Bills weather vs. Dolphins: Miami arrives at snowy Orchard Park with cold weather gear trunks, report says

The miami dolphins will feel much like the visiting team during their Saturday night clash against the rival buffalo bills. old winter came to buffalo on Friday night, and left about eight inches of the white stuff. Buffalo isn’t done with the snow just yet, either, as a lake-effect snow warning is in effect until 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

Orchard Park had a break from the snow in the morning, but things are expected to pick up later today. According to the hourly forecast, the precipitation will transition from “a few snow showers” at 2 pm ET, to “snow showers” at 5 p.m. So expect plenty of prime time handoffs.

The Dolphins are doing their best to come prepared for the grim conditions, having brought 1,400 pounds of trunks of cold-weather gear to Orchard Park, according to NFL media. Each player has several cleats to try and find the best position in the snow.

Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t had success in cold-weather games in his three years as the Dolphins’ quarterback. He is winless in the coldest four games he has started, posting a passer rating of just 61.4. In those games, Tagovailoa has scored just three total touchdowns while turning the ball over six times, according to CBS Sports Senior Research Editor Doug Clawson.

The coldest matches of Tua Tagovailoa’s career

As you can see, two of Tagovailoa’s cold weather losses have come against the Bills, who will host the Dolphins in what will be Tagovailoa’s coldest NFL game to date. The expected temperature for Saturday is between 25 and 28 degrees, making it Tagovailoa’s first NFL game in freezing conditions. Snow showers are also in the forecast, which will likely make it more difficult to dump downfield.

Coach Mike McDaniel minimized talk of the Dolphins’ cold weather woes this week, telling reporters “it’s the same field, same elements” for both teams in Week 15, and wearing a practice jersey that read, “I wish it was colder.”

Tagovailoa also didn’t make much of the freezing and snowy forecast, which called for a low temperature of 27 degrees, winds of 11 MPH and an 85% chance of more snow. according to Weather.com.

“It snowed in Alabama my freshman year. So it snows in Alabama, boys.Tagovailoa said during his press conference on Wednesday. “People don’t know that. Some people just think it’s cold, but it snows.”

“It’s a question of mentality,” he said. “If I’m too focused and worried if it’s too cold can I catch the ball, if not then I’d say I’m focused on the wrong things? It would be hard to play that way going there against a very good team.”

To be fair, Tagovailoa’s previous fights in cold-weather games shouldn’t be solely attributed to him. He was a rookie during Miami’s road losses at Denver and at Buffalo late in the 2020 season. And, in the case of Miami’s season-ending 30-point blowout, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ offense threw a volume unusually high passing rate as they tried to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Tagovailoa’s other two cold-weather losses came against superior teams in Buffalo and Tennessee. Those games also didn’t include their new coach or wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who made several big plays Sunday night.

A win this weekend would not only keep the Dolphins in the running for the AFC East title, but would also stop the growing narrative that Tagovailoa and company can’t do it in cold weather.