15 Kansas City Chiefs Fans Hospitalized Due to Extreme Cold at Wildcard Game
Fifteen fans were hospitalized due to extremely cold temperatures during the Dolphins-Chiefs Wild Card weekend matchup on Saturday (Jan. 13).
While the Chiefs took care of the Dolphins 26-7 on the field, the busiest team of the night may have been the Kansas City Fire Department, who responded to 69 calls from the stadium and surrounding parking lots, half of those for hypothermia.
At kickoff of the prime time match, the air temperature was -4 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill reaching minus-27. The game entered the record books as the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history and checked in as the fourth coldest game in NFL history.
The 1967 NFL Championship game between the Packers and the Cowboys, also known as the Ice Bowl, is still the king of the cold — thermometers measured 13 below zero at that game.
While fans were doing their best to stave off the cold in the stands, the on-field product was also affected by the cold, as Patrick Mahomes' helmet shattered on a hit in the third quarter. Mahomes actually stayed in the game for two more plays before officials stopped play and made the quarterback switch helmets. VICIS, the helmet manufacturer released a statement noting that the bitter cold played a factor in the helmet breaking, but the helmet did its job protecting the Chiefs QB.
Mahomes did not miss a play and finished off the drive with a field goal.
Swifties need not worry about Taylor Swift, who was in attendance to watch boyfriend Travis Kelce. The megastar was tucked away in the luxury box, where it looked much warmer than in the stands.
It won't get much warmer for the Chiefs or their fans as they head to Buffalo for the Division Round, with temps expected to be in the teens at kickoff Sunday evening (Jan. 21).
PICTURES: Taylor Swift Attends the Kansas City Chiefs' Freezing Game Against the Miami Dolphins
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak