The 5 coldest games in NFL history
By Cody Rivera
2. San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals — Jan. 10, 1982
This game became famously known as the “Freezer Bowl,” which was an appropriate nickname for the brutal conditions when the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals met in the AFC Championship Game at Riverfront Stadium.
It was extremely cold with a game-time temperature of -9 degrees, as well as 35-mile per hour winds that sent the wind chill plummeting all the way down to -59. And yet, even though he was facing conditions that would normally make it very difficult for a quarterback to succeed, Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson hardly seemed fazed at all.
Anderson conquered the extreme cold by throwing for 161 yards and two touchdowns without a single interception. He even added 39 rushing yards to his day, leading the Bengals to a convincing 27-7 win over the Chargers. Despite the frigid temperatures, Cincinnati had no problem scoring, and it cruised right through this AFC title game on its way to Super Bowl XVI.
Though Anderson performed pretty well in the cold, the same could not be said for the San Diego offense as it lost two fumbles, and quarterback Dan Fouts was intercepted twice.
Playing such an exceptional game probably made it significantly easier for the Bengals and their dedicated fans to deal with the very uncomfortable conditions. However, the fun unfortunately came to an end when the Bengals reached Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, where they were defeated 26-21 by Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.
To this day, the “Freezer Bowl” remains the second coldest game in NFL history.