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There is a debate over what "football weather" is. Some fans would argue that a cloudless sunny day that is in the mid-70s with blue sky beaming down would be the perfect football weather.
There is a wide contingent of football fans who swear that the best football weather is horrid conditions with snow blowing and the wind whipping. Teams have enough trouble battling each other, and then they have to manage the elements.
While football in the snow looks pretty, players are slipping and sliding all over the place, and nobody is able to play up to their potential. The 2026 AFC championship game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots started with good but cold weather, but snow began falling in Denver in the second half. The weather forced fans to watch some ugly football as neither team could move the ball, and both teams missed what would normally be relatively easy field goals.
While the game was ugly down the stretch, it still produced some crazy photos and videos thanks to the snow. Here are some of the best highlights from the snowy 2026 AFC championship game between the Broncos and Patriots.
MORE: How did the Patriots beat the Broncos to reach Super Bowl 60?
Best photos, highlights from AFC championship game
The Broncos and the Patriots warmed up with sunshine, and then even at kickoff, it was just cloudy. As the first three quarters progressed, it got cloudier and colder. Then, in the third quarter and through the fourth quarter, the wind picked up, and it began to snow. This set up a wild difference in pictures from the start of the game.
What a difference a quarter makes 😅 https://t.co/0drxVfLado pic.twitter.com/rJhjZJKMR3
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026The snow and wind combined for a deadly combo for kickers down the stretch. There were four total missed field goals in the game.
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026While it was tough to see players in real-time, some of the photos show just what the players had to deal with. It likely didn't help that the Patriots were wearing all-white jerseys.
Let it snow ⛄️ pic.twitter.com/g2FvkLCbt8
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026MORE: How Drake Maye's rushing led Patriots to Super Bowl berth
The elements played a factor as Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson slipped going to receive a hand-off and Drake Maye had to adjust and just go down for a loss of yards because of it.
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026During TV timeouts, snowblowers were deployed to try to clear the area where the next play was going to be snapped and close by yard lines.
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026MORE: Explaining Patriots' "T-Strong" shirts
CBS tried to counter the weather by superimposing yard lines on the field. This didn't work because the players would glitch through them and disappear. Because they were wearing white, the Patriots players became even more difficult to see.
CBS is going with digital yard lines in the snow, and that's only leading to more chaos with players disappearing. 🏈📺🌨️😵💫 #NFL pic.twitter.com/4jeg23tlHc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 25, 2026At times, it looked like the Broncos were playing against themselves on the broadcast.
Mad conditions in Denver for the AFC Championship game in the NFL between New England Patriots & Denver Broncos. The Patriots players are almost in camouflage against the snow on the pitch.
#DENvsNE pic.twitter.com/SFO0mLrV3Z
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