Are we in for a true “snow game” when the Miami Dolphins travel to play the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in NFL Week 15? The Bills and Dolphins are well aware of a weather report that could pose some issues ahead of the clash of AFC East rivals.
Dolphins-Bills Weather Report
Per the Weather Channel, there is an 80% chance of snow falling in Orchard Park, New York, when the Dolphins and Bills are set to kick off at Highmark Stadium on Saturday night. The snow is expected to begin slowly in the morning but pick up as the game continues. About 3-5 inches of snow is expected to touch down, with winds of 10-15 mph throughout the game. Temperatures are forecast to reach a low of 24 degrees.
The Dolphins-Bills weather report could pose a nuisance for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who hasn’t been exposed to many cold-weather games growing up in Hawaii before playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide and ending up with Miami.
“I think for me, it’s understanding that there could be many things, could be snowing, it could rain, I don’t know,” Tagovailoa said to ESPN. “For me, it’s a mindset thing, really. If I’m too focused on, ‘Is it too cold? Can I grab the ball,’ then I would say I’m focused on the wrong things. It’ll be hard to play that way going [up] there and playing against a good team.”
Tagovailoa has struggled in the NFL when cold temperatures arise, with one of his worst performances against the Tennessee Titans last season. He completed just 18 of 38 passes for 205 yards and an interception in a 34-3 loss that 36-degree day.
Additionally, Tagovailoa’s three worst QBR games were also the three coldest games he’s participated in. At Tennessee (QBR of 10) on Jan. 3 2021; at Buffalo (QBR of 16) on Jan. 3, 2021 (35 degrees); and at the Denver Broncos (QBR of 18) on Nov. 22, 2020 (45 degrees). The Dolphins lost those three games by a combined 1110-42.
But Tagovailoa claims he enjoyed the snow and cold temperatures when visiting his brother Taulia Tagovailoa, a quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins.
“Me personally, and it might be a mindset thing, too, but it felt really good throwing it while it was snowing,” Tua said. “I didn’t feel any effects of throwing in the snow.”
Some coaches might try to simulate the tough elements throughout their practice week, but Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said his team will use their usual practice routine indoors.
“You don’t really prepare for it besides mentally deciding whether it’s going to matter to you, or not,” McDaniel said. “To me, you just decide whether you’re going to let it factor in or not, and then you adjust as best you can. There’s certain things that become harder when there’s moisture or it hits a certain level of frigidness. But the good news is that there’s not different atmospheres on both sidelines. We will be playing the game in the same elements.
“That’s the objective: Are you going to let the elements matter more to you than (your opponent does)? It is the same field, the same elements, so you just decide mentally how much you’re going to let it affect you.”
The Dolphins led the AFC East earlier in the season but after back-to-back losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers, Miami (8-5) is two games behind Buffalo (10-3) with four remaining. Last week in the 23-17 loss at the Chargers, Tagovailoa completed just 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards.
But Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have a golden opportunity to regain their status as Super Bowl contenders and change narratives if they can brave the elements and upset the Bills on Saturday night.
Per DraftKings, the Bills are currently 7-point favorites, with the over/under at 42.
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