Seahawks to play in coldest
game in team history
RENTON, Wash. — Along with the usual assortment of cargo that goes on every NFL road trip, the Seattle Seahawks are collecting every parka, hand-warmer and beanie to be found.
Good reason. The NFC wild-card matchup Sunday at Minnesota could end up being the coldest game in Seahawks history.
“To be honest with you, I don’t have too much experience with this type of weather. I grew up in Florida. I don’t really know if there’s a way to prepare for it, other than just being aware that it’s going to be difficult,” Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said. “We’re going into it with the best mentality that we can, knowing that it’s going to be a cold game.”
The Seahawks — who said late Friday that star running back Marshawn Lynch has been ruled out while he recovers from abdominal surgery — have never played in temperatures lower than the 16 degrees when they visited Denver in 2006. But with temperatures forecast to be around zero in Minneapolis on Sunday, the Seahawks are preparing for a cold most of them have never experienced with no easy way to replicate it other than standing in a storage freezer for an extended period of time.
Seattle opened all the doors to its indoor practice facility and pumped in cold air during the week, but even that was mild compared to what they’ll face this weekend.
And this is not a group that has extensive experience playing in frigid conditions. Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have played only two games in temperatures under 25 degrees. Linebacker Bobby Wagner remembered one game in college at Utah State that was so cold and snowy, players wore plastic bags over their feet to keep the moisture from soaking through their cleats and getting their socks wet.
Russell Wilson played his final year of college ball at Wisconsin and had a few chilly practices inside Camp Randall Stadium.
“Once it gets below 20 it’s all about the same,” Wilson said.