Matthew Stafford has been through it before. The rest of the Rams? Not so much.
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Back in 2013, Stafford's Lions faced off against the Eagles in a snow game in Philadelphia. Now, it looks like Stafford's new team, the Rams, will have their own chance to face the winter elements in the City of Brotherly Love.
As of now, the forecast calls for temperatures dropping throughout the day, starting with an overnight high of 36 degrees. Snow will be heavy just before and during the game, with an expected accumulation of four to five inches. And with the weather front shifting, it's become a key topic for Stafford and his teammates as they prepare for the game.
"Every weather situation I've been a part of is kind of different," Stafford said, staying typically low-key about the growing possibility of snow and cold affecting the game. "You go out there and see what you can do and what you can't do. I'm sure that Sunday will be no different."
For Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, however, this is uncharted territory.
"I haven't played in a true snow game," Kupp said. "I played at Eastern Washington. We played in very cold games, but never anything with actual snow on the ground. We'll see what ends up happening, but you just handle it. You handle whatever it's going to be."
Kupp also reflected on an old game that Stafford played in, back when the snow was really coming down.
"A couple weeks ago we were watching the old famous snow game that Matthew played in, and [Lions receiver] Calvin [Johnson Jr.] was hyperventilating with the snow. I was telling Matthew that'd be so cool. That's such a unique thing to play in. All the games and all the stuff that goes into it comes down to who wants it or who's going to find a way to get it done. That'd be cool. Who knows what's going to happen. I'm excited whatever the conditions are. I know we'll handle it the right way."
For rookie receiver Puka Nacua, the snow will be a brand-new experience too.
"I can't really think of how it's going to affect me," Nacua said. "We have the ability to wear your seven stud cleats out there. We're going to be prepared in the ways that we can. It's exciting. I think the game of football is meant to be played physically. I think that's what Sunday will permit."
Nacua, who has already played in his fair share of tough conditions, remembered the coldest game he's faced this season — a frigid matchup in New Jersey against the Jets.
"Honestly, I don't think I had feeling in my feet until halftime," he said. "We went in for halftime and I was like, 'Oh, there are my toes.' I felt like I was running on four-by-fours the whole game. That one was pretty cool. Maybe some in youth football back in Utah where we played in a little bit of snow. They have the heat warmers and stuff that they were putting their seven studs in. We'll be ready to run the ball and do whatever needs [to be done] to win."
Rams coach Sean McVay has been paying attention to the weather forecast, and while it's been changing, he's confident the Rams will be prepared.
"The weather [forecast] has changed in the last couple of days," McVay said. "We'll see what it is, but we are aware of that. I think the biggest thing is just being mindful of, if the surface is affected, that our cleats aren't an issue. That's a big part of it. [Senior director of equipment] Brendan Burger does a great job with that. Matthew has had experience handling that ball. I know this, if it does snow or if it does rain, we have to be mindful of what we need to do to adjust and adapt, but there's no way it can be as cold as it was at the Jets game."
Cold weather is one thing. Snow? That's another. And it's just the latest challenge for the Rams, who have already weathered (pun intended) plenty of adversity this season. If the snow falls and sticks, though, it could become the biggest hurdle they've faced in 2024 — especially with the season hanging in the balance.
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