Here is a vital weather note: Kansas City, MO Forecast: -5 degrees, real feel -30 degrees with win gusts near 30 mph.
The game in Kansas City hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs is expected to be among the coldest in NFL history, and the Miami Dolphins have lost the past ten games when the temperature was 40 degrees or lower at kickoff.
Chiefs are favored to win by -4.5.
To paraphrase the movie Dumb and Dumber, you are telling me there is a chance for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins are optimistic that wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will be back from a high ankle sprain and running back Raheem Mostert from an ankle injury after each missed the past two games. They will also have De’Von Achane available against Kansas City after the speedy running back missed their game in Germany with a knee injury.
Mostert and Waddle, if they play versus the Chiefs, will make the Dolphins a different-looking team than the one coming off the regular season loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill will be playing in Kansas City for the first time since the Chiefs traded him to the Dolphins for five draft picks in March of 2022; the teams meet in a wild-card playoff game.
“The team will be fired up to go and embrace the challenge,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said, “and there’s many layers to why it’s a challenge. For us in-house, we all believe in each other and want to get a losing taste out of our mouths. That’s the only objective.”
The Dolphins were in a great position to win the final game over the Bills. The running game was very effective; they gave up the 96-yard punt return by Deonte Hardy, but the offense never found its gear in the second half.
Miami has won all three of its playoff games against the Chiefs, two wild-card matchups, and a divisional-round game in 1971 that remains the longest game in NFL history. But the Dolphins’ more recent playoff history can make a fan cry. The last time they won a game was Dec. 30, 2000, when they beat the Colts in overtime, and they have only one playoff road win since 1972.
While the Dolphins are in the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 2001, the Chiefs will be playing their 15th straight home playoff game, not counting three Super Bowl appearances. It’s a streak that dates to Jan. 15, 2017, when Hill was wrapping up his rookie season, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes was still making a name for himself in the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.
“The adrenaline rush gives you that warmness that you are seeking, Mahomes said. At the end of the day, you just go out there and play football. If you love it, you will be able to go out there and play your best football at the best time of the year to play it.”
The Chiefs wrapped up their eighth straight AFC West title with one game left in the regular season, so Mahomes and several of their biggest stars could sit out a win over the Los Angeles Chargers and instead prepare for another playoff appearance.
The Chiefs are as healthy as they have been all season. Left tackle Wanya Morris is their only injury of note after he went into the concussion protocol against the Chargers last week. The story of the Chiefs this year has been the play of their defense. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo have done a tremendous job this season.
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