees or colder. That kinda makes sense.
I’d say it has minimal impact overall, but if anyone benefits it’s the home team that’s already acclimated.
I doubt the playoff match against the Bucs last postseason made any difference. Anything above 25 degrees or so (and without severe wind or snow) isn’t enough to factor much imo
But anything near 15 degrees or below starts to mess with the ball and possibly footing. Also a team playing in conditions -50 degrees colder than they are accustomed? That just has to play some mental aspects on the visiting team. Again there are a few arguable exceptions, but SF moving into Green Bay in mid January for a day isn’t one of them.

A bigger factor is 2,228 miles of travel and losing 1 day this week. We all have traveled enough to know how you feel that first 24 hours after a long trip. Not exactly what you want to be doing day before a title fight.
Also 75,000 home fans looking for revenge isn’t going to exactly help the 49ers cause when they show up Saturday.

 

[red4tribe]

Looks like it'll be about 10 degrees at kickoff tomorrow. If that's the case, it'll be the third coldest game that Rodgers has ever started. And it will be the coldest game Jimmy G has ever started by a whopping 30 degrees.

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[weeds]

In my opinion, and my opinion only, the better team is going to win whether it's 10-degrees or 35 like last year's NCFCG. I have lived in NE Wisconsin my entire 63 years and I will categorically state that our guys are no more acclimated to this than the 9'ers guys.

The better prepared and disciplined team is going to win that game as I watch indoors on a nice 75" TV.

 

[Phil Young]

Would playing in a dome against outside have more of an impact than pure cold? Outdoors got wind to contend with as well as sunlight in a dome way more controlled.

 

[milani]

In my opinion, and my opinion only, the better team is going to win whether it's 10-degrees or 35 like last year's NCFCG. I have lived in NE Wisconsin my entire 63 years and I will categorically state that our guys are no more acclimated to this than the 9'ers guys.

The better prepared and disciplined team is going to win that game as I watch indoors on a nice 75" TV.

Unless you are outdoors practicing in this everyday you do not have much of an advantage in that respect. Now the G force of the 80,000 fans is certainly an advantage.

 

[milani]

Would playing in a dome against outside have more of an impact than pure cold? Outdoors got wind to contend with as well as sunlight in a dome way more controlled.

The dome with no fans in it like last year is quite acceptable. Playing at home with a full house full of fans has an impact.

 

[Phil Young]

Having sat on those aluminium seats bench things at Lambeau in October the crowd can & will make a difference. I was wearing my 50 shirt & jeans. Wasn't cold at all. I did have a coat with me but didn't wear it. I did get some looks off other fans though.

It gets cold here in North East England but not Wi/ Green Bay cold.

There were pics of me on packers website that a friend had sent in when the team had a fans pics page.

 

[weeds]

Unless you are outdoors practicing in this everyday you do not have much of an advantage in that respect. Now the G force of the 80,000 fans is certainly an advantage.

Oh for sure, add to the mix that the majority of the G-force are packed in cheek-to-cheek and might be a bit under the influence of the human anti-freeze, when I was a younger guy, I loved these late season games, now ... yeah ... not a chance - they could have naked dancing sheep for halftime entertainment and I still wouldn't go. I'm sure PoppaSan would jump at the opportunity to see the 2022 Naked Dancing Sheep Tour, but not THIS guy.

 

[weeds]

Having sat on those aluminium seats bench things at Lambeau in October ...

Phil, October is still Summer. We don't shut windows until mid-January.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Outdoors got wind to contend with as well as sunlight in a dome way more controlled.

Unless of course that stadium is in Dallas. I don't know how you can spend that much money on a stadium, locate windows that allow the late afternoon sun to reek havoc on players eyes and not spring for some window coverings to prevent it. Players and fans have been bitching about it since the stadium was built and Jerry Jones won't change it.

Karma made an appearance during the Cowboys playoff game with the 9'ers in the form of the sun blinding a wide open Cowboy receiver right before halftime. Cedric Wilson obviously lost the ball in the Sun. Had he caught it, who knows what happens, we might have been playing the Rams today.

