It won’t exactly be a Snow Bowl, but flakes are expected for Sunday’s playoff game between the Patriots and Texans.
Boston 25 meteorologist Geoff Bansen has been tracking it.
“The trend is for some flurries at the start of the game and maybe some flurries as the game goes on,” Benson predicted Friday.
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He added, “I don’t think there will be any blackouts, but people going to games should plan ahead.”
This could be bad news for the Texans, as the team has been playing on the road for a short week. When they’re at home in Houston, they play inside the dome.
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud doesn’t often play in cold weather, let alone in the snow. The frigid temperatures didn’t seem to faze him and the Texans in their wild-card round win over the Steelers. Temperatures at kickoff Monday night in Pittsburgh were in the 30s, with a feeling temperature of 26 degrees and wind gusts as high as 15 mph.
In 2021, when Stroud was playing center at Ohio State, rival Michigan defeated them in a snow game. However, he played well, passing for 394 yards and two touchdowns.
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Last season, the Texans traveled to Kansas City for a playoff game against the Chiefs in sub-freezing weather. Houston lost 23-14 in a close game. Stroud performed well, completing 68% of his passes for 245 yards.
As for Patriots quarterback Derek Meyer? The jury is out. Meyer grew up and played college ball in North Carolina. However, he has spent the past two years playing in New England. Just last weekend, the temperature at kickoff against the Chargers in the wild-card round was 36 degrees, but it actually felt like 24 degrees.
Snow and chaotic weather conditions have historically been an advantage for the Patriots. Tom Brady has an impressive 61-9 record in games below 40 degrees during his 20 years with the Patriots.
He does great in the snow. During cold-weather games, he wears a neoprene “wetsuit,” or wetsuit top, under his uniform to isolate his core, block the wind and keep him warm without restricting movement, a strategy he began during the frigid 2004 playoffs.
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“I know exactly what to wear. I know how many layers to wear for each degree,” Brady told reporters in January 2015. “I’m a (beep) machine, man, I’m a (beep) machine!”
There are several famous snow games in Patriots history.
In December 1982, the Patriots and Dolphins were locked in a scoreless game almost the entire game in heavy snow. Late in the game, a snowplow operator was called to the field to clear the field so New England kicker John Smith could kick the game-winning field goal, giving the Patriots a 3-0 victory. The operator, an ex-convict, joked, “What are they going to do, throw me in jail?”
Who can forget the Snow Bowl in January 2002? Or, perhaps more commonly known as the “Tucker Rules” game. It was the game that ignited the Patriots’ dynasty in the early 2000s. The Patriots defeated the Raiders in a blizzard of games in the divisional round.
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Tom Brady appeared to make a fumble late in the game when the referees suddenly ruled his arm forward and changed it to an incomplete pass. New England kicker Adam Vinatieri’s field goal through the snow sent the game into overtime, where he won the game with a field goal in overtime.
In October 2009, much of Massachusetts was covered by unexpected snowfall. That worked in the Patriots’ favor, as they defeated the visiting Tennessee Titans 59-0. Brady was outstanding, passing for 380 yards and six touchdown passes. The Patriots totaled an astonishing 619 yards of offense. Wes Welker caught 10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Randy Moss caught eight passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns in the rout.
This is a development story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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