NFL hit in Buffalo

The battle against the cold could even result in amputations

Josh Allen and the Bills are used to cold weather.

(Bild: Getty Images/2022 Getty Images)

Kick-off for the big mission: the Kansas City Chiefs enter the NFL play-offs on Saturday and set out to make history. They want to be the first team to win the Super Bowl for the third time in a row. The quarter-final showdown follows on Sunday. At an expected -15 degrees in Buffalo, the Bills take on the Baltimore Ravens - the battle with the elements is likely to be even tougher, also for the fans.

15 wins, only two defeats in the basic round. As outstanding as the record looked on paper, the Chiefs were by no means dominant on the field. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co. shambled their way from victory to victory, sometimes in strange ways.

The Chiefs enter the play-offs.

(Bild: AFP/GETTY IMAGES/David Eulitt)

Once, an opposing receiver's foot was an inch too long for a valid touchdown (27:20 over Baltimore, Week 1), another time success came only after overtime because the opposing team did not dare to play a two-point attempt after a touchdown (30:24 against Tama Bay, Week 9), a blocked field goal against Denver (16-14, Week 10) and a field goal of their own that trickled in off the uprights (19-17 over the Los Angeles Chargers, Week 14) also had to go in.

Taylor Swift also announced
However, the Chiefs have their own rules in the play-offs. Andy Reid's squad also improved decisively last year and ultimately became the first team in 19 years to successfully defend the title. With Mahomes, Kansas City has only lost three of its 18 play-off games, and none since Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's girlfriend, joined the team. The music star has also announced her attendance for the quarter-final duel with the Houston Texans.

Taylor Swift is also expected to return.

(Bild: APA/AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

On the other side, J.C. Stroud is the youngest quarterback ever to challenge a defending champion in the play-off at the age of 23. The last duel between the teams was not long ago. On December 21, the Chiefs celebrated a 27-19 home victory, and many fans are probably already thinking about the semifinal duel against Buffalo or Baltimore.

Duel between the two most valuable
The meeting between these two will conclude the quarter-finals on Monday night. It is also the duel between the two favorites for the title of most valuable player of the season. It would be the third such award for the Ravens quarterback, which would see him overtake Mahomes and draw level with Tom Brady and Brett Favre. Bills playmaker Josh Allen, on the other hand, has been waiting years for such an honor. But he also noted: "The Super Bowl title would be much more important to me."

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

(Bild: 2025 Getty Images)

There is no favorite in this battle. The biggest factor will be who can cope better with the terrible weather conditions. The forecast for kickoff is around -15 degrees, plus strong winds, so the temperature will feel more like -20 degrees. Not unusual weather for Buffalo, whose players are used to it, so as a deterrent for the opposition, they are certainly hoping for it. So much so that even the new stadium currently being built in Buffalo will once again be without a roof.

However, hardly any other visiting team is as well equipped for the inhospitable conditions as the Ravens. Baltimore's trump card is clearly the running game led by running back Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, who has already run for more yards than any quarterback in history. In the first season duel between the two, Henry almost single-handedly sunk Buffalo when he ran for 199 yards.

Snow is the order of the day in Buffalo in January.

(Bild: Associated Press)

The match is also likely to be a tough challenge for the fans. When similar conditions prevailed last year between Kansas City and Miami, some fans had to have their fingers or toes amputated due to frostbite.

Cool rookie under pressure
In the NFC, the Detroit Lions, the conference winners, will also enter the game late on Saturday and face Washington with rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. Young playmakers usually show nerves in critical situations. With the 24-year-old, the exact opposite seems to be the case. No quarterback in the entire league has been stronger on third or fourth downs than Daniels, who has already decided several games for the Commanders this year with late touchdowns.

Jayden Daniels made a real impact in the NFL.

(Bild: REUTERS/USA TODAY Sports)

Although the Lions were the strongest team in the basic round, they have since been decimated by injuries, especially on defense. For fans of touchdown festivals, this game could be a treat, it could be an offensive spectacle.

"Hate" for Eagles fans
Things got heated before the second NFC quarter-final between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. Edge rusher Jared Verse, one of the best rookies of the season this year, proclaimed in advance that he "hates Eagles fans". In fact, the Philadelphia crowd is considered one of the most unpleasant in the NFL, so it will be even more heated.

There was also a prompt retort from Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. "That probably wasn't the smartest thing to say," the running superstar shook his head. "After all, I've played with the Giants here as a guest more than once, I would never give Eagles fans extra fuel." 

The Eagles usually enjoy a big home-field advantage because of their fans.

(Bild: 2024 Getty Images)

The NFL club from Pennsylvania, however, sent a nice gift to California. They donated 500,000 dollars to the victims of the terrible fires in Los Angeles. A catastrophe that, of course, takes a back seat to any football game.