MAC & CHEESE
Giants need Ben to order up Blue-plate special in return to Green Bay
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s called the Frozen Tundra for a reason.
While it won’t be the second coming of the Ice Bowl or even as frigid as their famous playoff meeting in January 2008, it still is expected to be really, really cold at Lambeau Field for Sunday’s NFC wildcard matchup between the Giants and Packers.
The National Weather Service predicts a high of 14 degrees and a low of 11 , but temperatures are expected to hover in negative territory for much of the game thanks to the wind chill and the sun setting midway through the first half of the scheduled 4:40 p.m. EST kickoff.
Temperatures here h ave been frigid all week, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy tried to prepare his team for that by holding part of Thursday’s practice outdoors despite gusty winds that dropped the temperatures to a mind-numbing minus-25 degrees.
Team officials later told McCarthy it was the coldest outdoor practice in Packers history, and the Green Bay coach also came down with a cold afterward. But he said he still thinks it was a smart move.
“I didn’t realize it was that cold until we got out there,” McCarthy said Friday. “The wind took it to a different level — minus-20, minus-25. As far as creating a tough atmosphere, I thought we hit the target.”
Realizing the Giants recently have beaten the Packers twice in the playoffs at Lambeau in freezing weather, Green Bay defensive end Julius Peppers said he didn’t expect the cold to be an advantage.
“Everybody’s used to playing in the cold by now,” Peppers said.