The 49ers and Saints are carrying suitcases that will be a little heavier than normal with all the winter gear stuffed in them. Philadelphia got slammed with a winter blast and AccuWeather is showing that it will likely be minus 51 degrees at kickoff in Green Bay. That’s colder than it was during the Ice Bowl.
Winter weather has affected the NFL season.
As the NFL ponders the inclement weather pummeling the Northeast and the chances it impacts the Super Bowl, it should really think about reseeding the playoffs in the future. Critics will say the Eagles and Packers earned that right to host a game after winning a division title, which under the current format is true.
They will also say that the Saints are upset because they don’t play well outside of the Superdome. Also valid, but re-seeding would result in better match-ups and rewards the teams that are steady on the way to strong winning records. In the AFC, not much would change if you simply went with the better records.
It would also put pressure on teams like the Chiefs. If they knew there was more to play for like say a higher seed, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t have rested starters versus the Chargers. It remains to be seen if the league will do any tweaking, but I better they’re taking notice. It won’t help the 49ers and Saints much now. They’re too busy searching for thermals.