As Green Bay weather in January goes, Sunday evening's NFC second-round playoff matchup between the Packers and Seattle Seahawks will be played under comparatively benign conditions: The forecast calls for temperatures around 20 degrees at kickoff (5:40 p.m.) with only a hint of wind and no snow.
It's the night before that might cause some issues. The forecast as of Thursday called for a gusty winter storm that could dump up to 10 inches of snow on Green Bay starting Saturday afternoon and continuing into the night before moving out early Sunday morning, well before kickoff.
Although the predicted snowfall decreased a bit in Friday's forecast, the Packers have issued a call for as many as 700 shovelers to help dig out Lambeau Field's lower-bowl seating areas starting at 6 a.m. Sunday (the upper decks, which are modern additions to a stadium that opened in 1957, feature heated areas that melt snow, and the field is warmed by an underground heating system). The job will pay $12 an hour.
The team has asked for shoveling help from the public numerous times, most recently in December ahead of a game against the Chicago Bears. It's quite the production, with a conveyor belt whisking the snow down the concourse to the field, where it's scooped into dump trucks.
The team allegedly had to start paying the shovelers in cash because people wouldn't cash the team's checks, instead taking them home and framing them.
Etc.
• Philadelphia quarterback Josh McCown tore his left hamstring before halftime in the Eagles' wild-card playoff loss to Seattle on Sunday, he told the ThomaHawk podcast. The Eagles didn't have any more quarterbacks active, so the 40-year-old McCown kept playing. He faces surgery and will need about six months to recover.
• Kansas City could be missing defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf) and tight end Travis Kelce (knee) against Houston on Sunday.
• New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels interviewed with Cleveland for its head coaching position. He is the eighth candidate to be interviewed.
