When pro football fans talk about epic cold weather games, two particular contests always come up. One is the Ice Bowl played on December 31, 1967. It was a playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the host Green Bay Packers to determine who would represent the National Football League (NFL) in Super Bowl II.
The other game, of course, is the Freezer Bowl, played on January 10, 1982 at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The winner of that game would also earned a trip to the Big Game, in this case Super Bowl XVI.
The Ice Bowl, won by the Packers is the coldest game in NFL history in terms of air temperature which was -13F at kickoff, with a windchill of -48F. The Freezer Bowl, won by the Bengals, is the coldest in terms of windchill which reached -59F with an air temperature of -9F. While that distinction is known by many fans, there are some fun facts that aren’t widely known about the Freezer Bowl.
It was only the second play-off win for the Bengals
A week earlier, the Bengals notched their first postseason win in the first playoff game they ever hosted. The Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills in that game 28 to 21. The Bengals made playoff appearances in 1970, 1973, and 1975, but lost all three games on the road.
It was a huge temperature swing for the Chargers
The day before the Buffalo/Cincinnati game, the Miami Dolphins hosted the San Diego Chargers in the Orange Bowl. The game became known as the Epic in Miami, with the Chargers escaping South Florida with 3-point overtime win as kicker Rolf Benirschke split the uprights from 29 yards out.
The temperature at kickoff was 76F. That means the Chargers, in one week, experienced a game time temperature swing of 67 degrees. Factoring the windchill, it was a difference of 117 degrees.
Attendance was off
Through sold out, only 46,302 brave fans came through the turnstiles in 59,000-seat Riverfront Stadium. Oddly, only 55,000 attended the previous week’s game against the Bills. The kickoff temperature for that game was 45F.
The Chargers wanted to postpone the game
A few hours before the game, Chargers owner Gene Klein met with then Bengals assistant GM Mike Brown (current owner). Klein insisted that both place a call to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and have the game postponed. Brown declined, or more accurately, "de-Klein-ed."
Bengals coach Forrest Gregg participated in the Ice Bowl and the Freezer Bowl
In 1967, Forrest Gregg was a right tackle for the Green Bay Packers and played in the famous Ice Bowl game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was also named to the Pro Bowl that year. In 1980, he became head coach of the Bengals and was their coach for the Freezer Bowl.
The Chargers’ revenge
On January 5, 2014, the Chargers finally got their revenge, knocking the Bengals out of the playoffs in a wildcard game played at Paul Brown Stadium. The temperature for that game was a balmy 42F at kickoff.
Charger James Brooks later became a Bengal
The Chargers kick returner was James Brooks. He fumbled a return that the Bengals recovered on the San Diego 12 yard line. Two plays later, the Bengals scored as QB Ken Anderson connected with tight end M.L. Harris from 8 yards out. In 1984, Brooks became a Bengal and was on the team that went to Super Bowl XXIII. That year, 1988, Brooks ran for eight TDs, caught six and ran for 931 yards, along with 287 receiving yards.
7 comments
linda
(Linda’s Recovery story)
i lost a large sum to a fake high-yield investment platform that vanished overnight. Desperate, i contacted coinmattergroups@outlook.com. They verified my transaction records, traced the funds, and coordinated recovery without large upfront fees. After weeks of updates, a substantial portion of my stolen assets was returned. Relief finally replaced months of fear.
In summary you’re not alone if you’ve being a victim of any form of online scam report it today to coinmattergroups@outlook.com and you might have a chance at getting your assets back.
Heather Delaney
I’m so happy my husband is back! Thanks to Dr. Excellent for saving my marriage. My name is Heather Delaney. I married the love of my life Riley on 10/02/15 and we now have two beautiful girls Abby & Erin, who are conjoined twins, that were born 07/24/16. My husband left me and moved to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. I tried to be strong just for the kids but I could not control the pains that tormented my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because I was really in love with my husband. I have tried many options but he did not come back, until i met a friend that directed me to Dr. Excellent a spell caster, who helped me to bring back my husband after 11hours. Me and my husband are living happily together again, This man is powerful, contact Dr. Excellent if you are passing through any difficulty in life or having troubles in your marriage or relationship, he is capable of making things right for you. Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail. com
Jenny Kay
I have searched about some possible cure for herpes virus after I was diagnosed of it then I saw several comments on Google about how they were cured from same virus after drinking traditional herbs medication! I contacted the herbal man and also asked for medication which He prepared and sent me a bottle of herbal medicine which I took as prescribed by him. After two weeks later I was cured from herpes confirmed by my doctor after the outbreak and obvious symptoms had long gone, You can also reach out to him through his WhatsApp +2348101755322,Email; Oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com good luck as you reach him
Bruno James
I NEED A TRUSTED CRYPTO HACKER THAT CAN RESTORE LOST OR SCAMMED FUNDS.
Are you struggling to get back the money you lost? Every day, countless individuals face the devastating impact of scam operations that drain their hard-earned savings. But there’s good news – GEO COORDINATES RECOVERY HACKER are here to help you recover what’s rightfully yours. I lost my entire savings to a fake crypto investment scam while I was looking for a way to double my savings. After many weeks of trying to find a way to get my money back with no success, I finally came across a crypto recovery company GEO COORDINATES RECOVERY HACKER, a reliable and trustworthy crypto recovery company. I’m immensely grateful for his dedication, professionalism, and unwavering support. You can get in touch with them through below contact details
Email: geovcoordinateshacker@gmail.com
Telegram @Geocoordinateshacker
WhatsApp ; +1 ( 318 ) 203-3657
Website; https://geovcoordinateshac.wixsite.com/geo-coordinates-hack
I had to send out my review also. They are indeed recommendable.
Morgan
With so much in my heart I am here to express myself on how Priest Salami saved my marriage from divorce. Myself and my husband were having some misunderstanding and it was tearing our marriage apart to the extent my husband was seeking a divorce. So I have no option other than to go to the internet to seek a solution to my problem. It was there I came across Priest Salami details and about how he has helped a lot of people by restoring their relationship. I contacted Priest Salami and in less than 48 hours my husband cancelled the divorce papers. Now myself and my husband live together in peace and harmony all thanks to Priest Salami for saving my marriage from breaking up. Priest Salami contact information are via email: purenaturalhealer@gmail.com. Whatsapp number: +2348143757229
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.