HOUSTON – Wintry weather awaits the Texans in Baltimore where they’ll square off against the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional round playoff game.
The weather forecast for Saturday in Baltimore: a high of 28 degrees with a low of 20 degrees with no precipitation on a mostly sunny day. More snow is expected on Friday after the Maryland area got four inches of snow Monday.
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Although the weather conditions are unnaturally cold this week in Texas, the Texans, as a team from the South, don’t normally play football in such a chilly climate.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans emphasized that the weather conditions shouldn’t affect anything for the players.
“I think as long as you know what you need to wear, make sure you prepare, make sure you wear the proper things that will help you while you’re standing around on the sideline,” Ryans said. “But once you hit the field, you’re going to get cold. And, again, I would say, ‘Who cares? Let’s go.’ We’ve got to find a way to make plays.”
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This marks the Texans’ second game against the Ravens this season. They lost to them, 25-9, in the season-opener. Since that game and an 0-2 start, the Texans have won 11 of 14 games and earned the AFC South division title.
Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker with the Texans, played in a cold-weather game for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Detroit Lions.
“It’s fun,” Ryans said. “I was fortunate to play in one cold weather game. Eagles versus Lions. We literally went in for warm ups and came back out and there was snow everywhere. It’s fun playing in the cold weather games, and you kind of block out how bad it’s going to hurt, that doesn’t matter.
“How blessed are we to be in this position playing for a spot to go to the AFC championship game? So, that’s all that matters. That’s all that’s on our mind is just finding a way to win no matter the elements, no matter how you feel. I know everybody’s pretty sore, everybody’s pretty beat up at this moment, but how would victory feel? And that’s all that matters.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.