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The NFL has historically gone out of its way to attempt to minimize the impact weather can have on the outcome of the Super Bowl by playing The Big Game in warmer climates or stadiums with a dome that can prevent rain or snow from putting a damper on the festivities. However, the elements can still play a major role in how things unfold in the regular season and playoffs.
There’s arguably no team in the entire league that has a bigger home-field advantage in that particular realm than the Miami Dolphins.
A franchise that was born into Florida’s notoriously muggy climate benefits from being able to mold its players in the oppressive heat and humidity visitors can have some trouble acclimating to. However, the fairly ingenious design of Hard Rock Stadium means the Dolphins can also take advantage of the shade that has the ability to make its sideline up to 30 degrees cooler than that of the opposing team.
Unfortunately, that can also put Miami at a bit of a disadvantage when they hit the road. According to Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com, the Dolphins deployed some seemingly unnecessary aid when they faced off against the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday, as the team reportedly placed heaters near the benches inside SoFi Stadium during a game where the temperature was sitting at around 55°F.
As Parrino notes, that doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence for a Miami squad that’s set to head to upstate New York to face off against the Bills on Saturday. It doesn’t seem like we’ll see a repeat of the massive blizzard that forced the NFL to relocate last month’s game between the Bills and the Browns to Detroit, but there could be snow in the forecast on a night where the temperature in Buffalo is expected to hover around freezing.
This obviously isn’t the first time members of Miami’s roster have had to play in cold weather, and when you take a look at other games where inclement conditions have made life difficult at Highmark Stadium, it could be much, much worse.
With that said, when you consider the 8-5 Dolphins need all of the help they can get to snap a two-game skid and pick up a crucial win against a 10-3 Bills team that currently sits atop the AFC East, the fact that they decided to bust out the heaters in a comparatively balmy L.A. doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.