WEATHER REPORT

How weather will impact this weekend's NFL games

Seth Livingston
Stephen Uzick
Oct 26, 2018, 3:17 pm
Antonio Brown and the Steelers will have to deal with rain. Joe Sargent/Getty Images

As we head into Week 8 wind will be the issue of the day on Sunday.  While it does not make for as much entertainment as rain and snow do it arguably has a larger affect on games than any other condition. The wind blowing across the central plains on Sunday may even be enough to disrupt the seemingly unstoppable Chief’s offense.  Keep reading to see which games this week will see the most weather impacts.

Jets @ Bears – Rain will be passing through the Chicago area Sunday morning but by kickoff most of it should have moved out, however a few lingering showers early are not totally out of the question. The main issue here though will be wind.  Winds are forecast to be at about 20 mph with some gusts up to 30 mph which will likely put a damper on some deeper passes as well as the kicking game.

QB: ↓

RB: ↑

WR: ↔

TE: ↑

K: ↓↓

Broncos @ Chiefs – Sunday looks to be a beautiful day in Kansas City but this game has made this list because of the wind. For the past couple of days models have been showing winds potentially gusting up to 40 MPH, however today they have backed off some and brought wind speeds down to about 20mph with gusts to 30. Given what was shown a little earlier this week though I wouldn’t rule out some stronger winds that push 40 MPH.  Winds that high will pose a huge issue for kickers and the passing offense. Patrick Mahomes may have a cannon of an arm but even his deep throws will probably be affected with that kind of wind.

QB: ↓↓

RB: ↑↑

WR: ↓

TE: ↑

K: ↓↓↓

Browns @ Steelers – A good ol’ cold and wet AFC North battle here.  In case you forgot, the first meeting between these teams this year was played in a rain storm and thanks to missed field goals ended in a tie.  Well here we are for Round 2 and it looks like rain will be present again. While it should not be a heavy and consistent as the rain was during their first game it will likely still be a bit wet.  On top of that temperatures will be in the mid 40s, making for a rather raw afternoon. It will probably be more miserable for the fans in the stands than anything but the cold temperatures and possibly wet field could have a negative impact on kicking.

QB: ↔

RB: ↑

WR: ↔

TE: ↑

K: ↓↓

 

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

MONEY TALKS

Evaluating the 3 worst current Texans contracts

Paying a kicker 17 million dollars? Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Head coach/general manager Bill O'Brien engineered questionable moves during the off-season that already have come back to bite the Texans in the butt. Fans have yet to see the Texans on the right track, at least on television for now. Here are the top three, or bottom three, contracts that have Houston raising eyebrows, shrugging shoulders, and shaking heads.

Randall Cobb: 3 years, $27 million

The 30-year-old wide receiver has been quiet so far this 0-2 season with seven catches for 82 yards. New offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is favoring "12 and 21" schemes which render Cobb the third option behind Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks. This could change now with Fuller nursing a hamstring injury sustained against the Ravens. To be fair, with no preseason games or extended practice, Cobb has not had time to build chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson. So let's mark him, "bad contract," but jury still deliberating.

David Johnson: 3 years, $39 million

Johnson has carried the ball 22 times for 111 yards. Normally, these would be acceptable, even commendable stats. However, Johnson carries the burden of being involved in the trade that sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona. BTW, Hopkins in tearing it up in Arizona with 22 receptions for 219 yards. Also, more evidence condemning Johnson's contract, the Texans could have made a run at Leonard Fournette (17 carries for 108 yards) or Adrian Peterson (21 carries for 134 yards), both chewing up more turf for less money.

Whitney Mercilus: 4 years, $54 million

Here's another 30-year-old who was being paid big and producing little. He was MIA against the Ravens with no tackles and no sacks, despite being on the field for 70 percent of the Ravens snaps. Mercilus was able to squeeze the Texans for huge money last year when he picked up the workload of injured J.J. Watt.


Honorable Mention

Ka'imi Fairbairn: 4 years, $17,650,000

Fairbairn is the third highest-paid kicker in the NFL. Fairbairn had a rough start against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, missing an extra point and a deep 51-yard field goal attempt. Meanwhile, up in Dallas, Greg 'The Leg' Zuerlein is being paid half of what Fairbairn makes, but knocking them down from the logo, including a last-second, game-winning field goal to beat the Falcons. Former Texans kicker Randy Bullock is enjoying greater success in Cincinnati for considerably fewer dollars, too. Fun fact: Fairbairn is paid more than most Texans secondary defenders.


But really, the worst, and most regrettable Texans contract of all might be Bill O'Brien's deal- 4 years, $20 million.

texans nfl houston texans

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome