The Steelers don’t really need anything else to complicate their road troubles, but they’re getting a little something extra this week against the Browns anyway. The meteorological cycles have conspired to make this game cold and especially windy: gusts over 40 mph.
Steelers vs. Browns is getting 40 mph winds to make it potentially even weirder
Antonio Brown says the wind isn’t going to change the Steelers’ plans. He’s wrong.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
The temperature at kickoff is a balmy 36 degrees, but with a steady wind at 29 mph, it feels more like 24 degrees. Never mind how cold that’s going to be for fans sitting in the stands shivering, hoping that this is the week the 0-10 Browns finally get a win. Fans in Cleveland are used to bad weather. (Oh, there’s also some occasional snow showers in the mix.)
This Sunday’s conditions are notable because they’re going to make the game conditions very difficult for the players.
Coaches and players have been preparing for it all week.
Antonio Brown said earlier this week that the wind would not be an excuse for the Steelers not throwing the ball. It might not be an excuse, but it’s going to affect the passing game no matter what. Like Father Time, Mother Nature is undefeated.
The weather has already had an effect on the odds for the game. Bookmakers clipped the over/under from 49.5 points to as low as 44.
That means expect more running the ball, which is probably good news for the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell. Pittsburgh was already favored by eight points. With the scoring depressed, that also might change.
There’s at least one silver lining for the Browns. Head coach Hue Jackson, who’s been finding the positive in an otherwise miserable season, values the experience.
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