Super Bowl XLVIII is scheduled for February 2 at MetLife and the game will be kicking off around 6:30 pm and with the game being in the New York/New Jersey area and in an outdoor, cold weather city for the first time, the NFL is prepared for all contingencies, including a blizzard and that means the game could be moved to Saturday, Monday or Tuesday if needed.
This was always a possibility in the plans for the NFL and according to ESPN.com, there are a number of backup plans in place for the game and that may include pushing the game up or moving it back if there is severe weather. Many have championed the fact that snow could fall, as many of the classic NFL games in the past have been played under harsh conditions, with the Ice bowl game coming to mind, but others have had issues with deciding a championship where weather could be a factor.
The primary reason for the Super Bowl being in a dome or a warmer climate is to make the field conditions as optimal and neutral for both teams, so that pure football could decide the outcome. The snow and the cold could make an unfair advantage for some teams, including the Denver Broncos, who are a pass happy team with a quarterback in Peyton Manning that has struggled in cold games in the playoffs. The Seahawks on the other hand, are a very strong rushing team that could flourish under bad conditions. The Eagles and Lions played a game in terrible snow two weeks ago and it included numerous fumbles and sloppy play, including a number of bad snaps from the center for Matthew Stafford.
People also likely remember the last rainy Super Bowl when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in Miami, which gave Peyton Manning his first championship. That game was a matchup between Rex Grossman's Bears and Manning's Colts and few would argue that the offenses were close, but the rain was a decent equalizer and that die could set the stage for this Super Bowl.
The Farmer's Almanac says that the New York area could be getting some snow when the Super Bowl is in town and while that wouldn't be a total disaster for the NFL, it is something that they will hope to avoid when the game comes. Moving the matchup to Saturday could be a blessing in disguise, but a Monday or Tuesday game would be a disaster for the league after awarding the game to MetLife and the NY/NJ area.
