LAS VEGAS — A big reason why the Kansas City Chiefs survived the AFC was because they were able to survive the Miami Dolphins and near-record cold on Wild Card Weekend.
The Jan. 13 playoff affair at Arrowhead Stadium was the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, with the mercury plunging to minus-4 at kickoff with a wind chill of minus-27.
Did Kansas City Players Get Frostbite in Miami Dolphins Playoff Game?
It was so “dangerously cold,” the National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for Kansas City, with the risk of frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes.
They weren’t kidding.
The K.C. Fire Department told the local FOX affiliate after the game that the agency responded to dozens of hypothermia-related calls, with 15 fans hospitalized with cold-related issues.
The players were not immune to the same elements, as Chiefs pass rusher Chris Jones told PFN here this week.
“That game was so damn cold,” Jones said. “Some players got frostbite, some coaches got frostbite. That game was very challenging, man. So cold. Extremely cold.”
Credit the Chiefs for persevering far better than the Dolphins did. Kansas City stomped Miami 26-7, throttling the high-powered Dolphins offense with a physical approach.
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“Now, I’ll tell you what. [L’Jarius] Sneed, Trent [McDuffie], Josh [Williams], Jaylen [Watson], all those guys, Justin Reid, in the secondary, they take a lot of pride in playing physical,” said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
“Now, LJ kind of heads that thing up and we knew if you had any kind of chance of doing well against Miami, you have to take care of those wide receivers.
“They’re pretty explosive,” Spagnuolo added. “I thought our guys took on that challenge and played pretty good. The weather helped us a little too, because that was cold.”
When asked if the Dolphins were unable to handle the elements, Jones replied:
“I don’t know if they handled it. I know at one point, I couldn’t handle it. Yeah, it was cold.”
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