Banged up QBs will try to thaw Frozen Tundra
GREEN BAY, Wis.— Backwhen the Packers were 1-2 after a loss in Detroit, quarterback Aaron Rodgerswent on his radio showand made clear his feelings about the doomsayers buzzing around the Green and Gold. “R-E-L-A-X,’’ Rodgers spelled out. The Packers (12-4) won nine of their next 10 games, and here they are, favored by nearly a touchdown to beat the very sound Cowboys (13-4) in Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game at cold but not frozen Lambeau Field.
This is the seventh time the Packers and Cowboys will meet in the playoffs, the first at Lambeau since 1967 in the famed “Ice Bowl,’’ won by the Packers 21-17 on Bart Starr’s 1-yard quarterback sneak with 13 seconds remaining. The temperature at kickoff of that gamewas minus-13, and the wind-chill of minus-46 made it the coldest game in NFL history.
The Packers are accustomed to this sort of historical lore and have had some fun with all the reminiscing leading up to this game.
“I’m sure Iwas in Pittsburgh, 4 years old,’’ Packers coach MikeMcCarthy said of the fabled game 48 years ago. “I’m not sure what Iwas doing.’’
Compared with that arctic environment, this long-awaited rematch will be played in nearly balmy conditions: Partly cloudy with a highof 21 degrees, with wind at 5-10mph. The Cowboys lastweek needed a strong comeback and some help from the officials to survive the Lions, 24-20, and prepped for the elements by practicing outdoors, where the temperaturewas about 10 degreeswarmer than it will be at Lambeau.
“It comes down to what is your resistance to the cold,’’ Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr said. “How much can you tolerate it?’’
This is a meeting of the two best quarterbacks in the NFL this season. Tony Romo led the league with a passer rating of 113.2 and Rodgerswas second at 112.2. Both had to deal with physical ailments— Romo two fractures in his back, Rodgers a slight tear and amajor strain in his calf. Of the two, Rodgers’s health is moreworrisome, as his mobility could be severely compromised. That could become a huge factor, as Rodgers usually has an innate ability to get outside the pocket and buy time as he scans the field and unleashes his laser-like arm. If he is forced to sit in the pocket, it takes away abigpart of his game.
Rodgers is more accustomed to playing in frigid conditions, but it is not