Are the Elements Still the Packers' Ally?
Rainy, snowy, and cold games haven't been the guaranteed Packer wins they once were
By GregMeinholz
The Green Bay Packers and cold weather have been synonymous for decades. Every Packer fan knows it. You can't think of Lambeau Field without the term "The Frozen Tundra" coming to mind. The game was played almost 60 years ago, but the 1967 NFL Championship Game, aka "The Ice Bowl" is still the most famous game in Packers history. Opponents coming to Green Bay in late November, December, and January would be faced with overcoming the bitter cold while it seemed like the Packers thrived in it. For me growing up in the 90's, it seemed like no team could top the Packers when the temperature was below 30. Especially teams coming from warm-weather cities. So, for my first-ever game at Lambeau to be a bitterly cold game with a high of 3 degrees against the Houston Texans was almost fitting. Except something went wrong with that game, the Packers lost. It didn't matter that the opponent came from sunny Texas, the Packers still weren't able to pull off the victory. Recently, the elements haven't been the ally for the Packers they used to be.
The first Championship game Lambeau Field had hosted in 30 years came on January 12, 1997, where the Packers decidedly defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-13. Temperatures in that game topped out at 3 degrees with a windchill of -16. It may have been about 15 degrees warmer than the Ice Bowl, but it was a fitting tribute to that game for the Packers to move on to Super Bowl XXXI. Quarterback Brett Favre thrived in the cold as he often did in his career throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. But six years later, in a snowy Wild Card match against the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers were miserable losing to Michael Vick 27-7 in the first Lambeau playoff loss in history. Five years later, the Packers hosted their next NFC Championship game where the temperature was -1 with a windchill of -23, and Brett Favre seemed as though the cold got to him throwing two interceptions including the game-sealing pick in overtime which led to a New York field goal punching their ticket to the Super Bowl.
All of a sudden, the elements weren't working in the Packers' favor. Colin Kaepernick was beating the Packers in subzero wind chills at Lambeau, even Tom Brady defeated the Packers in Lambeau with the temperature under 30 after playing his whole season in Tampa Bay. What was once an ally to the Packers, now seemed to be going against them. Whether it be luck or not for the Packers' opponents, it seems to be spelling disaster for the team in the NFC North that after the Bears build what is expected to be another domed stadium in Chicago, will be the only one still playing outside at home.
After the Packers' miserable loss in the rain to Detroit this past Sunday, it has many questioning if the Packers' advantage playing those "ugly weather" games is gone. In week 9, it was the first game that Detroit had played outdoors after the Packers had already played seven. But somehow, they handled the uncontrolled climate much better than the Green and Gold. The idea of putting a dome over Lambeau Field is suddenly a thing being thrown around amongst fans and for those old-school football fans, it's a crying shame.
A team built for bad weather
So, what seems to be the issue for the Packers? Why are we losing these poor weather games when historically, we have always dominated them?
Well, what have the Packers had in the last 30 years that is the envy of the league? Elite Quarterback play. What tends to happen when the temperature and precipitation fall? The ball gets harder and slicker. It's not as easy to catch. No matter how good of a QB you have, if the receivers are unable to catch the ball, you have nothing. So low and behold, the Packers started getting beat by teams that were built for the elements. The Lions have a two-headed rushing attack, they're built to bully defenses on the ground and then take advantage of that through the air. Their defense is physical as well. Looking at past teams the Packers have lost to in the cold weather or elements at Lambeau Field, it's been the same thing. The opposition does better on the ground and is more physical while the Packers are not. We might have a much better Quarterback, but if the opposition has a better running game, chances are, that the running game is going to win out when the temperature drops.
The Packers can keep their elite Quarterback play, but when temps drop and precipitation falls, they need those big-bodied running backs and tight ends to help move the football. They also need a defense that can stop their opponent from doing the same. And that's not something this football team has had for a long time.
