Kenny, It’s Cold Outside: Steelers Prepare for Wintry Conditions vs. Raiders

The Steelers and Raiders have to be prepared for the cold on Saturday. On Christmas Eve, the weather conditions on the North Shore are expected to be frigid and it could be one of the coldest games in the history of Acrisure Stadium. It’s entirely possible that snow falls during the game as well, creating the wintry mix that Pittsburgh has seen many times before in December football games.

As of now, the game time temperature is expected to land somewhere around 10 degrees, and as the night carries on, it could get colder. Not to mention that there could be as high as 25 miles per hour winds throughout the night. All in all, the wind chill could make it feel like the squads are playing in -15 degree weather.

Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have been in stadiums with such weather. It will be the first time for some of the younger players, however. But with Decemeber football, Tomlin expects to see the game changed by the way the weather cooperates with the teams.

“We’ve got to be an all weather group,” Tomlin said. “I think everybody that lives here and plays here embraces that. That’s one of the reasons why we take the approach we take. Whenever we get an opportunity to work in less than ideal weather conditions, it’s always our attitude to work in less than ideal weather conditions. Those that have been here know and understand it. Guys that are new like George Pickens, we take every opportunity to acclimate.”

Tomlin sees the weather as an identity of a Pittsburgh-based team. If Pittsburgh is to win on Saturday, they will have to work through the weather, and their innate style of running the football could be a big help in that area. Tomlin embraces it so much that he called it a ‘beautiful part’ of playing in Pittsburgh.

“I just think that’s a beautiful part of December and January football, the weather component,” Tomlin said. “We’ll acknowledge that the weather could be significant on Saturday night and could play out in terms of how these two teams come together.”

When the Steelers get ready to celebrate the Immaculate Reception, the weather will make everything just that much more interesting in a must-win game for the Steelers.