Earlier this postseason, we saw the Miami Dolphins get obliterated by the Kansas City Chiefs, and a big reason why was the 20-degree wind chill. The Dolphins could not get anything going and were obviously suffering from the cold. Tua Tagovailoa, that native Hawaiian, had trouble doing anything in the cold. The Houston Texans are trying not to become the next Dolphins.
Now, the weather won't quite be as bad in Baltimore on Saturday when the Texans take on the Ravens in the divisional round, but it certainly won't be good weather.
According to Weather.com, the temperature is projected to be around the 26 degrees Fahrenheit range. That's still very cold and cold enough to impact a game. And it's hard enough to prepare for that when you live in Texans, and the hottest part of Texas is Houston. But DeMeco Ryans isn't worried at all, as it is still a bit cold in south Texas.
"It was good to experience just what the weather would be like – very similar to how the weather will be in Baltimore," Ryans said on Tuesday. "Again, as I said yesterday, what an opportunity we have before us, and I don't think our guys will be worried about the weather. That won't be an issue. It's one of those things where, of course, you embrace the suck, and you move on. Just go attack it with everything you have. Don't worry about the weather; worry about executing and playing good football."
Weather is never really a reason one team loses. Does it make things harder? Yes. But that will not be the reason a team will lose. Every player on every team has played a cold game before, whether it was high school, college, or professional football. You just have to execute. There is no real way to prepare.
"No, it takes care of itself, in my mind," Ryans said when asked if there was anything you could do in practice to prepare.
In Houston, it is currently 51 degrees, which isn't anywhere near as cold as it is in Baltimore. But that doesn't mean you can't be ready for the cold. Ryans is not worried about narratives surrounding warm, weathered teams. He is worried about winning a football game.
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