Sunday, snowy Sunday

Jeffrey G. Pittenger/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters

If Sunday's NFL action didn't thrill you, you must have ice water in your veins.

As I told my wife, Sunday's games, particularly the early contests, were the most exciting I've seen on one Sunday in a while. There were high-scoring games, close games, a near upset in New England and constant lead changes late in the fourth quarter of the Baltimore/Minnesota game.

The one key element to all this excitement, in most cases, was the weather. We had snow in near D.C., Baltimore, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, but the blizzard-like conditions in Philly provided the most visually appealing matchup of the day.

I'll write more on this later – real-world stuff is getting in the way of important Rainout Blog stuff today – but for now I'll link you to a pretty cool snow-game gallery on NFL.com.

Oh, and don't forget temperatures will be down to 11 degrees Fahrenheit tonight in Chicago where da Bears host the Cowboys. By the way, what's Tony Romo's record like in December?

-- snow --

Wet Monday in Pittsburgh?

I posted below about the rainy Sunday night in Chicago, and tonight's Monday nighter in Pittsburgh could get a little sloppy wet, too.

However, the wetness factor may not night rate quite as high as in Soldier Field last night.

The forecast for the Pittsburgh area tonight is calling for a chance of light rain, about 90 percent at kickoff, throughout the game.

The chance the contest between the Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs will be a watchable game is significantly lower.

Frozen Phins

Hey, did you hear that the Miami Dolphins played in the coldest game in team history Sunday in Kansas City? Of course you did. Everyone has heard it by now. The temperature was 10 degrees with a wind chill at minus 12 at kickoff. The previous coldest Dolphins game was in December 1977 in Foxboro, Mass. What I want to know is: What was the temperature at the Dolphins coldest home game and when was that game played? Anyone who e-mails me with the correct answer wins a free subscription to this blog.

White (Sunday Before) Christmas

I’m an idiot.

Of course, if you’re a regular here, you already know that. My latest blunder involves my fantasy football team. Sure, I’m in the championship game, so I must have been doing something right, right? But where I went totally wrong was benching Payton Manning this week in favor of Matt Cassel. Manning tossed for 368 yards and three touchdowns last night in a win over Jacksonville. This Sunday, Cassel will be tossing snowballs.

When the Pats host the Cardinals Sunday, temperatures will be in the 30s and there is a good chance of snow and a wintery mix. Someone on the radio this morning – I don’t remember who – said the conditions could be similar to the Tuck Rule game. (That was a fun game to watch… until the @#$%& Patriots won on a totally bogus, @##$%&&* rule.) Patriots kicker Steve Gostkowski is preparing for whatever conditions arise (or fall) while the Pro Bowlers’ wife is preparing for the warmth of Hawaii. Meanwhile, the Warm-Weather Birds may be a little nervous about leaving the cozy, warm confines of their home dome.

The Panthers play the Giants in the wind tunnel that is the Meadowlands Sunday night in a super important game for both teams. The game forecast calls for temps in the 20s and single-digit wind chill. There’s also a chance for snow and freezing rain. (I’m trying to work in an Earth, Wind and Fire reference, but I’m just not that talented.)

Snow possibilities also are forecasted for Seattle on Sunday where the Jets hope to not allow their playoff chances melt like a snowman at August training camp. Remember when Brett Favre used to be the cold-weather king? I’m not sure that’s the case these days. I think he’d rather be playing indoors and wearing purple.

The Dolphins are staring at back-to-back cold weather games, starting this week in Kansas City where the high temperature is expected to top out at 9 degrees with winds reaching 18 to 24 mph and gusts as high as 33 mph. A week from Sunday the Dolphins travel to play the Jets in what could be a cold, night contest if the game is flexed into primetime, which could happen if the game is to decide the AFC East title.

"Cold weather can be used as an excuse," said Miami and former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Both teams have to play in it. I did it for eight years. It's really a mind-over-matter type of thing. Cold weather, that's what football is really all about."

It still hurts a little inside to say “former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington.”

Perhaps the coldest game of the week will be Monday night in Chicago were the low temperature is predicted to be 2 degrees when the Bears and Packers kick off.