Snowy Sunday But Any Impact for Packers-Chiefs?

The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs woke up on Sunday morning to a blanket of show covering the ground. While up to 4 inches are expected in Northeastern Wisconsin on Sunday, the weather should not be a factor by the Sunday Night Football kickoff.

“The wet snow is expected to continue up until tailgating time,” WBAY-TV meteorologist Bo Fogal said. “Maybe a couple snowflakes after tailgating but, by kickoff, the snow should be done.”

In fact, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., the snow had gone from relatively heavy to light flurries.

The hourly forecast shows snow through about 5 p.m. By the 7:20 p.m. kickoff, though, it will be cloudy and 31 with a breeze from the north at about 8 mph. By the end of the game, it will be 28.

So, the weather should be fine for two teams used to dealing with the late-season cold. The field will be fine, too, since it was covered in anticipation. Once the tarp is removed, the Frozen Tundra probably won’t be frozen and it certainly won’t be white.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur loves December. His teams are 15-0 during the final month of the calendar year. That’s the best December record by a coach at the start of his career in NFL history.

His teams have done well in the wintry elements – especially when it’s cold but not too cold. Under LaFleur, the Packers are 13-5 with a kickoff temperature of 35 or colder. That includes 8-1 when it’s between 32 and 35.

Of course, that all comes with one frozen asterisk. In 2020, the Packers lost to Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game when it was 29 at kickoff. In 2021, the Packers lost to San Francisco in the divisional round when it was 15 and snowy at kickoff. Last year, with a chance to run the table and sneak into the playoffs, they lost to Detroit in Week 18 when it was 21 at kickoff.

That loss broke Green Bay’s 10-game regular-season home winning streak in December and January.

LaFleur downplayed his success, for good reason.

“I think it’s just staying consistent, staying true to your process and really pushing to get better,” he said. “This is a long season and just trying to stay mentally fresh as best you can is an important part of that. But I think the consistency, showing up on a daily basis ready to work, ready to put in the work and wanting to improve is really the key to that.”

This will be Jordan Love’s first cold-weather start for the Packers, though he played his college ball at Utah State and has a couple weeks of cold practices under his belt.

“I think it’s something you can’t control,” Love said. “You’ve just got to go out there and play, just try to keep your mind on going to do your job and play a great game. Obviously, it’s a factor that’s there, but the main thing is to try not let it affect you.”

Under Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are 7-3 in the regular season and 11-4 overall with a kickoff temperature of 35 or colder. Mahomes has a passer rating of 100-plus in 11 of those 15 starts.

This will be Mahomes’ first game at Lambeau Field.

“I’m extremely excited for it,” he said. “I’ve watched it my whole entire life, and I know it’s going to be a hostile environment. The fans are going to be loud, it's going to be a lot like (how) Arrowhead Stadium is to other teams. I’m excited, if you love football, you love Lambeau Field. I’m excited to get the opportunity to play there.”