Skip navigation

Giants-Packers unlikely to be coldest NFL game

Temperatures expected to be near zero, but two contests have been worse

Image: Seattle Seahawks v Green Bay Packers
Jamie Squire / Getty Images
The Packers overcame the elements against the Seahawks in their NFC Divisional playoff win.
Video
  Weathering the elements
Jan. 19: Both Packers, Giants players say NFC title game will be all about ‘toughness’ and ‘mind over matter.’

NBC Sports

  Special report

AFC and NFC Matchups if postseason started today

Video: Football from NBC Sports
Denver Broncos v Indianapolis Colts
Getty Images
Fantasy Fix: QB matchups
Dec. 22: Gregg Rosenthal breaks down the quarterbacks in Week 16 and says beware of some of the big names like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.

Slideshow
St. Louis Rams v Tennessee Titans
  Sideline support
Check out some of the NFL cheerleaders from across the league.

more photos

Slide show
Year in Pictures 2009 - Sports
Experience an audio slide show of the best sports and news images from around the world and close to home.
updated 2:56 p.m. ET Jan. 19, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Sunday’s NFC championship game at Green Bay isn’t likely to be the coldest ever in the NFL, although temperatures are expected to be near zero at kickoff.

The coldest game in NFL history was the 1981 AFC championship game, played Jan. 10, 1982, at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The temperature was minus-9, and the wind chill plunged the readings to minus-59 as the Bengals beat San Diego 27-7.

Next was the Ice Bowl on Dec. 31, 1967 for the NFL title at Lambeau Field. The Packers beat Dallas 21-17 on Bart Starr’s quarterback sneak in the final seconds. It was minus-13 that day and the wind-chill factor was estimated at minus-48.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

Projections for Sunday are temperatures reaching a high of 3 degrees, and with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m., the thermometer almost certainly will register below zero during what amounts to a night game. But the wind is not expected to be significant.

In Sunday’s early game between San Diego and New England at Foxborough, Mass, a 24-degree temperature is forecast for the 3 p.m. EST kickoff, with a wind-chill of 13. Hardly frigid compared to Green Bay.

The coldest game ever at Gillette Stadium was on Jan. 10, 2004, when the Patriots beat the Tennessee Titans in 4 degree temperatures.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored links