So Much for Bitter Cold for Packers-Rams

It was supposed to be really cold for Monday night's Packers-Rams game at Lambeau Field. Here is the latest forecast.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2022 9:29 PM EST

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were hoping for Mother Nature to welcome the Los Angeles Rams with an icy embrace for their game on Monday night.

“The cold is our friend,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Thursday.

Instead, Mother Nature told the Packers to chill out.

While it’s going to be cold at Lambeau Field, the weather shouldn’t be a huge factor – especially compared to a hypothetical “Tuesday Night Football” matchup.

According to WBAY-TV in Green Bay, it’s going to be about 16 at kickoff with negligible wind. That’s as cold as it’s going to get. While there’s a chance of second-half snow showers, the temperature will be close to 20 by game’s end.

That’s still cold – especially for a team from Los Angeles.

“We’re going to go to an ice hockey rink” to practice, Rams coach Sean McVay joked.

The Packers’ offensive linemen will go without sleeves because, well, they’re offensive linemen.

“As a rookie, I was told I can’t wear sleeves and they harped on that so much,” left guard Elgton Jenkins said. “Now, we don’t wear sleeves but, on the sidelines, I do put the jacket on because I want to stay warm. I feel like Superman, Batman, when you do take the cape off and go out there and perform.”

It’s probably just as well that it’s not going to be mind-numbing cold on Monday night. Under LaFleur, the Packers are 15-1 in regular-season games played in December and January. Their lone loss was at Detroit last season, when Jordan Love and the backups played the second half. So, when the weather gets cold, the Packers have been superb.

But not too cold. Aaron Rodgers is 4-4 in games with a kickoff temperature of 15 or colder. In his last cold-weather game, the Packers were stunned by the 49ers in last year’s playoffs.

“I think anytime the weather gets cold and the field gets cold, naturally, guys don’t move maybe at the same speed,” Rodgers said. “I feel like on our field, too, we have the advantage. We know where we’re going on a wet, cold field. That’s always been an advantage. Throwing the football has been an advantage for us in the weather, as well. I can’t put a specific finger on it. Most of us are not from here, but we just get a little bit better used to being in the cold I think because we practice outside.”

The forecast for Tuesday calls for a low of minus-3. Had the game been played on Tuesday, it would have been about 9 at kickoff with a subzero wind chill.

The Packers will play in Miami on Christmas. The Green Bay forecast? High of 10 with a below-zero wind chill.