Patriots-Jets Weather Expected To Be Among Coldest Ever
Patriots-Jets weather conditions are expected to be among the coldest ever at Gillette Stadium, with sub-20-degree temperatures predicted for game time in Foxboro. Good news for New England, though: the Patriots are as dominant in cold weather as in any other situation.
The Patriots are 42-10 since 1993 in games where the kickoff temperature came in at 34 degrees or colder. That includes a 12-2 record in the playoffs, according to data at Patriots.com. Even more impressive, they’re 11-0 when it snows in Foxboro – but precipitation isn’t expected on Sunday.
As of Friday afternoon, the Weather Channel Sunday forecast calls for a high of 15 degrees and a low of minus-4 in Foxboro. That puts Sunday’s game among the coldest ever in Foxboro. To put it in perspective, a game-time temperature of 15 degrees would make it the third-coldest Patriots kickoff since ’93.
Even so, the game likely won’t match the coldest game in Gillette Stadium history. The Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans 17-14 in a frosty 2003 AFC Divisional Playoff. That game featured a kickoff temperature of just 4 degrees with a wind chill of 10 below zero.
The New England Patriots defensive line stands on the field during the game against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 10, 2004 at Gillette Stadium. The game-time temperature was just 4 degrees. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Patriots-Jets Weather: A Brief History
The Patriots played the Jets in seven of their 52 games since ’93 that kicked off at 34 degrees or colder. As you might expect, they’re 6-1 in those games.
However, the one loss is a big one. On Jan. 16, 2011, the Rex Ryan-coached Jets marched into Foxboro and infamously beat the Patriots 28-21 in the 2010 AFC Divisional Playoff. The game had a kickoff temperature of 30 degrees with a wind chill of 19.
Sunday will mark the coldest Patriots-Jets game since 2014. The Patriots beat the Jets 17-16 in Week 16 of the 2014 season. Still, the game-time temperature was a relatively balmy 34 degrees that day.
If the Patriots and Jets kick off at 15 degrees on Sunday, it would shatter the record for the coldest Pats-Jets game since ’93. The current record holder is a game played on Dec. 5, 2005 at Gillette Stadium, which had a kickoff temperature of 26 degrees.
Don’t Ask Bill
The expected arctic chill for Foxboro on Sunday is of great interest to those attending the game. Just don’t ask head coach Bill Belichick about the Patriots-Jets weather conditions. In fact, the coach seems a bit skeptical that it will even be that cold.
“We’ll see what we get. I’m not going to base too much off of what [the weather forecast] is two days before the game,” Belichick told reporters on Friday. “We’ve all been down that road before. The weather changes pretty quickly around here. Even what we forecast for the day of the game on the day of the game isn’t always what we get, so we’ll see what we get and we’ll deal with it.”
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Clearly, Belichick expects some kind of cold weather. Even if it’s not the teeth-chattering, pipe-freezing kind. The Patriots mainly practiced outside in the frigid cold at Gillette Stadium this week in order to prepare for the likely conditions on Sunday.
Bill Belichick (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Patriots-Jets Weather: A P.S.A. For Patrons
The Patriots issued the following weather advisory earlier this week for those who plan to attend Sunday’s game:
We are expecting temperatures dipping into the single digits for this weekend’s regular season finale against the Jets. Please dress accordingly. We would like to remind fans that blankets are allowed into the stadium, but we ask that when arriving at the security entrances to please have blankets folded and draped loosely over your arm for easy inspection. Please note that hand and feet warmers are allowed and encouraged, but the use of battery operated heated clothing is not allowed.
Based on recent history and the state of the two teams, expect the Patriots to roll over the Jets and secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff.
