Snow Bowl (1985)

NFL single game infobox
name=Snow Bowl


caption=
visitor=Tampa Bay Buccaneers
visitor abbr=TB
visitor coach=Leeman Bennett
visitor record=2-10
home=Green Bay Packers
home abbr=GB
home coach=Forrest Gregg
home record=5-7
visitor qtr1=0
visitor qtr2=0
visitor qtr3=0
visitor qtr4=0
visitor qtr5=
visitor total=0
home qtr1=0
home qtr2=7
home qtr3=7
home qtr4=7
home qtr5=
home total=21
date=December 1, 1985
stadium=Lambeau Field
city=Green Bay, Wisconsin
referee=
attendance=
odds=
network=CBS
announcers=|The Snow Bowl was a National Football League game played on December 1, 1985 between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is known for its heavy snow. Only 19,856 were in attendance, with over 36,000 "no-shows," the most in Packers history. About 2/3 of the stadium was empty. [ [http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/999999990417/PKR04/707120716 Know how to dress for different weather conditions] ; Stephanie Brien; Green Bay Press Gazette; July 12 2007; Retrieved March 26 2008] Twelve inches of snow fell before the game and another four to five inches fell during the game. [ [http://www.bucpower.com/crawford33.html Bad weather Bucaneers] ; Denis Crawford; bucpower.com; Retrieved March 26 2008]

The game itself saw the Packers dominate the Buccaneers en route to a 21-0 victory. [http://www.bucpower.com/1985game13.html Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 Green Bay Packers 21] ; bucpower.com; Retrieved March 27 2008] Despite four turnovers, the Packers offense gained 512 total yards on 31 first downs, with the Buccaneers recording only 65 yards on 5 first downs.cite web |url=http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1985.htm |title=1985 Green Bay Packers statistics |accessdate=2008-03-26 |work= Pro Football Reference.com ] Packers wide receiver James Lofton received passes totaling over 100 yards from quarterback Lynn Dickey by halftime. Packers defensive end Alphonso Carreker sacked Buccaneers quarterback and future Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Steve Young a then team record four times. It was Young's second game in the league after he left the USFL.

Game conditions

Green Bay player Preston Dennard described getting to the game,

"There was a big, heavy snow 4-5 inches on the ground. Roads in my neighborhood were packed — I couldn’t get out.

"My neighbors came out of their houses and dug about an eighth of a mile so I could get out and go to the stadium; the main roads were plowed,” he recalled. “There were about 20 people out there — I’ll never, ever forget that." [http://www.observer-online.com/articles/2008/01/19/sports/sports1.txt Think it’ll be cold in Green Bay today? It gets even more brutal in Buffalo] ; Rio Ranchero Observer; Gary Herron; Retrieved March 26 2008]

Tampa Bay wore their white "away" team jerseys, which were difficult to see during the whiteout conditions. Coaches and commentators had difficulty seeing the field. Between plays, grounds crew workers swept snow off the lines marking the field.

Dennard, a wide receiver, described catching the football,

"I think it was pretty close to 20-below. It was snowing — you could barely see past 15 yards. All you knew is coming out of the mist of the snow and the white mist, you would see the ball come out of the white. You knew what the route was and you knew the direction of the ball."

References

* [http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2005/09/20/7/ Remmel: Packers vs Bucs]
* [http://www2.jsonline.com/packer/news/feb02/19960.asp Carreker's play never lived up to hype] "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel", February 13, 2002.

ee also

*Ice Bowl
*Fog Bowl
*Mud Bowl
*Instant Replay Game
*4th and 26