The first game between the Bills and Patriots this season was dictated by incredible winds swirling around Orchard Park in early December, highlighted by 50+ mph gusts.

Three weeks later second meeting had cold temperatures, but the skies were clear and things remained dry in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 

Round three Saturday night might be the new low, literally, with temperatures expected to be in the single digits.

"It'll be just so cold," wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. "My fingers get cold. Toes get cold."

"It'll be a challenge," quarterback Josh Allen said. "It's not fun getting hit in the cold. It's not fun catching hard passes in the cold. Getting off the ground is a little more exhausting throughout the course of a game."

"Your adrenaline is pumping early in the game anyways, but I think once that kind of wears off, everyone starts to feel the cold, and it's a different type of ballgame," safety Micah Hyde said. "It hurts a little more when it's cold. That ball is frozen so receivers hands may be frozen so that ball might pop up in the air a little bit. There's more emphasis on getting to the football and being around the football because you never know what could happen."

"It's not a crazy difficult thing to overcome, but early on especially it can be tough and you got to get over it," Allen added.

Some players on the Bills have more experience in extreme cold than others. Hyde spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Green Bay.

Diggs' five years with the Vikings included annual trips to face the Packers as well as a full season away from their home dome.

"This doesn't compare to the Minnesota cold," Diggs said. "I don't really be complaining too much because Minnesota was really cold. Like -21 on a regular basis. So I'm not too much of a complainer. And I played in one of the coldest games in history. When we played in the playoffs verse Seattle at the Minnesota Gophers stadium. It was like negative-something. So this ain't nothing. I'll be alright."

**That playoff game Diggs refers to is recorded as being -6 degrees with wind chills of -25 degrees.**

​It could be argued the most important player on the Bills who needs to acclimate to the elements is Allen, who admits he does struggle with keeping parts of his body warm.

"I don't know why I got bad circulation within my feet," Allen said. "My toes get really cold and they go numb a little bit. So it's keeping those suckers as warm and dry as possible. As well as the hands. Obviously that's a big emphasis for quarterbacks. You need your hands to throw. So keeping those extremities as warm as possible. I'm not a big sleeve guy. I think it hurts in the run game in terms of holding onto the football. I've learned that throughout the course of my football career. So on the sideline, sitting on the benches and trying to stay as warm as possible."

Sean McDermott's tried to prepare his team this week as best he can for what's in store Saturday night.

"I believe in getting out where you're going to play the game," McDermott said. "To be in that environment as much you can all the while trying not to put too much physiological stress on the players too early in the week and trying to balance that as well."

The Bills held a walk thru Tuesday inside their field house. Wednesday they practiced indoors once again, but turned off the heat and opened the doors to drop the temperature.

Thursday they followed their usual routine of holding their final practice of the week inside Highmark Stadium.

McDermott added that the equipment staff has been making the footballs for practice colder in hopes of replicating as best they can what it will be like Saturday night.

Those preparing to reel in Allen fastballs ready for the results.

​​"Hands might need an ice bath after the game, but we'll be ready," tight end Dawson Knox said with a smile.

Then there's just the simple plan as explained by longtime Bill defensive end Jerry Hughes.

"Spend some time outside," Hughes said. "Take off the pants. Get in some shorts. Enjoy that weather. Really embrace it. Get your feet in the earth. Let your toes touch that cold soil."

The team not the only ones physically and mentally preparing for being out in the elements Saturday night.

Bills Mafia attending the game doing the same, though they can add more layers, bring warmers of all sorts, as well as fueled for the frigid differently that those actually participating in the game.

"We also question the inebriation level of some of these people," center Mitch Morse joked. "I think the chef from the Titanic, he jumped off and survived because he was so drunk. So you think that maybe some of these people are just blasted."

But just like the game itself, sometimes there's been enough talk and it's time to just let it play out.

"I think it's so funny how we try and find a narrative in these weeks," Phillips said. "Look, the weather's completely out of our control. Who gives a s--t if it's cold? Let's just to play football! If it's 4 degrees, if it's 9 degrees, if it's 20 degrees, it doesn't matter. Let's just play the game."