The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings battled each other and the extreme cold in a fascinating NFC Wild Card game on Sunday.
Yes, the game will go down in infamy for Blair Walsh’s shank of a potential game-winning 27-yard field goal, but it was also the third coldest game in NFL playoff history.
The temperature at the start of the game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was -6F (-21C) with a -25F (-32C) windchill. It was sunny and not that windy, but in those conditions, frostbite can occur in 30 minutes.
It looked like everybody was vaping—small puffs of white breath appearing and disappearing. It was surreal. Rarely does an outdoor sporting event take place in this kind of cold.
“This was really a survival game for both teams,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said.
The turf is heated by underground tubing containing water and antifreeze, but Seahawks’ safety Kam Chancellor said it still felt cold.
“The turf was the thing that was cold,” Chancellor told NBC postgame. “It was one of the coldest games I’ve ever played in, but it was a lot of fun as well, just not worrying about the cold and having fun with your teammates.
“That was the fun part about this whole game and making history. It’s a mental battle—tuning out the elements and being at your best.”
The cold didn’t bother Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but he was unable to lead a touchdown-scoring drive.
“We were warm for the most part,” Bridgewater said. “Especially on the sideline with the heated benches and everything. Then you go out there on the field and it’s all a mental thing. It didn’t affect us at all.”
NBC commentator and former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Hines Ward played in the 2005 AFC Championship game when the temperature was a warmer 11F (-12C) with a -1F (-18C) windchill.
“You have to be mentally strong. As a wide receiver, you’re not going to get many opportunities in these conditions to catch the football,” said Ward in his pregame analysis.
