If you’re holding out hope for the Patriots to stun the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, you may be happy to know that they’ll be playing in freezing weather.

UPDATE: As of Sunday morning, it’s even colder than previously believed in Foxboro. As of 11:24 a.m. on Sunday, it’s 12 degrees, with a projected game time temperature of 18 degrees for the Patriots and Bengals. And it feels like 2 degrees, with winds southwest at 14 mph. Click here for live updates from the game.

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has played only two games in his career in which the game time temperature was 32 degrees or under, according to Stathead. He’s posted a 105.5 passer rating in those games and Cincy won both of them. The most recent game was on Nov. 22 this year against the Steelers, when Burrow completed 24-of-39 passes for 346 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, in a game with 27-degree weather.

So, that’s a long way of saying that Burrow is an elite franchise quarterback, and a little nippy air isn’t necessarily going to stop him from leading the Bengals to a win at Gillette Stadium on Christmas Eve. But if and when the game is as frigid as the low 20s, and especially if the wind starts whipping around, that can have a way of slowing things down for both teams or making screwy things happen.

Jan 13, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts in the cold during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

It’s unfortunate that this is what the Patriots have been reduced to at this point in the 2022 season. But it’s the reality. The Bengals are the better team, with the better quarterback and a far better offense. So it may take unusual weather for there to be some sort of equalizer.

But! Any given Sunday, right? We’ll see if the Pats can show better team toughness and keep it close.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster 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? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.