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Anthony GharibJan 16, 2026, 06:54 AM ET
Things could get a bit chilly in Chicago this Sunday.
Temperatures could drop to single digits for the divisional round game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears, with a low of 2 degrees Fahrenheit predicted at Soldier Field. The Bears are accustomed to frigid conditions, of course, but “2 degrees” is barely in the vocabulary of Los Angeles residents. It remains to be seen just how much the Rams will be affected by the cold.
Still, if 2 degrees is where we end up, Rams-Bears still won’t be among the top five coldest NFL playoff games. Here are the chilliest games teams have played in the postseason.
Minus 13 degrees (wind chill: minus 48)
Dec. 31, 1967
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Known as the “Ice Bowl,” the 1967 NFL championship reigns supreme as the coldest postseason game. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to win their 11th NFL championship, three years before the AFL/NFL merger.
Down 17-14, Bart Starr led the Packers down the field for the winning touchdown with 16 seconds remaining. At the time of the score, temperatures had dwindled to minus 18.
Minus 9 degrees (wind chill: minus 59)
Jan. 10, 1982
Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
The then-San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals squared off in arguably the coldest game, based on wind chill factor, in NFL history: “The Freezer Bowl.” It was a drastic change for the Chargers, who were coming off a week where they defeated the Dolphins in 80-degree weather.
With a spot in Super Bowl XVI on the line, the Bengals dominated en route to a 27-7 victory. The Chargers struggled in the cold with four fumbles and were shut out in the second half.
Minus 6 degrees (wind chill: minus 25)
Jan. 10, 2016
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
In the first Minnesota Vikings home postseason game outdoors since the 1976 NFC Championship Game, the temperature lived up to the hype.
Neither team found comfort in the cold with 19 combined points and 409 combined yards. The Seattle Seahawks wound up on top 10-9 in the NFC wild-card game after Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal to win.
Minus 4 degrees (wind chill: minus 27)
Jan. 24, 2024
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Missouri isn’t exactly known for its cold weather, but this matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins would have given any NFC North frozen tundra game a run for its money. Patrick Mahomes‘ helmet shattered after a hit, and Kansas City coach Andy Reid’s iconic mustache froze. Still, the Chiefs — with Taylor Swift watching from a presumably warm enclosed suite — triumphed, beating the Dolphins 26-7.
Minus 1 degree (wind chill: minus 23)
Jan. 20, 2008
Lambeau Field, Green Bay
January football in Green Bay promises cold weather, and it wasn’t any different in 2008. The New York Giants and Packers faced off in an NFC Championship Game that would have been the coldest ever in any other stadium except Lambeau Field.
Eli Manning led the Giants to a 23-20 win en route to a Super Bowl title. During the game in Lambeau, New York players grew worried about head coach Tom Coughlin, whose cheeks didn’t take the weather well.
“His cheeks were so red I thought he was going to get frostbite forever,” then-Giants offensive tackle David Diehl told Sports Illustrated in 2017.
Zero degrees (wind chill: minus 32)
Jan. 15, 1994
Rich Stadium, Buffalo, N.Y.
The Buffalo Bills call one of the coldest regions of the country home but have never hosted a playoff game below zero degrees. The AFC divisional game in 1994 remains the coldest in Bills history.
Buffalo came out on top 29-23 in a game where both teams had at least 300 total yards. The Bills would play in — and lose — their fourth straight Super Bowl two weeks later.
ESPN Research contributed to this article.
