The hot playoff clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins is turning into a beaver duel. As if the first round elimination game between the two NFL heavyweights wasn't explosive enough, now the North American winter is getting involved, and in what way. Forecasters expect temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero for Saturday night's game in Kansas City. For players in Miami, where it is currently 25 degrees in the summer, this would be a -45 degree temperature shock!
And because the Chiefs don't have a protective roof over their Arrowhead Stadium, the icy conditions could become a welcome factor for the hosts. The defending champion around star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce has had an unexpectedly shaky main round.
Kansas City residents are advised not to go outside unnecessarily due to this week's freezing winter storm. This will not be possible for the Sunshine State Florida Dolphins football players on Sunday morning German time (2:00/RTL and DAZN). Is there even a risk of distortion of competition?
Goosebumps and not a snowball fight.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel says the cold in the Midwest shouldn't be an excuse, but rather an incentive for his team to “get through this together.” The young and resourceful coach is looking forward to the biggest game in prime time in the United States at night. “I'm already having goosebumps,” he said, adding: “I'll probably have goosebumps on Saturday too, for different reasons.”
McDaniel's counterpart, the experienced Andy Reid, also does not want to see the cold as an advantage for his team. The Chiefs have experienced winter conditions much more often than the Dolphins have around their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who grew up in Hawaii. “You can't trust that. Otherwise, you're in trouble,” said Coach Reid, who had already led the Chiefs to two Super Bowl wins. “After all, we’re not having a snowball fight here.”
The duel in Frankfurt was for the Chiefs
It's better this way: In 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 he is still an excellent distributor of the ball in crucial moments. Along with his tight end Kelce, whose relationship with singer Taylor Swift thrilled both American football and the pop world for months, Mahomes is extremely dangerous for any opponent.
Additionally, the Chiefs' defense has often filled the gap this season, including in the first meeting between the two teams in November, when Kansas City won Germany's guest game in Frankfurt by 21:14 against the Dolphins.
Focus on Tyreek Hill's return
As excited as the players, officials and fans in Hesse were at the time, many lamented that Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill was reuniting with the Chiefs in Germany and not Kansas City. The 29-year-old is the league's top pass catcher and was traded from the Chiefs to the Dolphins two seasons ago; His long-delayed return to Arrowhead Stadium is eagerly awaited.
The fast footballer should be the success factor for the guests. The Dolphins also have another strong wide receiver in their ranks, Jaylen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert as an impressive running back, i.e. ball carrier.
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.