The New England Patriots have mostly avoided bad weather games this season, and it looks like their playoff opener will not be dramatically different. That being said, the conditions could still end up playing a role against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.
According to a forecast shared on NFL Weather, temperatures in Foxborough will be in the low 30s throughout the contest, with a wind chill as low as 23°F. In addition, there is a “chance of rain” that might turn into snow later during
the night.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, predicts a chance of rain and snow before 10 p.m. even though “little or no snow accumulation [is] expected.” Wind gusts of up to 23 mph are also part of the prognosis.
The possible combination of low temperatures with wet and windy conditions could create some challenges for the Patriots and Chargers. Ball security will be paramount for the two teams, who fumbled the ball a respective 20 and 17 times during the regular season, losing eight and seven of them along the way.
The kicking game might also be impacted, even though Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer downplayed the effects the weather can have.
“Just strike the ball well,” Springer said about field goal and extra point attempts in particular. “You don’t adjust because of the weather. Your ball is straight, it’s straight. The plant foot, everything like that, it’s going to be the same. You’re not going to hit it lower, hit it higher. It’s just going to be the same. It’s got to be the same for those guys every time.”
The Patriots have gotten used to playing in cold conditions so far this season. Temperatures dropped below 40°F in each of their last five games, with the Patriots going 4-1 during that stretch.
The Chargers, on the other hand, appeared in only one such contest during the regular season. In Week 15, they celebrated a 16-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that had a kickoff temperature of 18°F.
The wild card meeting between the Patriots and Chargers at Gillette Stadium will be kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. ET.
