The freezing cold weather at Highmark Stadium has been one of the most talked-about storylines leading up to the AFC Wild Card matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots on Satruday, January 15.
However, just hours before the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, two of the Bills’ defensive linemen showed that the single-digit temperatures in Orchard Park have nothing on them.
In 9-degree weather, linebacker Tyrel Dodson and defensive end Mario Addison made a huge statement entering Highmark Stadium without shirts, a moment which was captured on video and shared on Twitter.
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The cold never bothered them anyway. 😳 #NEvsBUF
Video of Dodson and Addison wearing winter coats but without a shirt underneath quickly went viral. The official Bills Twitter account posted the clip and wrote, “The cold never bother them anyway,” referencing the hit son, “Let it Go,” from Disney’s Frozen.
Bills reporter Maddy Glab tweeted the video and wrote, “Ya’ll are loco… in the best way.” It seems the Bills D-line took the advice of veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes to heart.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Hughes revealed his plan to stay warm was to “spend some time outside. Take off the pants. Get in some shorts. Enjoy that weather. Really embrace it. Get your feet in the earth. Let your toes touch that cold soil.”
iam_mrshughes/InstagramBuffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes walks outside in flip-flops in 6-degree weather to prepare for the team’s Wild Card playoff game on January 15, 2022.
On Saturday afternoon, Hughes’s wife Meghan Hughes posted on her Instagram stories a photo of Hughes taking his advice, walking around outside in 6-degree weather in flip-flops and a t-shirt
Tank top and shorts weather.
Dodson and Addison weren’t the only players on the Bills looking to make a point about the weather. Offensive guard Cody Ford took to the field to warm up in nothing but a t-shirt and shorts.
Sleeves are optional. 🥶
Tight end Dawson Knox also wore a tank top to prepare for the cold weather on Saturday night. Temperatures are expected to drop closer to zero degrees by the time the game starts.
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Quarterback Josh Allen, however, took a starkly different approach to the team’s on-field warm-ups, wearing a Bills sweatshirt, snow hat, long pants, and a hand warm around his waist.
Cornerback Levi Wallace also bundled up during the team’s pre-game workout.
Sure looks like Levi Wallace has some type of electric warmer in that pouch around waste based on 3 red lights I see in front. #Bills
Jordan Poyer one of first #Bills to take the field pregame.
Safety Jordan Poyer wore a grey Bills hoodie and an insulated face mask to keep warm before kick-off.
Allen Doesn’t Play as Well in Cold Weather
While it may sound superfluous noting how cold it will be in Buffalo in January, Allen, who revealed earlier this week that he suffers from poor circulation, does not play as well in freezing temperatures.
Allen’s passing accuracy takes a huge dip in inclement weather. The Athletic‘s Matthew Fairburn reported, “Allen has played five games in his career where the temperature at kickoff was 31 degrees or colder. The Bills are 3-2 in those games, and Allen has a completion percentage of 50.3 percent with 883 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions.”
While bad weather will obviously affect the Patriots’ performance as well, “the difference is the Bills lean on their passing game a lot more than the Patriots do,” Fairburn noted.
QB1 is in the building. 👍
While Allen didn’t enter Highmark Stadium shirtless like some of his teammates on Saturday, he didn’t appear too worried about the cold weather, either.
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Video of Bills Linemen Arriving Shirtless at Stadium Goes Viral