The Kansas City Chiefs are expecting frigid temperatures during Saturday's Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans, though one key coach believes the poor weather will actually be an advantage.
While Mother Nature won't be as brutal as she was during last year's Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins, it'll still be freezing. Current wind chill is predicted to be below zero degrees with winds ranging from 10-20 miles per hour. It'll supposedly be around 50 degrees on Friday, representing a dramatic turnaround from Saturday's conditions.
Considering how familiar the Chiefs are with this kind of weather, special teams coordinator Dave Toub is onto something in declaring that this team has an edge over the Texans.
Chiefs Dave Toub details kicking in potentially cold weather on Saturday: 'Advantage for us' https://t.co/61iPBPjQk1 pic.twitter.com/flClTFcInV
— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) January 16, 2025
Chiefs ST Coordinator Dave Toub Declares Poor KC Weather is an Advantage
While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Toub assuaged concerns that the wind could play a role in decisions to kick field goals.
"We’ve had a lot of weather games, and we do certain things, as far as, if it’s gusty, we hold it and hold the snap," Toub said. "There’s all different things you can do, but we have a lot of experience kicking in cold weather, so we feel like that’s an advantage for us."
Harrison Butker missed time this year with an injury and hasn't looked as sharp since returning, but he's still the most accomplished postseason kicker in NFL history whose list of clutch kicks extends far and wide.
It will warm up ahead of this Arctic Blast. The next two days look pretty nice and it may reach 50 degrees in KC Friday before this Arctic front arrives Friday night. In Golden, CO I am forecasting 5 to 6 inches of snow by Saturday morning. For the @Chiefs game against the… pic.twitter.com/CO1fAO5DPV
— Gary Lezak (@glezak) January 16, 2025
An arctic blast is expected, though few teams are as well-equipped to handle those conditions as the Chiefs. The Texans play with a retractable roof, so when poor weather strikes they just create a better environment. Kansas City has no such advantage, making this roster one that's used to poor weather.
Houston struggles in the running game and the wind may make it difficult to attempt downfield passes. Chris Jones, who feels healthy after a late-season injury, could single-handedly win the contest should the weather be as expected.
The Chiefs are 8.5-point favorites with -460 odds on the moneyline, indicating this should be an easy win. Should the weather be as bad as expected, Kansas City's defense will deliver the team to victory.
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