Head Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens will take the same approach his old college football coach, Tom Reed, instilled in him – that “every day is a great day for football.” Harbaugh acknowledged that extreme cold weather can impact the game.
“I think the elements always are impactful, and hopefully you can use them to your advantage in some way [or] some form or fashion,” Harbaugh said. “But the main thing is we have to go play winning football, good, fundamental, winning football. That’s what wins, no matter what the elements are.”
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was asked what he’s learned about playing in cold games. He’s had plenty of experience with eight years in the AFC North, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.
“Just try to stay warm as much as you [can],” Jackson said. “It’s football. [I] can’t do [anything] about it. I can’t control the weather. I wish I could.”
The coldest NFL game that Jackson has played in was last season’s playoff loss in Buffalo, which was 19 degrees at kickoff with a wind chill of 13 degrees. It snowed for much of the game. Jackson has never lost a game he’s started in Cincinnati.
Fellow Florida native Zay Flowers shrugged off the frigid forecast.
“I’ve been in some cold games from Boston College to now, so I don’t think it really affects me,” Flowers said. “I don’t think it affects [anybody] here, because we practice outside every day. I think we’ll be alright.”
The Ravens’ coldest home game in team history was on Dec. 24, 2022, when the Ravens beat the Atlanta Falcons, 17-9. It was 17 degrees with a wind chill of two degrees. Tyler Huntley was the Ravens’ starting quarterback.