If the Packers want to get back to winning in the elements again they need to play bully-ball. Detroit has begun to win football games by flat-out out-muscling their opposition. They might play in a dome most of the time, but they're built to win no matter the climate. Lambeau Field doesn't need to build a dome for the Packers, the Packers need to build a team that can win every game in Lambeau Field. When that happens, we will get back to winning again on the frozen tundra.
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Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings.
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Comments (26)
Matt
November 06, 2024 at 03:05 pm
Give young guns time to grow into Frozen Tundra. They came here from all over the coutry, not only Midwest. We will not always win in Green Bay, but look at our December stats.
Starrbrite
November 06, 2024 at 03:24 pm
I believe this idea has become more fantasy than reality. We have lost some huge games at home with an alleged weather advantage.
We’re actually pretty good in the dome, e.g., Detroit and Dallas last year.
Go Packers!!!
Coldworld
November 07, 2024 at 07:32 am
We are a finesse team under LaFleur we’ve got more so. I expected Hafley to be more aggressive, and that might tilt things back somewhat, but we still play a lot of off, reaction coverage and that suits dimes and dry fields more than press. Finesse teams and tundra are not an obvious marriage.
Adding Jacobs is a step to more physicality. However, we made no steps to match that with changes of approach to our finesse approach to OL play/personnel.
Starrbrite
November 07, 2024 at 11:49 am
Yep—agree CW
splitpea1
November 06, 2024 at 03:48 pm
The elements enhance your chances for success, but the prerequisite is being able to field a complete team in the first place that excels in all areas, including being able to close games on both sides of the ball.
And let's not forget the special teams--they have to be airtight and not prone to the gaffes we've seen for a very long time. Even in the aforementioned Atlanta playoff game from over 20 years ago we had a blocked punt that resulted in an easy TD; same with SF a couple of years ago.
MitchAnthony
November 06, 2024 at 03:53 pm
Weather and home field advantage haven't been a deal for quite a long time. Remember the year they were running the table on everyone and then in the playoffs the Giants came to town and blew them away? To me that was the beginning of the end of this so called mystique of playing Green Bay at home when it is cold and wintry. Since then they have laid some home field eggs in conditions that should have favored them, especially in playoff rounds.
If you're not going outside and practicing in those conditions, what good does it do you? In the example I gave above I recall that GB prepped indoors and the Giants prepped outside for at least a day or two. Kit and gear are great nowadays for warding off the cold and I don't think the temps get the best of players as much as the wet conditions do. Snapping, handling, handing off, holding onto, throwing, and catching wet footballs is easy to practice for. Seattle does it as a routine in practice. Wet was the issue GB didn't adequately prep for last week.
GregC
November 07, 2024 at 12:10 pm
The Packers practiced in pouring rain on Thursday. Sometimes the coaches prepare the team, and they still go out there and stink up the place on Sunday.
stockholder
November 06, 2024 at 04:06 pm
Rain No . Snow yes.
jannesbjornson
November 06, 2024 at 05:07 pm
No Fullback, no threat to beat down opponents. They went Air Show in 2007 in below zero temps. As you say, they have few Star players to consistently make the Big Plays when Playoffs arrive.
Packerpasty
November 06, 2024 at 05:27 pm
I remember when Favre looked like a frozen turd and Eli Manning picked the Pack apart in frozen Lambeau...I was also at a snowy ice cold game where a Florida team comes up and beats them so they haven't always looked so good in the weather...
dobber
November 06, 2024 at 05:56 pm
"I remember when Favre looked like a frozen turd and Eli Manning picked the Pack apart in frozen Lambeau"
I was at that game. It was so cold the guy next to me couldn't finish his beer before it froze.
Packerpasty
November 07, 2024 at 06:57 pm
that may have been me...it was brutal and the outcome was worse!!!
