Posted on 01/13/2024 9:15:17 PM PST by Red Badger
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his helmet shattered on a hit from Miami Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott during Saturday night's frigid AFC wild-card playoff game. The Chiefs still won 26-7.
With a game-time temperature of minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit, the game was the fourth-coldest in NFL history, and it was unclear whether the temperature made the shell of Mahomes' helmet more brittle than usual. Regardless, the reigning league MVP was left with a fist-sized chunk of plastic missing from just above his left eye after the clash of helmets on a 13-yard scramble deep in Dolphins territory.
Rarely do helmets fail in such a manner. But then again, rarely is it below zero at kickoff of a football game.
Mahomes ran two more plays before officials made him get a backup helmet from the sideline. He threw another incomplete pass and Kansas City kicked a field goal on fourth down to take a 19-7 lead, and Mahomes spent the ensuing Miami possession fiddling with the replacement helmet on the sideline in an effort to make it comfortable.
It was wind gusts, whipping through at more than 25 mph and driving the wind chill to a bone-rattling minus-27 degrees, that made the weather truly miserable for just about everyone.
That included pop star Taylor Swift, who once again turned up to see her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
She at least got to watch from an enclosed suite. Most fans huddled outside in parkas, ski goggles and snow pants, and players huddled around heaters on the sidelines as if they were an oasis in the cold. The National Weather Service issued a warning for what it called "dangerously cold" weather that had blanketed the Midwest.
The icy winter weather has blanketed much of the U.S. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned of a "dangerous storm" as she announced that the Buffalo Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers NFL playoff game was postponed from Sunday to Monday. Residents of the county that includes Buffalo were told to stay off the roads starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, with the forecast calling for 1 to 2 feet or more of snow and winds gusting as high as 65 mph.
Suppose he’d fumbled the ball. Would he or others start whining for a flag?
When the whole SuperBowl mania started, the Jets beat the Colts in SB III on January 12 of that year. In a warm weather location. Now the sports and betting mania has blossomed to the point where games are being scheduled in Buffalo and played in Kansas City during blizzard season.
At least the people in the stands paid a lot of money to be there. It seems fitting.
I’m getting old enough that Xtreme cold makes ME brittle...
He was Draft Pick #5 (from Alabama) in 2020.
He has played above average and has a four year QB rating average of 97.1, which is probably in the top 20%.
He has a history of injuries, so Miami does not encourage him to run the ball, which makes his game somewhat predictable.
Miami has made the Playoffs in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Tua was hurt last year and did not play in the Postseason game, which the Dolphins lost.
Saturday was Tua's first Postseason start, he completed just 51% of his passes, which means the cold weather affected his game.
I have not seen the video.
Usually, no foul is called unless one player lowers his head and makes first contact with the crown of his helmet.
If both players are at the same elevation and their helmets collide, usually, no foul.
Glad they won!
I wanted to watch but Peacock hid it behind A 30$ Paywall!
I hate peacock
They need antifreeze in helmets in subzero temps!
>>Lombardiball
Bud Grant
Grant required outdoor practice during the winter to get players used to the cold weather[8] and did not allow heaters on the sidelines during games.[5] As per the latter practice it goes that Grant posited that with the heaters present on the sidelines the players would gather around the source of the warmth but if the heaters were not present the players would be paying attention to the game.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Grant
I think at least 3 of the 10 coldest games were Viking home games, but they’ve played indoors for decades now.
Football has gotten to tbe point that all the games can be played in reasonable and temperate locations instead of at high altitudes or freezing cold.
Because is it really a test of skills rather than a test of elements?
This is the first time in my memory that a football game has been postponed for snow. Thunder & Lightning/Hurricane yes, but not snow. I have watched many late season games played in snow. Usually lots of fumbles, slipping and sliding and funny things happening on the field.
But I agree that this blizzard was too dangerous for players, staff and fans.........................
During my Texas-born boyfriend’s visit to sub-zero Michigan one year, he realized the concrete-like frozen ground was what football players were slammed into during many of the winter games he watched over the years, especially as a Bills fan. (His first view of a basement stairwell was also a surprise.)
I am a huge Chiefs fan but refused to be extorted by Peacock so relied on updates from the Chiefs app and from my dad who was watching on TV in Kansas City.
I'll watch if I have nothing better to do. This year, that comes out to about 3 games worth of quarters. Since I'm on antenna, they don't get any money from me for it.
Of course you had to pay to watch this game, so I found something else to do.
Its both.
The elements become part of the game.
“With a game-time temperature of minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit”
IN MIAMI?
Kansas City......................
I wonder if Patrick will put a claim in with Allstate?
State Farm?....................
You are right. I haven’t finished my coffee yet. That joke would have worked if I got it correct.
I thought this game could only be watched if you paid into NBC’s “Peacock” Network. Heard that somewhere so I didn’t bother.
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