There have been cold games throughout NFL history. But these ten bone-chilling NFL games take the record for being the most frigid. The records occurred in four cities: Minnesota, Green Bay, Cincinnati, and Kansas City.
10. Steelers at Bengals: Dec. 10, 1977: 0°F
The AFC championship at Riverfront Stadium was the coldest ever played in Cincinnati. The temperature at game time was 0°F degrees with a wind chill of -17°F. The matchup pitted two future NFL MVPs, Ken Anderson vs. Terry Bradshaw. By the third quarter, Cincinnati was up 17-10, which remained the final score.
9. Raiders at Packers: Dec. 26, 1993: 0°F
Traveling from a mild and sunny 58 degrees in Los Angeles, the Raiders arrived at Lambeau Field with a temp of 0°F and a wind chill of -20°F. Not only was the thermometer at zero but so was the Raiders’ score. They had four turnovers and only managed 182 yards. Green Bay had 329 yards on offense and 28 points.
8. Broncos at Chiefs: Dec. 18, 1983: -1°F
Chiefs fans are hardened to the cold, and they endured a -1°F temperature in the stadium with a wind chill of -19°F. In the first quarter, Kansas City amassed a 21-0 lead and never slowed down. Broncos quarterback John Elway threw four interceptions. The Chiefs ran away with the victory 48-17.
7. Giants at Packers: Jan. 20, 2008: -1°F
This was Brett Favre’s final game in Green Bay. At game time, the temperature was -1°F and a -23°F wind chill. Surprisingly, Green Bay was held to only 23 rushing yards. Eli Manning had 251 passing yards compared to Favre’s 236. The Giants won on a field goal and moved on to the Super Bowl.
6. Bears at Vikings: Dec. 3, 1972: -2°F
This was only one of 2 regular-season NFL games that were played at below-zero temperatures, and both occurred in Minnesota. In this matchup against the Bears, it was -2°F with a wind chill of -15°F at Metropolitan Stadium. The cold affected both teams, and the Vikings kicked three field goals, edging out Chicago 23-10.
5. Packers at Vikings: Dec. 10, 1972: -2°F
Another of only 2 NFL regular-season games to be played at below-zero temperatures. The other also occurred in Minnesota. The temperature at game time was -2°F with a wind chill of -19°F. This was a second week of cold games for the Packers, who previously beat the Lions 33-7 in 13-degree weather at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 23-7.
4. Dolphins at Chiefs: Jan. 13, 2024: -4°F
In the 2024 NFL playoffs, the Miami Dolphins traveled to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in bone-chilling -4°F temperatures at kickoff. The wind chill made it feel -18°F. The team from the Sunshine State was at a disadvantage against the cold-weather-hardened Chiefs, who advanced to the next round with a 26-7 victory.]
3. Seahawks at Vikings: Jan. 10, 2016: -6°F
In the NFC wild-card matchup, the Seattle Seahawks faced the Vikings in some extreme Minnesota weather. The temp at game time was -6°F with a wind chill of -25°F. The cold kept both offenses relatively quiet, with the Vikings gaining only 183 yards. The Seahawks won 10-9 to advance to the next round.
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2. Chargers at Bengals: Jan. 10, 1982: -9°F
The Chargers traveled from a high/low of 70°F/56°F in sunny San Diego to brutally cold. At game time, the temperature was -9°F degrees, with a wind chill of -32°F. The temperatures froze the Chargers, holding the league’s No. 1 offense in both points and yards to one touchdown. The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl.
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1. Cowboys at Packers: Dec. 31, 1967: -15°F
This 1967 NFL Championship Game played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has been nicknamed “The Ice Bowl.” In addition to the -15°F game time temperature, there was an average wind chill of -48°F. ( -36°F at today’s revised NWS index). Worse, Lambeau Field’s turf-heating system malfunctioned, leaving an icy surface.
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