The Buffalo Bills could enter the record books on Saturday, December 24, though likely not the way they would have liked.
The Bills and Chicago Bears are set to kick off in Week 16 in what could be the coldest game in the more than 50-year history of Soldier Field. A large swath of the United States was hit with a major winter storm that brought heavy snows, strong winds and frigid temperatures late this week. Chicago was among the areas hit hard, with temperatures expected to be in the single digits at game time on December 24.
Frigid Conditions Ahead
As the Buffalo News reported, the temperature is forecast to be 8 degrees at kickoff, with the wind chill at -14. The conditions in the stadium will be brutal even if the snow has stopped falling, the report added.
“The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a winter storm warning for the Chicago area from noon Thursday to 6 a.m. Central Saturday, and while the snow is expected to be out of the area well before game time, the extreme cold will test even diehard fans’ bravado, and that includes Bills fans who are fighting the storm to be there in person,” the report noted.
The temperature could be within striking distance of the coldest game ever played at Soldier Field. As the Buffalo News noted, the record was set on December 22, 2008, when the Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers in temperatures between 1 and 2 degrees, with the wind chill hitting minus-14.
Crews at Soldier Field worked into the night last night to remove snow from the field. The tarp had been put on the field early in the week and likely won’t be removed until shortly before warmups tomorrow to prevent flash freezing of the field @cbschicago
The wind chill hit -15 in a 1983 game against the Packers, the report added, with the game time temperature reaching 3 degrees.
Bills Ready for Frigid Conditions
At least one Bills coach will be ready for the treacherous conditions. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier played cornerback for the Bears in the 1980s, including the near-perfect 1985 Super Bowl winner, and saw many frigid games.
“Whoooo. I’ve played in some very, very windy games at Soldier Field. I don’t know if I played in one quite like the one we had against New England a year ago,” Frazier said, recalling last year’s Wild Card playoff game in Buffalo played in single-digit temperatures. “It would be close between the two.”
The Bills have plenty of experience dealing with rough weather this season. Their November 20 game against the Cleveland Browns was moved to Detroit when a snowstorm dumped more than seven feet of snow in the Buffalo area. The Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins was expected to be played in heavy snow as well, but the storm came later than the initial forecast with snow not falling until the fourth quarter.
With the winter storm in the forecast, the Bills got an early start for Chicago by departing on Thursday.
Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said the team is ready for whatever weather comes their way, thanks in part to quarterback Josh Allen and a healthy balance between the running and passing games.
“Whether it’s windy, rainy snow, whatever it might be. I think that’s a big advantage for us to be able to do those different things that keep us balanced instead of forcing us into a one-dimensional game,” Dorsey said.
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Bills Could Make History in Week 16 Game Against Bears