LAS VEGAS — One of Arrowhead Stadium’s end zones was so frozen during the Kansas City Chiefs‘ home playoff game against the Miami Dolphins that it impacted players’ ability to plant and cut.
That’s according to Dolphins punter Jake Bailey, who shed new light on the fourth-coldest game in league history during a PFN Radio Row appearance Thursday.
Miami Dolphins Punter Jake Bailey Talks Chiefs Playoff Game
“If you watched the game and the wide receivers, their route in that end zone, they were barely tip-toeing, because you’re gonna fall down,” Bailey said.
It was evident well before kickoff that despite the Chiefs’ best efforts, the playing surface was going to be impacted by the negative temperatures and minus-30 wind chills.
And yet, the NFL allowed the game to continue as scheduled — despite postponing Steelers-Bills due to a massive winter storm.
There was no snow in Kansas City that frigid afternoon four weeks ago. But there was a wind chill warning by the National Weather Service, calling for “dangerously cold” conditions that could cause frostbite on exposed skin in less than a half hour of exposure.
“They postponed the Bills game because of snow and all that,” Bailey said. “I saw videos of it seemed like they needed to do that.
“You could make the case that they probably should have postponed or just backed up our game, because the end zone, I’m not sure how to describe which end zone it was, but one of the end zones was completely frozen.
“So my second punt of the game, I was standing like a yard in the end zone, and my cleats weren’t digging into the ground. So there my second step on that, slipped bad. I was like, you know, this could be real bad if I go down.”
Bailey’s comments came the same week that Chiefs pass rusher Chris Jones told PFN that “some players got frostbite, some coaches got frostbite” during the Wild Card round playoff game.
Said Bailey: “I don’t know if that’s what happens when you get frostbite, but it was a solid two days that it was extremely uncomfortable getting in any sort of water, just around [my neck] because that was the edges of where the scuba gear went, and my neck was a little bit exposed. And my eyes, everything felt frozen.”
Since the brutal cold snap went on for days in the Midwest, the NFL wouldn’t have accomplished much by postponing the game.
But the league did have the option of moving it to a neutral location since forecasters knew a week out how cold it was going to be. The NFL ultimately decided to hold the game where and when it was originally scheduled.
MORE: What Did L’Jarius Sneed Have to Say About Tyreek Hill’s ‘Jammed My Ahh to Cancun’ Tweet?
The result?
Dozens of hypothermia-related fire rescue calls, with 15 fans hospitalized with cold-related issues.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast
Listen to the PFN Dolphins Podcast! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find the PFN Dolphins Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Check out the PFN Dolphins Podcast on our NFL YouTube channel.
