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See how people are trying to stay warm for Chiefs vs. Dolphins at frigid Arrowhead Stadium
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- See how people are trying to stay warm for Chiefs vs. Dolphins at frigid Arrowhead Stadium
Saturday night was a chilling night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as record-low temperatures for the wild card game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins had fans and players bundling up, hoping to get any semblance of warmth.
When the Dolphins and Chiefs kicked off Saturday evening, it was negative 4 degrees in Arrowhead Stadium, marking the fourth coldest kickoff temperature in NFL history. It feels even colder than that with a wind chill of negative 27, the third coldest kickoff wind chill ever, according to the Chiefs communications team .
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With the freezing temperatures, those who filled up the 76,416-seat stadium had to find anyway they could to stay warm, including the players. Here's how some Chiefs fans − and those playing on Saturday night − are dealing with the frigid temperatures at the playoff game:
Patrick Mahomes helmet chipped on hit
With the Chiefs leading 16-7 in the third quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled 13 yards to the Dolphins' 3-yard line before he was stopped short of the end zone by Miami safety DeShon Elliott . Mahomes and Elliott bumped heads on the play, which subsequently cracked Mahomes' helmet.
Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes heads to the sideline after his helmet was cracked during the third quarter in the Wild Card Playoffs vs. the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Andy Reid's mustache freezes over
If you needed any evidence of how cold it is at Arrowhead Stadium, just look at Chiefs head coach Andy Reid's mustache, which turned into an icicle by halftime.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches game action against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Taylor Swift is in the building
Taylor Swift, the rumored girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce , is shaking off the subzero temperatures at arrowhead Stadium with a red-and-yellow puffer coat featuring Kelce's name and No. 87 jersey number.
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Her custom jacket was created by Kristin Juszczyk , the wife of 49ers ' All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk . Kristin Juszczyk has also created gear for Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles , wife of Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens.
Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa arrive bundled up
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he's "excited" for Saturday's subzero temperatures.
"What can be better. Playing football in January in Arrowhead Stadium is going to be cold," Mahomes said. "The adrenaline rush gives you that warmness that you're seeking and you have heaters on the sideline. People make it a big deal, but at the end of the day, you just go out there and play football."
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a Hawaii native who played his collegiate career in Alabama, said he's never been in temperatures "lower than 15 degrees." When asked how he prepared for the weather, Tagovailoa candidly said , "You can't prepare for a game like that with that kind of weather. So it will be new."
Fans arrive at Arrowhead Stadium at 5:30 a.m.
Some fans are deterred by the freezing temperatures in Kansas City.
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Fans were already showing up to Arrowhead Stadium as early as 5:30 a.m., more than 13 hours before kickoff. KSHB 41 caught up with some fans and asked why they decided to show up so early, when temperatures were around negative 11 degrees, and a wind chill made it feel like negative 26 degrees.
There was also a line for tailgating around 9 a.m.
What does Arrowhead Stadium look like?
Arrowhead Stadium could be seen covered in snow from the field to the seats eight hours before kickoff.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Chris Bumbaca
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs vs. Dolphins weather: See how bad the freezing temperature is
