Titans Players Not Worked Up About Having to Play in Cold
They don’t call Lambeau Field ‘The Frozen Tundra’ for nothing.
The Tennessee Titans (10-4) head north to the seemingly always-frigid city that is Green Bay for a Sunday night showdown against the Packers (11-3).
There will be plenty on the line for both teams. The Titans can clinch a playoff berth with a win and the AFC South Division with a win and an Indianapolis loss. Meanwhile, the Packers have their sights set on the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
There also might be snow on the ground. The forecast calls for it to be in the low 30s for much of the day, with temperatures falling into the teens a night. Winds can potentially reach 12 miles per-hour or faster and currently, there is a 50 percent chance of night-time snow showers, according to weather.com.
“I think cold (weather) is a mental thing,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think heat has a physical effect. Whatever it is, we’ll go up there and play, execute the game plan and see where we are at.”
Titans players mirrored that mindset and said the cold will not bother them, even if it is not their preferred condition for competition.
Second-year wide receiver A.J. Brown, who has 56 receptions for 881 yards and a team-leading 10 receiving touchdowns, said he does not particularly enjoy playing in the cold. However, he said he is eager to get the full effect of playing in Green Bay.
“To be honest, it doesn't really mean anything,” Brown, who recently earned his first career Pro Bowl nod, said. “It definitely is mental. I kind of hope it snows. I have never played in snow.
“You don’t really think about the cold weather. You have all of those heated benches and big jackets. You’re not really cold until you’re out there (on the field).”
Ryan Tannehill, on the hand, said cold weather does present challenges for quarterbacks when throwing the football. Tannehill has been one of the most efficient at the position this season as he is among the top quarterbacks in the league this season with 3,482 yards, 31 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 110.4 rating in 14 games.
“No doubt about it. It’s tough,” he said. “The ball is hard. You’ve got less grip. Your fingers don't have quite the same dexterity. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of grabbing it and throwing it to the open guy.”
Running back Derrick Henry, the league’s leading rusher who can potentially reach 2,000 yards on the season, did not seem bothered by the fact that the weather will be nasty in Green Bay.
At the end of the day, he said, it’s football. He added that he would not add any extra layers to his uniform.
“You have to go out there and play no matter what the weather is,” he said. “You have to go out there and do your job.
“... It’s going to be cold, so what? Just go play. You have to go do your job. That’s what is required.”
Veteran offensive guard Rodger Saffold said frigid temperatures do not give the Titans’ run-heavy offense much of an advantage. However, he made note of the fact that the most physical team may be able to earn a leg up in some ways.
“When it’s cold, of course everybody knows when you hit people it hurts a little bit more,” he said. “So being the more physical team is really important.”
And Brown said when the temperature drops, it really shows who the real competitors are out on the field.
“You see a lot of men shrivel up when it’s cold,” Brown said. “You can tell a lot about them.”
