Word from Dallas this week is that the Cowboys are hoping for a colder-the better scenario for Sunday’s playoff-game in Green Bay against the Packers.
Single digits? Bring ‘em on.
Below zero wind chills? Short sleeve weather?
What in the name of a Polar Vortex is going on here?
Running Game Emphasis in Cold Weather
The logic in hoping for more frigid temps? Cold weather games require an effective running game in order to win. This past season, the Cowboys ranked second in the league in rushing. DeMarco Murray is a stud running back and their O-line one of the best in the business.
OK, I get that.
But left unsaid is that the Packers running game ranked 11th overall, got stronger as the season wore on and the bitterly cold weather this week is on their home turf; Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI. Eddie Lacy, James Starks and the highly regarded Packers O-line will have something to say about this outcome as well.
Contention that Rodgers Play in Bitterly Cold is Suspect
Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News points out that recent history has shown a Rodgers vulnerability when it comes to bitterly cold weather.
Gosselin writes, “The legend dating to the Ice Bowl is that the Packers love the cold. The colder the better. Cold is supposed to be a big part of that home-field advantage in the North Country. Turns out that’s a myth. Since the Ice Bowl, the Packers are 5-7 when game-time temperatures have been in single digits. At Lambeau, they are 4-5 during that stretch.”
“He’s (Rodgers) 0-3 in his career on single-digit temperature days, including a home loss in the playoffs to San Francisco last January,” writes Gosselin. “The 49ers prevailed 23-20 in game-time temperatures of 5 degrees with a wind chill of minus-10. In 2008, Rodgers and the Packers lost a pair of home games in minus wind chills to pedestrian Chicago (9-7) and Houston (8-8).”
“Tundra Takeover” planned for Sunday
In an attempt to rally their fair weather fans into supporting the road team, one local Dallas TV station has started a “Tundra Takeover” campaign.
Their plea is for all self-respecting Cowboys fans to buy a ticket and travel to Green Bay for this weekend’s game. Tickets are readily available, though expensive, on the secondary markets. It will be interesting to see how many true blue Cowboys fans heed the call and actually show up.
Curiously, the team is also promoting “Ice Bowl Two” tee shirts. Perhaps they forgot that they lost the first one in 1967 by a 21-17 score?
I suspect that much of the chatter from Dallas this week may well be a case of whistling through the graveyard; outwardly exuding confidence but inwardly worried as hell.
Quarterbacks the Key
Despite the bloviating from North Texas this is going to come down to the quarterbacks. Each will have to throw the ball well, make the reads and execute sound decisions when the chips are on the line. That criteria and history heavily favors NFL MVP front-runner Aaron Rodgers over the sometimes mistake-prone Tony Romo. Dirty Harry vs. Maxwell Smart.
It is also reason to like the Packers chances of victory on Sunday.
The Packers prefer home cooking. Brats, cheese curds and beer over BBQ brisket and red wine.
Sorry Dallas, The Frozen Tundra is Our House!
——————Jeff Albrecht grew up just north of Green Bay and was lucky enough to attend some of the Lombardi Era classic games, like the 1962 championship and the Ice Bowl. Jeff went on to play HS football in the Green Bay area and College ball at UW - Stevens Point. Jeff is retired but still does some writing for his local paper. Jeff is a writer with AllGreenBayPackers.com and you can follow him on twitter at @pointerjeff .
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That fickle wench fate is going to play the biggest role in the outcome of this game. Will there be a deke, a feint, a slide, a scramble or a tackle that happens in just that minutely wrong way that tweaks AR’s calf? Or will she stand down and let the winner be determined on even footing?
A true wordsmith – well said.
Beautiful.
Well said. Epic
We can beat Dallas with Rodgers on one leg. Obviously the defense has to be spot on. We will not go into Seattle and beat them with a one legged qb…
Game will come down to Packer’s defense. Still have no confidence in them. I hope they can get off the field on 3rd down. Once again, I hope I am dead wrong.
Go Pack Go!
I think the defense is going to be jacked and ready to shut them down. Offense will sputter, but we will get the win.
Little Richard is wrong. .Packers boat raced the Bears at home that year. They lost at Chicago after a blocked kick in overtime. Sure sounds like a “Rodgers fail” to me! #sarcasm
Is Little Dickey trying to compare the 2014 Cowboys Linebacking core to the 49ers 2013 Trio of Navarro Bowman, Patrick Willis, and Aldon Smith, ? Not even close, what is he smoking ? Just another dumb Shit Kicker!
