NFL
Icy playoff start: Chiefs against Miami at minus 20 degrees
At the start of the playoffs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs will meet the Miami Dolphins. photo
© Charlie Riedel/AP/dpa
Kansas City and Miami are two of the most spectacular teams in the NFL. They meet early in the playoffs. In addition to the players, the focus is on the thermometer. Extreme conditions are expected.
The hot playoff clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins becomes a Bibber duel. As if the match in the first knockout round between the two NFL heavyweights wasn’t explosive enough, the North American winter is now getting involved – and how. Meteorologists expect temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees for the game in Kansas City on Saturday evening.
And because the Chiefs don’t have a protective roof on their Arrowhead Stadium, the icy conditions could become a welcome factor for the hosts. The defending champion around quarterback star Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift boyfriend Travis Kelce has had an unexpectedly unconfident main round.
Kansas City residents are being advised not to go outside unnecessarily due to this week’s freezing winter storm. This will not be possible for the Dolphins football players from Florida – the Sunshine State with currently a comfortable 20 degrees – on Sunday morning German time (2 a.m./RTL and DAZN). Is there even a risk of distortion of competition?
Goosebumps and not a snowball fight
Miami coach Mike McDaniel says that the cold in the Midwest of the USA should not be an excuse, but rather an incentive for his team to “get through this together.” The young and quick-witted coach is looking forward to the top game at prime US broadcast time in the evening. “I already have goosebumps,” he reported in advance and added: “I’ll probably have goosebumps on Saturday too – for different reasons.”
McDaniel’s counterpart, the experienced Andy Reid, also doesn’t want to see the cold as an advantage for his team. The Chiefs have experienced winter conditions significantly more often than the Dolphins around their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who grew up in Hawaii. “You can’t rely on that. Otherwise you’ll get into trouble,” said Coach Reid, who had already led the Chiefs to two Super Bowl triumphs. “We’re not having a snowball fight here, after all.”
Duel in Frankfurt went to the Chiefs
It’s better that way – in American football, Kansas City and Miami are, after all, among the best and most spectacular teams in the NFL. Chiefs quarterback Mahomes is having one of his weakest seasons statistically, but is still an outstanding ball distributor in crucial moments. Together with his tight end Kelce – whose liaison with singer Taylor Swift thrilled both the American football and the pop world for months – Mahomes is extremely dangerous for every opponent.
In addition, the Chiefs defense has often stepped into the breach this season – including in the first duel between the two teams in November, when Kansas City won the Germany guest game in Frankfurt 21:14 against the Dolphins.
Focus on returning Hill
As enthusiastic as players, officials and fans were in Hesse at the time, many regretted that Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill met the Chiefs in Germany and not in Kansas City. The 29-year-old is the best pass receiver in the league and had just moved from the Chiefs to the Dolphins before the season – his delayed return to Arrowhead Stadium is eagerly awaited.
The lightning-fast footballer should be the success factor for the guests. The Dolphins also have another strong wide receiver in Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert as an impressive running back, i.e. ball carrier, in their ranks.
The Dolphins scored almost 30 points per game in the main round, making them the second-best team in the statistics. For comparison: The Chiefs only have just under 22 points – but have allowed fewer points (17.3) than the Dolphins (23). Of course, these values no longer count on the weekend – when you go out into the cold.