Cold Favors the Giants

[Joemailman]

Re: Cold Favors the Giants

When the temperature gets down in single digits and below, the ball gets really hard and slippery. The passing game is going to go in the toilet.

The Giants definitely have caught a break. The Packers are good in all phases, but they are a special team because of their diverse passing attack. I think the weather gives the Giants a much better chance of pulling an upset.

If it is JUST a running game, the Giants have edge. Packer run is setup by pass.

And the injuries in Giants secondary not as important if ball isn't not getting sprayed downfield.

Interesting theory coming one week after the Packers rushed 35 times for 235 yards and passed 23 times for 173 yards. The Packers are now as much a running team as the Giants. Earlier in the year, the Packers were using the pass to set up the run. That's not as true now. The Packers are going with 2 Tight Ends, and sometimes 2 fullbacks, and not relying on the 4-5 WR sets as much. It is a very different Packer offense than the one we saw earlier.

[Jerry Tagge]

Re: Cold Favors the Giants

When the temperature gets down in single digits and below, the ball gets really hard and slippery. The passing game is going to go in the toilet.

The Giants definitely have caught a break. The Packers are good in all phases, but they are a special team because of their diverse passing attack. I think the weather gives the Giants a much better chance of pulling an upset.

If it is JUST a running game, the Giants have edge. Packer run is setup by pass.

And the injuries in Giants secondary not as important if ball isn't not getting sprayed downfield.

This is why the Packers need Samkon Gado.

We could also start up Sam's Club again. I liked being President Tagge.

[FritzDontBlitz]

A. Cold weather tires you out faster...your body isn't just working to run around, it is also working to stay warm. Mike Golic mentioned that this morning about how tired he would get after cold games.

This is BS...the heat saps your strength much faster...I can run much longer at a faster pace in the winter than I can in the summer. If your on the field playing your body will regulate its temp much better than if it was hot.

Heat only saps your strength if there's a lot of humidity to go with it. If its very humid its difficult to breathe, your muscles don't get the oxygen they need fast enough to replenish themselves and you tire quicker. Cold weather won't do that, but it will make aches and pains feel a lot worse than they would if it was warm. The Giants would be at a disadvantage in that case due to all the nagging injuries they have.

The main thing you always have to do in colder weather is get a decent lead early before the conditions begin to deteriorate, because usually the field turns to crap as the game wears on and footing becomes unpredictable. As fatigue begins to set in, the team on the wrong end of the score usually struggles to maintain their morale and tend to throw in the towel much quicker because after a certain point they spend more time worrying about the cold than the score.

[The Leaper]

This is BS...the heat saps your strength much faster...I can run much longer at a faster pace in the winter than I can in the summer. If your on the field playing your body will regulate its temp much better than if it was hot.

I never said anything comparing heat to cold. The discussion was pertaining to how the cold can wear you out.

If you don't understand the dynamic of how the body works to keep you warm when you are out in zero degree weather, then I can't help you much. In essence, after standing out there for 20 minutes, your body is going to start shutting down to an extent. You aren't going to notice it...but it is happening nonetheless. The body will transfer all energies to keeping your core warm, thereby REDUCING the energy you have to do other capacities. In warm weather, this doesn't happen...because as YOU pointed out, your body is better at recognizing the danger from the cold and adjusting to it to keep you alive.

The cold also wears you out mentally as well...something which does not happen in warmer weather.

If you think you are going to go out and run around in 0 degree weather like you do when it is 80 degrees, you are nuts. It certainly will slow down the pass rush to an extent...from both the temperature itself and the field conditions that will result from those temperatures.

If zero degrees was such a perfect temperature to run around in, then we'd be seeing draft prospects running 40 yard dashes in a freezer.

[swede]

On several occasions in places such as Florida and Arizona I've seen the Packers physiologically fall apart due to cramps and dehydration in hot weather. You can't tough out those things. Bodies can only cool themselves up to a certain point.

Cold can be managed. It is much more of a psychological challenge.

Brett has risen to this challenge a few times in the past and he will again.

Go Pack!

[The Leaper]

On several occasions in places such as Florida and Arizona I've seen the Packers physiologically fall apart due to cramps and dehydration in hot weather. You can't tough out those things. Bodies can only cool themselves up to a certain point.

You can't tough out the cold either swede...at least in terms of maximum performance. That's my point. Sure, you can go out there and play...but you aren't going to be at 100% for a myriad of reasons.

There are ways to combat heat as well...hydration is something that has to be taken into consideration well before game day. Players who are used to playing in 90 degree heat last better usually than those who aren't.

Ultimately, playing at either extreme reduces the effectiveness of these highly tuned athletes.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm a little concerned. The forecast shows little wind. However, it's frigid with a strong enough wind to affect a passing game here in the Twin Cities, and a lot of times Green Bay will get our weather in the next day or two. I sure hope the wind remains light in Green Bay. The wind is supposed to be pretty bad in Boston on Sunday, so that could have an affect on that game.

[Joemailman]

According to the Sunday forecast it's supposed to be fairly windy during the day with WNW winds of 13 mph. Winds are supposed to die down to 4 MPH at night. Too early to say how early he winds will start to die down.

[Green Bud Packer]

Weatherunderground predicts 0 degrees and 6 mph winds at 6:00 pm Sunday. It's gonna be bitter but I'm glad the Pack is at home and not Texas Stadium.

[Fritz]

I think the wind will be a bigger factor than the cold.

In addition, if the cold does affect passing games more than running games, and if you assume the Giants' passing game isn't as good as the Packers' anyway, then the Packer defense should really be able to focus on stopping the run. You stop that, the Giants are screwed. On the other hand, despite the weather conditions the Packers have a better chance of completing some passes, since they have a better QB and better wide receivers (as long as their line does the job).

[Packers4Glory]

as the wind goes, so will the passing game.

To me the issue in just cold weather is tackling. who wants to. if its not too windy the passing game will be pretty much intact.

[Freak Out]

The wind is the big factor...as long as it's not ice bowl conditions were fine. Favre's hands are huge and that helps a bunch when it's cold.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Re: Cold Favors the Giants

Interesting theory coming one week after the Packers rushed 35 times for 235 yards and passed 23 times for 173 yards. The Packers are now as much a running team as the Giants.

I'm not ready to buy this based on stats from one game. Defenses are geared-up for the Packer passing attack first. Can't say that about the NY Football Giants.

Many people have chimed-in with the truism that wind affects the passing game, not the cold. Mostly true, but it depends on HOW cold. The hard ball is a factor for receivers.

[MJZiggy]

Hey McCarthy's kept the balls (please control yourselves) in the freezer all week for a reason...and how many hundred yard games does Grant have to have before you'll admit to us having a running game?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Packers have a running game, Giants are built around running game.