Rams’ history in frigid conditions doesn’t bode well for Lambeau visit vs. Packers

The Rams have historically struggled in cold conditions, especially in the playoffs where they’re 1-5 in sub-30-degree conditions.

Nothing says “playoff football” like January at Lambeau Field. Heavy coats and heaters on the sidelines, windy conditions, a chance of snow in the forecast. The Rams will get a hefty helping of the cold on Saturday when they visit Lambeau to take on the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Being a West Coast team, they don’t often play in frigid conditions. Sure, Seattle can be cold and rainy at times, but Lumen Field doesn’t compare to Lambeau when it comes to tough conditions.

Unfortunately, the Rams have historically struggled in colder temperatures when playing outdoors. In outdoor playoff games where the temperature was 30 or below, the Rams are only 1-5 all-time. Their lone win came against the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in 1983, which was a domed stadium, but the roof had a hole in it – so it was technically considered an outdoor game.

Their five losses were all on the road and between the years of 1967-1983, so they haven’t had a cold playoff game in quite some time. Here’s a look at those six games, via Stathead.

Query Results Table
Cond Cond Cond
Rk
▲		 Year Date Opp Week G# Day Result Surface Roof Temperature
1 1983 1984-01-01 @ WAS 18 18 Sun L 7-51 grass outdoors 27.9
2 1983 1983-12-26 @ DAL 17 17 Mon W 24-17 astroturf outdoors 19.9
3 1976 1976-12-26 @ MIN 16 16 Sun L 13-24 grass outdoors 19.4
4 1974 1974-12-29 @ MIN 16 16 Sun L 10-14 grass outdoors 28.5
5 1969 1969-12-27 @ MIN 15 17 Sat L 20-23 grass outdoors 10.5
6 1967 1967-12-23 @ GNB 15 15 Sat L 7-28 grass outdoors 12.7
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 1/12/2021.

For comparison, the Packers have historically been exceptionally good in cold playoff games. Calling Lambeau Field home, they’ve played a lot of games in frigid conditions. Since 2008, Aaron Rodgers’ first year as a starter, the Packers have played seven playoff games outdoors when the temperature was 30 or below.

In those games, all of which have occurred since the 2010 season, the Packers are a stellar 6-1. Their average scoring margin in that game is 25.4-17.1, with their only loss being a 23-20 defeat at the hands of the 49ers in the 2013 playoffs when San Francisco made it to the NFC Championship Game.

Query Results Table
Cond Cond Cond
Rk
▲		 Year Date Opp Week G# Day Result Surface Roof Temperature
1 2019 2020-01-12 SEA 19 18 Sun W 28-23 grass outdoors 23.0
2 2016 2017-01-08 NYG 18 17 Sun W 38-13 grass outdoors 14.0
3 2014 2015-01-11 DAL 19 17 Sun W 26-21 grass outdoors 24.0
4 2013 2014-01-05 SFO 18 17 Sun L 20-23 grass outdoors 5.0
5 2012 2013-01-05 MIN 18 17 Sat W 24-10 grass outdoors 29.0
6 2010 2011-01-23 @ CHI 20 19 Sun W 21-14 grass outdoors 20.0
7 2010 2011-01-09 @ PHI 18 17 Sun W 21-16 grass outdoors 30.0
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 1/12/2021.

Obviously, this is a very different Rams team than the ones from the ‘60s-‘80s. There are no similarities, so it might seem unwise to use decades-old struggles as a projection of future results. But we don’t need to look back that far to find a bad performance by the Rams in cold conditions.

Since Jared Goff took over in 2016, they’ve played two outdoor games in sub-30-degree conditions. The first was a 23-20 win over the Broncos in October of 2018, a game in which Goff only completed 14-of-28 passes for 201 yards with one interception and five sacks taken. Todd Gurley carried the offense with 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but Goff had some trouble in the cold.

The second game was one many Rams fans remember, but would rather forget: the 15-6 loss to the Bears in Chicago. Goff was 20-for-44 in that game, throwing for only 180 yards with four interceptions and a fumble. It was arguably the worst game of his career, and the first real example of a team completely shutting down the Rams under Sean McVay.

Again, just because Goff had some trouble in those games doesn’t mean he’s going to struggle in Green Bay – if he even gets the start. But with a bad thumb, the cold could make things even worse for the Rams quarterback.

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