Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL Freezer Bowl
The 1981-82 AFC Championship match between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals marked itself in the history of the league. Not because of some extraordinary game play in the match but because of being the coldest NFL game that has ever been played also known as the NFL Freezer Bowl.
NFL playoffs game are usually bound to face extreme winters because they are scheduled in the early months of the new year. However, there has been nothing that comes close to this 1982 game. The game time temperature was marked at a shivering cold temperature in -22.8 Degrees Celsius and a -38 Degrees Celsius wind chill. This is why the game was nick named as the Freezer Bowl.
Although there was sunshine the Cincinnati Riverfront Stadium felt like being inside of a freezer. The real trouble was for the visiting team of San Diego Chargers who had played a game in Miami in the temperature of 31.1 Degrees Celsius which left the players dehydrated to the freezing cold temperature at Cincinnati all in one week.
On top of it there were 46000 spectators in the stadium for that game. What comes as more of a shock is that there were some extremely passionate fans that were also running with their shirts off. They must have forgot the damage freezing temperatures can do.
You’d think that the freezing cold temperatures will give a cold start to the game. However, the home team had other ideas. The Bengals started the game in smoking hot form getting the lead in the early stages of the game. In the first quarter itself the Bengals had a 10-0 lead.
While the Chargers were wearing full sleeves with extra coverage Bengals decided not to do that. They were ready to endure anything to get the job done. Going into the half time the Bengals led by 17-7. The historic match ended with the Bengals being victorious over the Chargers 27-7. Chargers were not able adjust to the freezing temperatures and also never really got going.
Moreover, the coach of the Bengals already had some experience in playing in extreme conditions. Forest Gregg was a part of one of the coldest games that was played in 1967. He was able to guide his team and fight through extreme conditions.
The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl where they faced San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals lost the game where weather played no role inside the Pontiac Silverdome at Michigan. Although the loss was hard to digest, the fans will never forget the team’s outstanding victory at the Freezer Bowl.
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