It was clear early this week that a lake-effect snowstorm would be hitting Orchard Park just before the Miami Dolphins (8-5) took on the Buffalo Bills (10-3) in primetime on Saturday, December 17, however, the severity level wasn’t clear, nor how many inches would fall.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel described dealing with inclement weather as merely a mind-over-matter issue, and proudly rocked a t-shirt that read, “I wish it were colder,” at practice on Wednesday. Well, be careful what you wish for.
WGRZ-TV tweeted on Saturday morning to expect “whiteout conditions. Snow totals for this region could range between 10 to 18 inches.” According to Weather.com, the temperatures in Buffalo will drop to 26 degrees by kickoff.
Current status at Highmark Stadium 7:30 am. @BuffaloBills @BuffaloFAMbase
While the Bills’ official Twitter account saw the snowfall on Saturday and simply called it “football weather,” the Dolphins are likely in for a rude awakening.
However, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that McDaniel and the Dolphins squad “are ready” for the freezing temperatures, as they packed “1,400 pounds of cold weather gear.”
“Seven extra trunks is what they brought with them,” Rapoport said, “Three trunks of scuba gear. Three trunks of thermal gears. You guys are gonna see, they’re gonna need it today. One trunk of snowboots for coaches.”
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: The #Dolphins will be ready for a snowy, windy game in Buffalo, like most away teams preparing in similar conditions. They have 1,400 pounds worth of trunks of cold weather gear, multiple cleats for every player and capes. Lots of capes.
As for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, He’s “going to be wearing a handwarmer, but it’s going to be sewn into his jersey so you won’t exactly see it,” Rapoport. And every player is going to have multiple cleats so they can go out during warmups, and try and see what works for the best footing.”
NFL Network’s insider also addressed “a myth” going around about the Dolphins “needing” sideline heaters against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 when the weather was 55 degrees. Rapoport said, “The home team used it, so the visitors needed it, too.” Okay, Rapoport.
Bills QB Josh Allen Discussed Home Field Advantage in the Snow
.@JoshAllenQB is ready. Are you?!
📺: #MIAvsBUF at 8:15pm ET on @NFLNetwork
One person who’s not stressed about the cold weather is Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who said that the entire team has been preparing all week to take the field in the blistering snow.
“Whether it’s a limited warm-up time in the cold, wearing the long sleeves, wearing some under-stuff just to keep that warmth up,” Allen said, per New York Upstate. “Whether it’s some IcyHot stuff on your toes, trying to keep the circulation going down there. Every game’s kind of different. Every weather scenario runs a little different. But again, staying on the heated benches as much as possible, hands in the hand warmers as much as possible.”
“I definitely think [the cold weather] is an advantage that we have… Miami’s got a weather advantage too, the opposing sideline is in the sun.”
@JoshAllenQB discusses each team’s home field advantage ahead of the Dolphins-Bills game in Buffalo.
During an appearance on Kyle Brandt’s Basement on December 12, Allen admitted the Bills’ ability to play in the cold is an advantage but said, “Miami’s got a weather advantage, too. The opposing sideline is in the sun. It’s 20 to 30 degrees hotter on the away side than the home side. but having the cold here, kinda evens stuff out.”
While McDaniels downplayed the effects of a snowstorm considering both the Bills and Dolphins “will be playing the game in the same elements” on Saturday, the same can’t be said for when Buffalo played in Miami earlier this season in 110-degree weather. At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the away team’s bench gets baked under the sun while the Dolphins’ home bench remains in the shade.
The weekly picture of the sun’s performance to remind how opposing players are architecturally encouraged to have Heat illness like the Bills RT
During the Bills 21-19 loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, along with several other Bills players, were forced to exit the game due to heat illness, receiving fluids in the locker room before being able to return to the field. Diggs said during an appearance on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that it was an exhaustion level that the eight-year NFL veteran has never felt.
“Hell no. I’ve never been that tired in my life. I had full-body cramps after the game. I’ve never experienced that before. Probably laid on the table and was like ‘Yeah, this is it for me.'” Diggs revealed. Le Batard said the Bills “played in inhumane conditions” and the two-time Pro Bowler didn’t disagree.
“Yeah, I think it’s set up that way,” Diggs said. “Because if you ever notice on that Miami field, the majority of the Miami side is under the shade, and our side? It’s in the sun that ya know, turns those grapes into raisins. It was real fun out there. Full body cramps is when your hamstrings, quads, arms, stomach — all the good stuff cramps up. It’s just part of the game.”
Tagovailoa Said He’s Ready for the Buffalo Game Because ‘It Snowed in Alabama’
It snows in Alabama, guys – Tua Tagovailoa
During a press conference earlier this week, Tagovailoa was hit with several questions about the weather in Buffalo, “Tagovailoa began to take issue with the idea that he can’t handle snow, saying that last winter he visited his brother, who plays quarterback at Maryland, and did an outdoor workout there, and that he saw snow in college, too,” Pro Football Talk’s Michael Davis Smith reported.
The former No. 5 overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft said, “It snowed in Alabama my first year. So it snows in Alabama, guys. People don’t know that,” — a comment which Bills fans and analysts had a field day with on Twitter. If the 24-year-old thinks snow in Tuscaloosa the snowstorms in Western, New York — he’s in trouble.
New York Upstate’s Matt Parrino reported, “The three lowest QBR games of Tagovailoa’s career have come in games with temperatures below 45 degrees, including in 2020 in Buffalo when it was 35 degrees at kickoff.”
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Dolphins Pack 1,400 LBs of Cold Weather Gear for Bills Game: NFL Insider