Do Broncos or Patriots Have a Bigger Advantage Playing in Cold Weather?

by NESN Staff on Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 3:13PM

It’s a rite of passage. Before a team can take the field in a dome or some warm locale for the Super Bowl, it must first shiver through the cold or slog through the muck on a nasty winter day up north.

The Patriots and Broncos have been fortunate to avoid much inclement weather so far, and by both city’s traditionally frigid standards Saturday night registers as a mild evening. The temperature in Foxboro is forecasted to be around 23 degrees at kickoff, falling to 19 degrees by the time the game ends.

The Broncos may wish they were back in Mile High, where the thermometer is expected to hit a high of 54 degrees on Saturday and fall to a mere 38 degrees overnight. Set in the mountains and forests of Colorado, however, the Broncos are used to a wintry mix.

When the wind blows and the chill gets in their bones, one team will put on an extra layer and fight through it while another one will slink to the sideline and fight for a spot in front of the heater.

Which one will it be?

Which team has a bigger advantage playing in cold weather?