It's December. It's cold and snowy in much of the country. This is not a new concept.
However, my brilliant bosses in Los Angeles react to precipitation like a puppy reacts to the electric can opener. (Insert joke about L.A. drivers in the rain here.)
Many games will be affected by Mother Nature. Let's take a quick look at the bad weather:
Early Games:
Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins: It will be 29 degrees with a wintry mix of ice and snow throughout the contest. Winds will be around 7 mph at FedEx Field. Coaches are worried about how the conditions could impact the game plan.
Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals: 27 degrees, but it will feel like 15 degrees. A mix of snow and rain are expected throughout the game with winds gusting from the east at 6 mph.
Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers: Cold and snow at Lambeau. Just how it should be in December.
Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots: It will be cold in Foxboro (30 degrees), but no precipitation is expected.
Oakland Raiders at New York Jets: It will be around 33 degrees most of the game. There is a chance we will see snow flurries near the end of the game at MetLife Stadium.
Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles: 30 degrees at kickoff, and there is a chance of snow throughout the contest. Not good news for Matthew Stafford and Nick Foles.
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Tannehill never has played in the snow. That should change today. The temperature is expected to be around 25 degrees throughout the game with snow falling at kickoff. Winds will be between 9 and 11 mph.
Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Ravens: Around 30 degrees at kickoff with winds around 6 mph. Someone already is pumped:
Afternoon Games:
Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos: Bust out your "Can Peyton Manning play in the cold?" stories. It will be chilly at Mile High. Temperatures will start out around 14 degrees and are expected to dip to around 5 degrees by the game's end.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: It will be a lukewarm 45 degrees at Candlestick Park, but winds at 8-plus mph could affect play.
The "Around The League Podcast" is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.