Jaguars vs. Chiefs playoff game faces winter weather challenges in Kansas City
On Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City in the NFL Divisional Round, but weather may play a factor in who advances from the Divisional Round to the AFC Championship.
Wintry weather impacts expected for Jaguars vs. Chiefs playoff game on Saturday
Armando Salguero, Senior NFL Writer at OutKick, discusses how the wintry weather will impact the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday.
The Jacksonville Jaguars got a taste of some winter temperatures – for Florida – in last week's Wild Card playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, this week when the Jaguars take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round in Missouri, they'll truly experience a winter weather playoff game.
Not only will the temperatures be somewhere in the 30s against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, but there will also be a chance for wintry precipitation.
A look at future radar for the Jaguars vs. Chiefs game
FOX Weather's FutureTrack shows a mix between rain, freezing rain and snow for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs game on Saturday. The two teams will play in Kansas City for a spot in the NFL AFC Championship and weather could play a factor in who wins.
The temperature is expected to be in the mid to high 30s with a rain and snow mix. Precipitation will teeter between rain, snow and freezing rain throughout the football game but change over to all snow by the end of the game.
WINTER STORM TO BLANKET PLAINS, MIDWEST IN SNOW THROUGH WEEKEND BEFORE IMPACTING NORTHEAST
Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City doesn't have a roof, so players and fans won't be sheltered from the cold temperatures or wintry precipitation.
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 15: Interior view of Arrowhead Stadium and it's snowy field prior to the game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday December 15, 2019 in Kansas City, MO.
(Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
And while it won't be the worst weather game ever played in the playoffs, it may provide an advantage for the Chiefs in going against a warm-weathered team, who won't be able to rely on a last-second field goal for the W.
How the Chiefs and Jaguars perform in the cold
The Chiefs have been one of the best-performing NFL teams in the cold over the last 15 seasons.
According to data from SportsWeather, in games below 34 degrees since the year 2008, the Chiefs have a record of 28-22, ranking them in the top 5 of best-performing teams in the NFL with a 56% winning percentage.
Forecast for the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
(FOX Weather)
Since 2008, the Jaguars haven't played in many cold weather games, which could result in a disadvantage for them on Saturday. They've only played in nine games with temperatures below 34 degrees, going 3-6 in those games since 2008.
Will the cold weather affect quarterback play?
Being an effective quarterback is essential in any NFL game, but more emphasis is put on it during the playoffs, especially if the weather will impact the game.
Patrick Mahomes is widely considered the best quarterback in the league, and a stark dropoff isn't expected in his performance this weekend. And the data backs that up.
According to SportsWeather, when the feels-like temperatures are between 20-34 degrees, Mahomes' career passer rating is at 110.3.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back to pass in heavy snow in the second quarter of an AFC West game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on December 15, 2019 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
(Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
On the other side, Trevor Lawrence hasn't played in too many cold weather games in his early NFL career. But in his limited career thus far, he has shown to perform much better when the feels-like temperatures are between 20-34 degrees, with a career passer rating of 106.2.
And let's not forget about how the cold weather affects the actual football. The air is thicker when it's colder, making the ball feel like a brick and affecting how far the ball can be thrown.
Either way, it will be a cold game for both teams, with wind chills near-freezing from kickoff to the time the clock runs out.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT for a spot in the AFC Championship.
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