It’s not news, of course, to report that it will be cold for a Packers home game in December. But when that happens in a week of record-setting cold, ahead of a game against the Bears in which the lead in the NFC North is at stake, well, that’s going to be something worth noting as Sunday afternoon approaches.
On Thursday, in fact, Green Bay set a record for the coldest high temperature on December 4 on record, at just 12 degrees. That broke a 49-year-old record of 15 degrees, and the cold really isn’t going anywhere.
Fortunately, Sunday’s forecast for Packers-Bears won’t see any records set–that record goes back to 1972, and saw the city record a high of 5 degrees and a low of minus-21. But it won’t be all that far off, and that’s a concern for everyone involved. As things stand, the forecast calls for a high of 19 degrees, with temperatures dropping to the 10-12 degree range as the game progresses.
Packers Practiced Outside Despite Cold Weather
The Packers, of course, know a bit about cold. In fact, during Thursday’s record temperatures, coach Matt LaFleur chose to keep the team outside for practice and, afterward, asked reporters, “Is it cold?”
Asked about practicing outside ahead of the Bears showdown, LaFleur said, “I think it’s critical. I mean, our ability to get outside, get on the grass, I think that’s crucial. I think it’s more of an advantage when the other team can’t practice in it. So, it’s kind of like it’s negligible this week. It doesn’t really matter because Chicago is in the same environment.
“But I do think it’s critical, just in terms of everything feels a little bit different. So, you’ve got to get used to that.”
Packers’ Micah Parsons Lacking Cold Weather Experience–In NFL
One player who has come up as a concern for the Packers as the cold settles in is Micah Parsons, the star pass-rusher who spent the first four years of his career in the balmy climate and domed home stadium in Dallas.
Parsons scoffed at the notion, pointing out that he grew up in central Pennsylvania and stayed local for his college career. He also pointed out that NFL players get heated benches and thick heated capes, making handling the cold that much easier.
“I don’t really care about the conditions. And I went to a cold school,” he said. “Penn State was cold as hell. And I am from Pennsylvania. Played in the state championship game–like, it’s cold. Ain’t got no heated benches, like, this is bougie now. I tell guys all the time, this is the good life. When you’re raised up on the East Coast, like, there’s no heated blanket. We got it so good. Heaters, like, oxygen–this is sweet.”
GettyPackers DE Micah Parsons brushed off concerns about cold weather on Sunday.
‘This Is OK’
Parsons pointed out that football players can handle cold. Snow is another matter. It is supposed to snow overnight in Green Bay, but only 1-3 inches, and not expected to affect the game. The wind, too, could get up to around 7-10 mph, which is a factor but only a small one for Packers-Bears.
“Just cold is not really cold,” Parsons said. “(Snow) is not really football weather, when it is snowing like that and you can’t even run and you can’t see (expletive). You don’t even know if it is a first down or not, you can’t look at the markers. That’s not football. But this is OK.”
Either way, Parsons said, there’s no use complaining about it.
The weather is the weather. You can’t really control Mother Nature, like, but I think I can play in any condition. That don’t really change anything. It’s all mindset. I mean, we used to play in superb heat. Still gotta play. Play in superb cold, like, still gotta play.
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