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[Thirteen Below]

I don't think it makes much difference in most cases, but I think that it will tonight. The ball is harder to grip when it's 5 degrees, and Garopollo already is having problems with that because of the broken thumb and torn ligament. Also, the ball doesn't carry quite as far downfield, so if the Niners fall behind and he has to throw deep balls or sideline passes, that sprained shoulder will probably take some of the touch off the ball.

Additionally, it just takes some getting used to for a quarterback to learn how the ball handles differently and travels differently. Rodgers is used to that, Garopollo is not. If he's already having trouble gripping the ball and throwing long, that difference in how it handles may make it a little tougher for him as well.

I think this is one night that the cold will give us an advantage in the passing game. Whether that negates the probabl Niners advantage in the running game, who knows. Maybe they cancel each other out, I dunno. Just a couple more things to watch for, I guess.

Also, the ball is harder to catch when it's frozen solid. Our guys are more used to that than the Niners will be. I'm sure they'll adjust, because they're pros, but in a close game, it might only take one drive cut short by a dropped 3rd and short pass to make the difference. That factor alone could be the difference between 1st and 10 and a punt on a key drive.

 

[OldSchool101]

I think playing out of your traditional element has negative consequences. It’s cold for the Packers also, but this isn’t as much a shock to their body.

I have the luxury of growing up in WI. However once you move into a warmer climate you become a total cold weather sissy. It’s 35 degrees and sunny and I just don’t like it

 

[Voyageur]

We live in Texas. Originally from Wisconsin. Over the last 8 years I have only worn long pants four times, and that was the four days last winter when there was no electricity, and we had below freezing temps in South Texas. I wear shorts when it drops into the 40s, and never think twice about it.

To you blokes outside the US, 40°F is 4°C. You guys gotta get on the same page as us. That's why you're cold when you get to GB.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

We live in Texas. Originally from Wisconsin. Over the last 8 years I have only worn long pants four times, and that was the four days last winter when there was no electricity, and we had below freezing temps in South Texas. I wear shorts when it drops into the 40s, and never think twice about it.

To you blokes outside the US, 40°F is 4°C. You guys gotta get on the same page as us. That's why you're cold when you get to GB.

Oh, another one.......step outside now !

 

[Voyageur]

By Tuesday, I can be back in our outdoor pool. Temp will be in the 70s. It doesn't stay cool too long down here near the Mexican border. I think it has something to do with the jalapenos.

 

[gonzozab]

Maybe it's just me, but I would say that since that first loss in 2002, those teams just weren't as good as the Lombardi and Holmgren era teams.

 

[Thirteen Below]

We live in Texas. Originally from Wisconsin. Over the last 8 years I have only worn long pants four times, and that was the four days last winter when there was no electricity, and we had below freezing temps in South Texas. I wear shorts when it drops into the 40s, and never think twice about it.

I'm in Central Kentucky, and I just wore long pants last week for the first time since February 2020. The neighbors think I'm a freak because I'm out there shoveling 5 inches of snow in flip flops and shorts, but I have a lot of Packer T-shirts so if they see that they understand pretty quickly I think. We had 10 inches of snow last week and my wife almost had a stroke because I went out to get something from the car and I was barefoot. I explained to her that I didn't want to get my shoes soaking wet if I was just going to be out for a minute, but it sailed right over her head.

 

[Voyageur]

I'm in Central Kentucky, and I just wore long pants last week for the first time since February 2020. The neighbors think I'm a freak because I'm out there shoveling 5 inches of snow in flip flops and shorts, but I have a lot of Packer T-shirts so if they see that they understand pretty quickly I think. We had 10 inches of snow last week and my wife almost had a stroke because I went out to get something from the car and I was barefoot. I explained to her that I didn't want to get my shoes soaking wet if I was just going to be out for a minute, but it sailed right over her head.

I know the feeling! Up in Austin, visiting the kids, going into stores wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The locals are wearing parkas, stocking caps, and gloves. They look at me like I'm crazy, I smile back, and tell them I'm wearing this outfit because we're heading to the beach to take a dip!

