opening the doors<\/a> of the team’s inside training facility to let in some of the winter air.<\/p>\nHow much the temperature affects players depends on their position and history with freezing environments.<\/p>\n
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Chiefs long-snapper James Winchester, for instance, has experienced plenty of frosty games during his eight seasons as a pro.<\/p>\n
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Still, his job requires him to handle the football as much as anyone besides quarterbacks and centers. That means his preparation will focus on an effort to \u201cmanage your hands a little better\u201d while utilizing hand-warmers often and remaining around sideline heaters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe name of the game is don’t keep your hands out in the elements any longer than you have to,\u201d Winchester said. \u201cSo if you’ve got to run on for a punt, or an extra point or a field goal with your hands in your pouch, that’s what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Rookie cornerback Joshua Williams won’t be grasping the football as much, but his more significant challenge will be dealing with a new experience. Williams grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and went to college in that same warm-weather location.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis is gonna be the coldest game I’ve ever played in my life,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI’m 100% prepared. Coach (Andy) Reid is making sure we’re prepared. We’re looking at it like any other game. We take the steps necessary to go out there and compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams, like Mahomes, wasn’t planning on many clothing changes. He said he’d likely put long sleeves on this game but he did n’t anticipate any other modifications.<\/p>\n
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KC-Seattle will be far from the only NFL contest affected by weather this weekend. New Orleans at Cleveland, for example, is expected to be an even worse atmosphere for offenses, with 25 mph winds predicted. As such, the current 32.5 over-under total \u2014 the sports books’ expected combined point total for the two teams \u2014 is the lowest mark for an NFL game since 2010, according to data from Stathead.<\/p>\n
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Mahomes’ throwing conditions should be better than that in KC; forecasts call for 9 mph winds Saturday with gusts to around 20.<\/p>\n
The over-under total for the Chiefs-Seahawks is 49 as well, meaning Vegas doesn’t believe Saturday’s extreme circumstances will affect the offenses too<\/i> much<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe’ll go out there and play,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cIt’s still football at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This story was originally published December 22, 2022 5:30 AM.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n