Third coldest ever game makes NFL history

Sunday's temperatures were -21C (-31C wind chill) at kick-off - making it the third coldest ever game.

Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a last-gasp field goal to give the Seahawks a 10-9 win and set up a play-off game with the Carolina Panthers.

Free hand warmers and coffee were handed out to fans before the game.

Walsh said he was the "only one" who "didn't do my job", adding: "I can tell you this - it's my fault. I don't care if you give me a watermelon, I should be able to put that through."

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer agreed, saying: "It's a chip shot, he's gotta make it."

How cold was it?

The coldest NFL game in terms of air temperature was 1967's 'Ice Bowl' between Green Bay and Dallas, which at kick off was -25C (-44C wind chill).

Supporters were encouraged to bring blankets and "styrofoam, cardboard or newspapers to place under their feet" to prevent prolonged contact with the concrete.

The Vikings said it was the coldest game in their history - beating the previous record from 3 December 1972, when the air temperature was -18C and the wind chill was -28C.

The Vikings are currently playing at TCF Bank Stadium, home of the University of Minnesota's football team, while a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome, their home from 1982 to 2013, is under construction.

(BBC)