Twice now, the Green Bay Packers have dropped cold weather games, one in Chicago and the latest at home against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game. The way the Packers played in those games would lead one to believe they're the warm weather team that's had a difficult time making the adjustment.
Mike McCarthy is correct when he says it's hard to simulate the conditions that were present on either of those days. But his methods of preparation are certainly questionable. McCarthy opened up the doors prior to the Chicago game to cool off the Hutson Center, but didn't work outside at all.
Before the NFC Championship game, McCarthy came up with some lame idea that freezing the football's would in some way give his players an idea of what it was going to be like in the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants. But while the football's were frozen, the doors were closed, the heat was on and the players were comfortable. What kind of simulation is that?
McCarthy told reporters at his season ending press conference on Wednesday that they'll talk about it in the off-season.
Hopefully the Packers will do more than take a look at their cold weather game plan. Hopefully they'll change it all together.
The Packers used to hang their hat on their ability to perform well in cold weather, at least better than their opponent. It's pretty apparent that the Packers didn't possess that same strength this season. They looked like the warm weather team that didn't want to play in the cold.
And to say that the cold weather had no effect on the game is ludicrous. Ruvell Martin's drop of a ball over the middle is a ball that he catches in warm weather. He dropped it in the below zero weather in the loss to the Giants. Just one example of instances throughout the game where the weather made a difference on a key play.
You don't have to go outside for long periods of the time. Some of the time would work. Afterall, the Giants practice outside during the week and they're playing in the Super Bowl. The Packers are spectators and hopefully Mike McCarthy will come to the realization that his team needs to get tougher in the cold weather, or face the possibility of more losses when the temperature goes south for the winter.