BY MICHEL GONZALEZ – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Aaaaaaah, winter in Canada. This is one of very few places in the world where Jack Frost doesn’t just nibble at your nose and where -30 is considered in some areas as a heat wave. But in the U.S., many fans are not used to what is commonplace for us, and yet the cold makes for some great games.
So, while I’m sipping hot chocolate in the comfort of my living room, I give you the best cold weather games in the history of the NFL (presented in Celsius).
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No. 10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27) at Philadelphia Eagles (10), January 19, 2003
-3 degrees (wind chill: -9 degrees)
Memorable Moment: With the score 20-10 Tampa, Donovan McNabb tried to rally his teammates and lead a fourth quarter comeback in the final game at venerable Veterans Stadium. In what is the defining moment of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia thus far, Buc cornerback Ronde Barber interrupted the comeback by taking an interception 90 yards for a touchdown.
No. 9: Tennessee Titans (14) at New England Patriots, (17), January 10, 2004
-16 degrees (wind chill: -23 degrees)
Memorable Moment: The game featured Tom Brady and the best Patriots defence of the Bill Belichick era against the late Steve McNair, a physical defence and a washed up Eddie George. Tennessee was good but it just couldn’t score quite enough.
No. 8: Oakland Raiders (17) at Denver Broncos (20), January 1, 1978
-8 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but reportedly cold enough to freeze your family jewels off)
Memorable Moment: In the game’s critical sequence, Bronco running back Rob Lytle took a handoff, dove towards the goal line… and fumbled. Raider defensive tackle Mike McCoy scooped up the ball took off towards the end zone. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the play was blown dead and the officials claimed Lytle never fumbled. Television replays suggested otherwise.
For those who remember that far, keep in mind that back in the ’70s, the instant replay was still a decade away from becoming reality. Denver scored on the next play and won the game. Years later, it was revealed that Raider defensive tackle John Matuszak wasn’t bothered by the cold, but by a massive hangover after partying a bit too hard a night earlier. The Broncos got word of it and took advantage.
No. 7: New York Giants (7) at Green Bay Packers (16), December 30, 1962
-11 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but when your pee freezes before it hits the ground, it’s friggin’ cold)
Memorable Moment: The weather proved to be the game’s defining factor with winds up to 40 miles per hour. Jim Taylor scored the game’s lone touchdown for Green Bay, while offensive lineman Jerry Kramer booted three field goals to secure the Pack’s second NFL title.
No. 6: Oakland Raiders (13) at New England Patriots (16), January 19, 2002
-7 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but apparently cold enough to freeze the jujubes off a brass monkey)
Memorable Moment: Unless you lived under a rock for the past 10 years, this is known as the “Tuck Game” and is mostly noted for the ill-fated call that eventually turned a Tom Brady game-ending fumble into a mystifying game-tying field goal by Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri. This is the game that got the Patriot dynasty off the launching pad and started to turn that Brady fellow into a star.
No. 5: New York Giants (23) at Green Bay Packers (20), January 20, 2008
-20 degrees (wind chill: -31 degrees)
Memorable Moment: With the Giants reeling and the Packers controlling the ball in overtime, Brett Favre, resembling Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright, fired his final pass at Lambeau Field as a Packer… into the hands of Giant cornerback Corey Webster. This has sadly become an all too familiar sight. A few plays later, the Giants went to Super Bowl XLII and one of America’s most horrifyingly bad reality TV series began: Favrewatch!
No. 4 – Oakland Raiders (10) at Pittsburgh Steelers (16), January 4, 1976
-12 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but cold enough to cross the Mississippi on foot)
Memorable Moment: The best moment of the game, besides the fans storming the field like lunatics, came prior to the start of the game. Raiders owner Al Davis alleged that the Steelers grounds crew didn’t take the best care of the Astroturf at Three Rivers Stadium. In fact, Davis believed that the crew allowed tears to occur in the tarp covering the field. The precipitation that hit the area that week led to patches of ice all over the field. Thus, Oakland’s greatest offensive asset – team speed – became moot. With the Oakland aerial assault grounded, the Steelers won the AFC title 16-10 and eventually defended their world title.
No. 3: Los Angeles Raiders (23) at Buffalo Bills (29), January 15, 1994
-18 degrees (wind chill: -36 degrees)
Memorable Moment: Another Raider entry! Funny how they do seem to appear a lot in these frozen classics. At any rate, when the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, the Bills vanquished the Raiders and advanced to another AFC title game. Soon after the game, you could hear America collectively groaning “Oh no, here we go again.” At least for Raider fans that day it wasn’t another 51-3 debacle.
No. 2: San Diego Chargers (7) at Cincinnati Bengals (27), January 10, 1982
-23 degrees (wind chill: -51 degrees)
Memorable Moment: The game itself was neither good nor memorable. However, I do recall seeing players try to catch the ball in this weather was almost laughable at times. Making matters worse for San Diego was the fact that it had just been in the epic playoff tilt against Miami a week earlier. In these conditions, the Chargers struggled to score points. By the way, I’ve never understood the pandering towards the ’81 Chargers that occurs from time to time. They played poor defence, weren’t a great running team and were by and large one-dimensional. Sure, they had skill players, but that doesn’t always pay the bills in the clutch.
No. 1: Dallas Cowboys (17) at Green Bay Packers (21), December 31, 1967
-25 degrees (wind chill: -44 degrees)
Memorable Moment: Forever known as “The Ice Bowl”, the weather tales from this one are legendary. Cowboy Hall of Fame receiver Bob Hayes ran pass patterns with his hands in his pants. Meanwhile, a referee had a whistle stuck to his lips. As for the game, the Packer dynasty – on its last legs – outlasted the Cowboys for the second straight season to win the NFL championship. Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr snuck in from one yard away to give the Packers their last NFL title under head coach Vince Lombardi. Everyone is so quick to romanticize the ’58 NFL title game, but this is the definitive game in league history. While maybe not as influential, it’s one of the most historic battles of all time.
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