As frigid temperatures and heavy winds blow through most of the United States, this special holiday Saturday of NFL football stands to be heavily impacted. The afternoon game between the Saints and Browns in Cleveland, which is set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET, is among the games that could be quite uncomfortable.
Hours before kickoff, the Saints posted video from the field at FirstEnergy Stadium, adapting a very appropriate Michael Irvin quote: “MAN WHEN WE PLAY IN THIS COLD WEATHER WE GONNA BE COLD.”
The video, which shows a temperature of 3°, features the sound of some seriously ferocious winds whipping through the stadium. As of 11 a.m. ET, AccuWeather puts the windchill at –23°.
The conditions could have a real impact on the field, especially for players like quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Andy Dalton, who will have to throw through some powerful winds. It could also impact coaching decisions, especially in crucial field goal situations.
The conditions in the concourse and around the stadium also appear to be pretty treacherous.
With the Browns (6–8) and Saints (5–9) outside of the NFL playoff picture, both teams are largely playing for pride on Saturday. Neither team has been outright eliminated from the postseason, but they currently both sit in 12th place in their respective conferences entering Saturday’s action.
