Football games — and fans — will not be stopped by freezing temperatures and blowing snow. Field grass was camouflaged by falling snow on the East Coast Sunday, transforming four NFL stadiums into a winter wonderland.
Games between the Detroit Lions at the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings at the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs at the Washington D.C. Redskins, and Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers were subject to heavy snow, interfering with players’ runs, passes, and catches, fans’ vision and television broadcasts of the games.
In some stadiums, officials used small tractors with plows and hand-held snow blowers to try to clear the field, while bundled-up fans found it difficult to follow the concealed yard markers. FOX used new technology to superimpose the field markings for both the Lions-Eagles and Vikings Ravens games, NBC reports.
Fans covered with snow wait in the stands before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions, Dec. 8, 2013, in Philadelphia.
Fans watch the first half of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions as snow falls, Dec. 8, 2013, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles warms up as snow falls before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Dec. 8, 2013, in Philadelphia.
Fans are covered with snow during the first half of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions, Dec. 8, 2013, in Philadelphia.
Crews work to clear a still-falling snow from the field before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, Dec. 8.
A Heinz Field grounds crew blows snow off the hash marks during the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 8.
Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up in the snow before the start of a game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 8.