Record low temperatures will likely reach states across the country this weekend, and it's time to impact several NFL playoff games over the weekend. That's especially true in the AFC, where Saturday's Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins game could set records as one of the coldest NFL playoff games in history. Sunday's wild card game between the No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills (11-6) and the No. 7 seed Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) could see freezing temperatures as well.
This is the fourth playoff meeting between the two teams and the first played in Buffalo, and as a result, weather will be a factor. The AccuWeather forecast calls for a high of 24 degrees on Sunday with wind gusts of 50 mph.
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This would be one of the loudest winds ever recorded at an NFL game. The 1982 AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers featured subzero temperatures and wind gusts exceeding 50 mph as well. Most recently, the Bills lost 14-10 to the Patriots in December 2021 in a Monday Night Football game featuring winds gusting up to 55 mph.
On top of the wind, AccuWeather expects more than seven inches of snow to fall at Highmark Stadium on Sunday. It will likely be a tough day for both offenses. Things will be a little better in Pittsburgh; Acrisure Stadium is expected to get sun but sub-freezing temperatures and winds gusting up to 30 mph.
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What is the coolest Bills game ever?
Sunday will be Buffalo's first snow game of the 2023-24 season. Last season, they lost 27-10 in the playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals in frigid and snowy conditions.
The coldest Bills game in franchise history is also one of the coldest NFL games ever. Buffalo played the then-Los Angeles Raiders on January 15, 1994, in the AFC playoffs with zero temperatures at kickoff and a wind chill of 32 degrees below zero. The Bills overcame a 17-13 first-half deficit to win the AFC Divisional game 29-23 for their fourth straight AFC Championship game.
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What is the coolest Steelers game ever?
Steelers Actress Stadium is located just over three hours south of Bills Highmark Stadium. It is farther from Lake Erie and experiences freezing temperatures less often.
The coldest game in Steelers history was Pittsburgh's 17-10 loss on the road to the Bengals on Dec. 10, 1977, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, with game-time temperatures reaching 2 degrees.
Pittsburgh's coldest home game was a game against the New England Patriots on December 17, 1989. The Steelers' Three Rivers Stadium recorded temperatures at five degrees during the Steelers' 28-10 win over New England.
