GREEN BAY — Aaron Rodgers was more likely quoting the tagline of Game of Thrones (one of his favorite television shows) than quoting his t-shirt available at Target (designed by his brother Luke's company Pro Player Merch) on Wednesday when he was talking about the impending arctic conditions that his Green Bay Packers and the visiting San Francisco 49ers will likely be playing in Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
"Winter is coming," the Packers quarterback said Wednesday. "It's here. It's here in Green Bay."
Is it ever. According to WBAY-TV meteorologists , the forecast for Sunday calls for a high temperature of 8 degrees and a low of minus-17. Yes, that's 17 below zero — and that's without factoring in any wind chill.
"It's definitely going to have an effect on the game," Rodgers said. "You know, not everybody in this locker room is from the great state of Wisconsin. We do practice in it, live in it, I think we're going to be better adapting to it initially. But once the game starts, it's about who can execute in the cold weather. It does some different things to the football. It's about taking care of the football in the playoffs and making some big plays."
The Packers did not practice at all on Wednesday, opting for a walkthrough inside their new CRIC training facility inside Lambeau Field. But they will practice Thursday and Friday outside and will do so in pads Thursday, coach Mike McCarthy said.
"We'll have a full practice tomorrow. We'll be in pads," McCarthy said. "We'll do what we can do outside based on our setup down there."
Asked how much practicing in the cold helps the Packers, Rodgers replied: "The cold is a part of winter in Green Bay. You get kind of used to it. You deal with it. You learn how to throw the ball effectively (in it) and you figure out what are the most important things to keep warm and that's your head and your hands. As long as you have a good hand warmer and some sort of heat around your head, you should be OK.
"It definitely does change the texture of the football, so you have to factor that in when you're tossing the ball to a back or when you're throwing it. You have to make some small adjustments."
And the Packers' hope is that they're able to make better adjustments because they're more familiar with it than the 49ers, who were enjoying 62 degree temperatures in northern California Wednesday.
"We live in it. We're around it," Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "I don't think you ever get used to it. You don't get used to it being negative-5 or whatever it is. I think especially guys that are handling the ball, of course, it's huge for them to be out there catching the ball, throwing it. Snapper, punter, kicker, everything.
"For us, it helps, but I think everybody is going to be cold. It's not going to be any different for either team, regardless of where they're coming from. They're going to be cold and so are we. It's whoever handles it best."
The 49ers may come from a more temperate climate, but they are built for cold weather. They play rugged defense, are productive in the run game (No. 3 in the NFL) with running back Frank Gore and their top receiver, Anquan Boldin, played in Baltimore before coming to the 49ers in a trade and is unfazed by the cold.
"Your job is to catch the ball," said Boldin, who had 13 catches for 208 yards in the season-opener against the Packers at Candlestick Park. "I don't care if it's raining or snowing, cold, dry, hot. Whatever it is. I think if you prepare the right way, you don't have to go out and think about it. Just go play football."
Jason Wilde wrote: