On January 19, 2002, the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders squared off at Foxboro Stadium for a frosty postseason matchup. In the first-ever AFC divisional round game to take place at night, quarterback Tom Brady took the field in chilly temperatures and heavy precipitation for his playoff debut.
“It started out there was a little bit of snow on the field,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told NFL Films. “Of course, by the end, you couldn’t see the lines. You could just see the pylons and the field markings.”
But the inclement weather was merely just one element of the unforgettable evening.