Chiefs' field frozen ahead of crucial division matchup
There hasn't been a more important Thursday Night Football game this year than Week 14's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, but there's a new twist.
On top of them having a short week to prepare for the game that will decide the AFC West, the teams may have to deal with a frozen playing surface.
While Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City was covered with a tarp overnight and equipped with in-field heaters, NFL Network's Courtney Fallon reports that a layer of ice formed over the surface Wednesday night.
Just spoke to #Chiefs grounds crew. Heaters were installed underneath Arrowhead turf in April, but an ice layer froze under tarp overnight. pic.twitter.com/aXhnE8MlLa
— Courtney Fallon (@CourtneyFallon_) December 8, 2016
The Chiefs' grounds crew will groom the field to clear off the ice and allow the sun to warm up the field throughout the day, but temperatures in Kansas City aren't expected to break 26 degrees Fahrenheit, and will hit a low of 13 at night.
The Chiefs typically look forward to these late-season games against warm-weather opponents. They haven't lost at home in December since Week 16 of the 2013 season.