Cold weather is an equalizer….as like last year vs San Fran in Lambeau,we knew,at least realists did,that the Packers weren’t as good as the Niners and yet the weather made it a more equal game and had it come down to who does and doesn’t make that crucial game changer….Hyde makes that INT changes the game…Bush doesn’t allow Kapernick the edge for a 1st down changes the game….but no one dominates unless one collapses entirely….Last offensive possession or defensive stand wins the game….Which do you want to be?…Having to score or defend against a score?
The Packers are a better team than Dallas and in better weather and would win 7 out of 10 but this time the cold weather makes for Dallas what it did for the Packers last season vs SF even though a loss was the result it gave us a equal chance.
Packers win…score is moot…”Just Win Baby”
It’s going to be 19 and sunny. The weather will not affect the Packers. The only thing to be concerned about is Rodgers’ leg holding up. If it does they win. If we lose, blame the game on the training staff I say!! If not them than Slocum!! There, I said it.
Ted
The article is Cowboys hoping for cold weather and I simply gave my reason as to why they would as did GB vs SF last season.
Whether it is cold enough to constitute ‘cold’ we’ll have to see and I also said the Packers would win 7/10 times in better weather.
Personally,I don’t even want to hear its cold for football unless its single digits and lower as that’s when adrenaline in some players may find that a tougher opponent to supplying self warmth via movement.
Exactly. All of this “Ice Bowl II” crap is just for media promotion of the game. The reality is that it just isn’t going to be that cold, and neither team is going to be much affected.
The REAL Ice Bowl had a wind chill dipping down to 45 below. People came out of that game with frostbite. On top of that, players today have high-tech thermal underwear, chemical hand warmers, super warm parkas, heated benches complete with foot-warming cubby holes, huge fans blowing hot air up and down the sideline, and… oh, yeah… it isn’t even going to be very cold.
You mean we knew last year that team who had not 11 healthy players to play that game was worse than SF. I will agree with you. But how much Packers were better tells us score 23-20 achieved with 7 healthy Packers players on defense and from the rest 4 two was playing on one leg… So, I’m not buying that SF was better than Packers last year. They just have much, much healthier roster…
Where the Packers have struggled this year has been vs top flight defenses on the road. This week they face neither. They should get it done.
I fail to understand why people think this is such a tough matchup for us. They will probably run the ball well, but they have NO pass rush and their secondary is ATROCIOUS. We will pass all over them. We will run on them. We will stop them from passing on us (our secondary is top 10 and they’ve got Dez and a bag of balls). They’ll run on us.
That favors us. Big time. I’m really not worried about this game. 41-21 Pack.
Agreed. Dallas is the most over rated team out there.
No. I think they’re the 4th best team in the NFL this year – behind Seattle, GB and NE. But there’s a big gap between those 3 and everyone else.
Carolina would have been an easier game. But they’ll be fine.
That’s what my gut tells me and why I can not wait til sunday!!!!!!!!
I think we can win this one with Tolzien. I say start him and have Rodgers ready on the sideline. Rodgers can have his girlyfriend rubbing his calf on the sideline. If we fall behind bring Rodgers in. Otherwise save him for Seattle.
I was thinking of something along those lines but in reverse Big T. I say unleash everything early, get a big lead, then get Rodgers out of there. We both know that won’t happen though.
Not a bad idea Big T except MM would start Flynn instead which means Rodgers would be in after the first series.
I don’t think really bitter cold favors GB; rather, I think it is an equalizer. But the weather forecast is for reasonable temperatures that should not affect GB, but might affect Dallas.
I am actually pretty confident about this game. I think GB puts up 35 points or more. I also think we should be able to hold Dallas to less than 21.
Bingo Reynoldo!! The cold weather will affect Dallas big time but will not have an affect on Green Bay. Why? because 19 degrees is going to be a heat wave compared to what it was for the past week. Green Bay is going to love this weather where as Dallas coming here on Saturday will think it’s sub zero. Huge advantage Green Bay. Again, if they don’t win going away they better build a dome as there’s no hope anymore.
This is a good ” Rodgers doesn’t do well in these temps.” I’m waiting to so how dome boy Romo does in these temps?? he was tripping all over the place against the Lions, and that was inside, he’ll need to have all that ARMER he wares just to protect him from the turf wait till he gets a load of this Frozen Tundra
Tony Romo is a Wisconsin boy , wouldn’t think the cold will bother him too much.