The effects of climate on NFL players and teams 

NFLTennessee Titans v Green Bay Packers
NFL: Tennessee Titans v Green Bay Packers

One of the biggest factors that teams in the National Football League (NFL) consider during their game day preparation is the climate.

Southern teams are concerned when they have to play northern teams in the peak of winter. Teams in the north worry that southern and west coast temperatures could be too high for their teams.

But it's not just something that teams worry about or think affects their play, there is research that proves that NFL teams and, in particular, quarterbacks play better in certain weather conditions.

A recent study done by Sports Betting Dime surveyed NFL game statistics and other data from Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season up until now. They collected information about the stadium the games were played in, whether indoor or outdoor, and the temperature at game time.

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Check out some of the results from their recent study: "Climate and Sports".

Study results on the effect of climate on NFL teams and quarterbacks

NFL teams: Who benefits from warm climate?

According to the Sports Betting Dime survey, The Detroit Lions had the highest winning percentage. Having played eight games in 75° F or warmer, the Lions had a 75% chance of winning. The Lions play their home games indoors at Ford Field so, in reality, they don't play a lot of games in cold weather.

Shockingly, the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who play their home games in warm climates all season long, didn't have high percentages, but they do have a larger sample size since it was the majority of ten seasons of home games surveyed.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers even have their road jerseys white for home games because they are cooler, forcing their opponents to don darker jerseys.

NFL teams: Who benefits from colder climate?

The New England Patriots ranked as the best performing team in colder temperatures. This should come as no surprise as the weather tends to take a dip early to midway through the season in that region of the United States.

The Patriots had an impressive 85.3% win percentage in the 34 games played in the surveyed time.

The Arizona Cardinals, who play at State Farm Field, which has a retractable roof, had a 71.4% winning percentage in the seven games they played in temperatures of 40° F or cooler. The Cardinals had a higher winning percentage in cooler temperatures than they did in warmer temperatures.

Another surprise was that the Green Bay Packers had a slightly better winning percentage in cooler temperatures than in warmer temperatures. Considering Lambeau Field is nicknamed the "Frozen Tundra," one would be inclined to think that the Packers would thrive in the cold.

Below is the complete chart of the survey:

The Sports Betting Dime survey also includes a graph on which NFL teams perform better in indoor and outdoor stadiums.

NFL Quarterback performance is also impacted by climate

In the study, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has the best stats when it comes to playing in 75° F temperatures or higher, with 322.9 yards on average and a passer rating of 103.2.

This is an interesting stat since Cousins currently plays in an indoor stadium and played college football at Michigan State, neither having a warm climate.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the complete opposite and seems to thrive in the cold climate. He averages over two passing touchdowns and 109.3% passer rating in games that were played in 40° F or lower.

Tom Brady doesn't seem to have a preference in temperature seeing as he was pretty much the same in both cold and warm climate. Having now played in both climates, with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady seems to be accustomed to both.

Below is the full chart on NFL quarterback statistics from Sports Betting Dime's survey:

From these results in the Sports Betting Dime survey, it seems that one cannot always judge an NFL team by the climate their home stadium has.

To read the entire Sports Betting Dime survey, click here.

Edited by Rohit Mishra
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