LeotisHarris
November 06, 2024 at 06:09 pm
I don't think they're allies anymore, especially hydrogen. Besides, even if boron and manganese were on board, today's so-called players have the latest high tech gear to protect them from said no-longer-allied elements. It was a different world when Kramer and Skoronski were doubling up on cotton gloves from K-Mart. Those were elements we could count on, for sure.
dobber
November 07, 2024 at 07:38 am
Nobody speaks for boron. Boron speaks for boron.
(...says the boron chemist)
LeotisHarris
November 07, 2024 at 10:38 am
::nods::
Bitternotsour
November 07, 2024 at 09:08 am
Those cotton gloves were from Sears young man.
LeotisHarris
November 07, 2024 at 10:39 am
::fistbump::
canadapacker
November 06, 2024 at 06:21 pm
You are NOT going to win many cold weather games if you cannot stop the run and cannot catch the balls - especially the short passes. Cannot win many cold weather games if you cannot score in the red zone and have to settle for field goals even if the kicker can make the field goal. Good football teams win cold weather and warm weather and do not rely on the other team losing those games.
Laura Kuhlman
November 07, 2024 at 01:40 am
Are the elements turning against the Packers? Despite their historical advantage in cold weather, recent games suggest a shift. From losses in freezing temperatures to a rainy defeat against Detroit, Green Bay's traditional weather advantage seems uncertain. Maybe it's time to rethink strategies. Could a team like block blast dominate Lambeau with their versatile playstyle?
https://block-blast.online/
HarryHodag
November 07, 2024 at 08:51 am
I hope this argument goes away. The field is cold on both sidelines. You don't hear the argument that the hot weather areas have an advantage early in the season and I believe cold is no longer an advantage. Protective clothing has improved to the point that it mitigates the effects.
I can remember one game back in the 80's when Steve Young and the Buccaneers came to Green Bay on a day with an 18 inch snowfall. The Packers got out to an early lead and you could tell by the 4th quarter Tampa wanted no more of this game. That's the only time I've seen it. If you realistically look at the Ice Bowl, Dallas had the Packers beaten if not for one of the most improbable heroic game-winning drives in NFL history. The Cowboys didn't quit, they were beaten.
If you look at the Packers records later in the year in recent years you don't see the warmer weather teams quitting at all. Lets put this argument to bed once and for all.
Bitternotsour
November 07, 2024 at 09:11 am
it's not elements, it's home and away. you need to win home games. especially in-division home games. you can't build your team around the possibility of 3 snow games in a year, it's a poor argument.
GregC
November 07, 2024 at 12:19 pm
I agree that warm weather teams have gotten better at handling the cold, to the point where cold weather is not nearly the advantage it used to be for the Packers.
Leatherhead
November 07, 2024 at 10:13 am
For a player, if you're thinking about the cold, or the wind, or a friend in the stands, or how bad your turf toe hurts, then you aren't thinking about Priority #1. Most of the times, most players can kind of tune it out. Sometimes, like the Ice Bowl, nobody can tune it out.
It was a wet, windy day. That should have favored the Packers, but it didn't.
jlc1
November 07, 2024 at 11:09 am
Another question is what is the team record wearing silly uniforms?
Calzone
November 07, 2024 at 01:02 pm
They should have traded AJ Dillon, too. Vic Ketchman was right: Dillon is an average back who is slow.
AJ Dillon: 3.4 yards/carry (2023)
Patrick Taylor: 4.4 yards/carry (2023)
Aaron Jones: 4.6 yards/carry (2023)
*Josh Jacobs: 4.4 yards/carry (*2024)
Emanuel Wilson: 6.1 yards/carry (2023)
*MarShawn Lloyd: 7.1 yards/carry (*college 2023)
crowdicy
November 11, 2024 at 03:45 am
Great insight! It’s true—having an elite quarterback alone isn’t enough if the rest of the team isn’t built to handle cold-weather games. The Lions have shown that physicality and a solid run game https://basketballstars-game.io can be key in tough conditions. Hopefully, the Packers will take note and strengthen their roster to dominate at Lambeau again.