(WWJ) - While the weather has certainly played a major role during the NFL's Wild Card playoff weekend, it will be the least of anyone's worries when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to Detroit this weekend to face the Lions in the divisional round.
That's because Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions since 2002, is a domed football stadium -- but this fact appeared to escape one Tampa Bay reporter on Tuesday when asking Bucs head coach Todd Bowles how his team will prepare for the dangerous cold currently gripping Detroit.
"Looking forward to Detroit, the weather has been a factor in some of the playoff games, even for the most prepared teams. Today, it’s 13 in Detroit,” the reporter began. “Any special plans to acclimate the team to not only endure, but perform in those kind of frigid temperatures should you face them in Detroit?”
Bowles paused for a few moments before responding: "You do know we play indoors, right? They got a dome."
He then cracked a smile before raising his eyebrows and looking around the room, visibly perplexed by the question.
"I don't, uhm -- no, nothing panned," Bowles continued. "We're indoors and we only have to be outside for 20 seconds getting off the bus going under the thing, so we'll be OK."
Prior to moving to downtown Detroit, the Lions played for 37 years inside the Pontiac Silverdome in Oakland County, which featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure.
Detroit has been playing professional football indoors since 1975. The Lions are one of ten NFL teams who play in an indoor stadium with a dome or retractable roof, which include:
• State Farm Stadium - Arizona Cardinals
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta Falcons
• AT&T Stadium - Dallas Cowboys
• NRG Stadium - Houston Texans
• Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis Colts
• Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas Raiders
• SoFi Stadium - Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams
• U.S. Bank Stadium - Minnesota Vikings
• Caesars Superdome - New Orleans Saints
AccuWeather meteorologist Dean DeVore said on Wednesday morning that cold temperatures are expected to ease up Thursday as daylight highs climb into the mid-20s -- the warmer weather is expected to hold through the weekend where Sunday afternoon highs are forecasted to hold steady at 23°F.
While the temperatures will come as a welcome warmth for tailgaters and those making a long trek to the stadium -- staff, players and fans inside will be treated to a wave of climate-controlled 70 degrees inside Ford Field when Tampa Bay and Detroit kick off at 3 p.m. ET.