The looks on their faces is priceless!

 

[lambeaulambo]

In my opinion, and my opinion only, the better team is going to win whether it's 10-degrees or 35 like last year's NCFCG. I have lived in NE Wisconsin my entire 63 years and I will categorically state that our guys are no more acclimated to this than the 9'ers guys.

The better prepared and disciplined team is going to win that game as I watch indoors on a nice 75" TV.

good to know...make sure and zoom the screen so you can see clearly. lol

 

[realitybytez]

The better prepared and disciplined team is going to win that game

"better prepared" includes the best heated benches money can buy.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I think playing out of your traditional element has negative consequences. It’s cold for the Packers also, but this isn’t as much a shock to their body.

I have the luxury of growing up in WI. However once you move into a warmer climate you become a total cold weather sissy. It’s 35 degrees and sunny and I just don’t like it

Agreed and it isn't much different than the Packers not wanting to travel to Miami to play in Sept. Most people have played sports in the heat and know what heat/humidity feels like, but if you aren't practicing in it and running around in it consistently, you feel it the second you get out of the airport. Same with coming to a cold climate from a warm one.

Short of lining up in a meat locker this last week, the 49'ers weren't able to simulate the same conditions that the 9'ers step into today and even if they could, its not what they are used to. The Packer players...this might feel warm today.

 

[weeds]

"better prepared" includes the best heated benches money can buy.

Bun warmers... agreed.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Well, it won't be like the psychological edge the Packers had over the Cowboys at the Ice Bowl. When the hotel staff where Dallas was staying gave them their wakeup call, they said "Good morning. The time is 8 AM, and the temperature outside is 15 below zero. Welcome to Green Bay!" Don Meredith said when he hung up the phone he was in shock, and when he looked out the window he could see the hotel staff out in the parking lot thawing out the doors to the players' rooms with propane torches, because some of the players were stuck in their rooms. He said he could see Mel Renfro looking out his window watching them thaw out his door, and he laughed because Renfro looked so terrified that in a minute he'd have to open that door - and then Meredith saw his own reflection in his window, and realized he looked even more scared than Renfro.

The officials refused to start the game until someone could track down the owner of a local sporting goods store and get him to open up and sell them warm clothing.

When the referee blew the whistle at the start of the game, the whistle froze to his lips, and when he tried to pull it loose he tore off a piece of each lip. The blood poured down his chin, and when Dallas lined up for their first snap, Meredith was horrified to see bright red bloody icicles hanging off the referee's chin.

They set up heaters on the sidelines to keep the players feet from freezing, but the Dallas players weren't used to cold weather so they didn't realize that their feet were already frozen - which explains why they didn't notice that their shoes were melting and catching fire until they smelled the burning rubber.

One of the reasons the Packers won was because they were able to almost completely shut down the Dallas passing attack in the second half. The Cowboys' star wideout, Bob Hayes - the "fastest man in the world" at the time - was so cold that he developed the habit of sticking his hands down his pants when he ran his pass routes... unless he was the targeted receiver. One of the Packers noticed that in the first half, and for the rest of the game, the Packers only doubled him when he ran routes with his hands out of his pants. If he stuck his hands down his pants as he ran his pattern, they single-covered him and focused on other receivers. Dallas never figured it out until one of the Packers said something about it in an interview long after the game.

Announcer Frank Gifford told the TV audience, "Excuse me while I take a bite of my coffee." His coffee had frozen solid in the mug.

There was no halftime show because the band had all been transported to the hospital by bus to be treated for hyopthermia, and to have their lips sewed back together after trying to tear their instruments loose.

And if all that's not enough, a fan in the stands died of exposure.

So no, I don't think we're going to have that kind of advantage tonight from the weather. But if any of the players start to ***** too much about the cold, they should know - it could have been a lot worse.

 

[red4tribe]

Plot twist: cold weather is a disadvantage for us because it’s harder to kick touchbacks and our special teams can’t cover returns.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Glad the cold weather really made the difference tonight.