They Play Inside, But Winter Weather Could Impact Cowboys Game

The Dallas Cowboys will host the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on Sunday for a Wild Card Playoff game. While the game will be played inside a climate-controlled venue, the weather forecast for this weekend is likely going to play a part in the game.

Of course whatever is happening weatherwise outside will not impact the condition of the field. But it will have a major impact on who is in the stands, and what that means for the volume of the crowd.

Never underestimate how a crowd can influence an NFL Playoff game...one poorly timed "false start" or "delay of game" penalty can swing momentum. A defensive back can quickly blow coverage if he can't hear audibles being called out by his teammates. NFL fans regularly cause these things to happen in certain environments.

The weather forecast for this weekend in Dallas may now influence the makeup of the crowd for the Cowboys game.

A winter storm is going to engulf the DFW Metroplex this weekend. Some predictions having the system arriving on Saturday, while others are calling for its arrival on Sunday. When it sweeps in, it will bring sub-freezing temperatures, and a wintry mix of precipitation. For an area not built to handle winter, this could be bad.

Some fans are paying close attention to this, and are making decisions to bail on attending the game already. There are some stories online of ticket prices for the game dropping this week as fans try to bail on their plans, to avoid getting trapped in the Dallas area.

That means Packers fans flying in from the midwest may avoid coming to the game, worried about being stuck in a Dallas airport during the winter storm. But Green Bay fans are known to travel well, and not really care too much about winter weather or delays. Its actually common in their daily lives.

But Dallas Cowboys fans who may be looking at the possibility of driving home from the game Sunday night as sleet and freezing rain are covering DFW roadways might be thinking the hardest about avoiding the game. Not wanting to be in the elements locally while nearly 100,000 people are trying to leave AT&T Stadium.

This sets up a potential scenario where Packers fans could be buying up local tickets from Cowboys fans not wanting to drive in hazardous conditions. There may end up being more cheese-heads in the stands than Cowboys' stars.