5 NFL games in which the weather was a key participant.
MIAMI – After the first game of the NFL season started with fans being told to shelter inside Arrowhead Stadium ahead of the Ravens vs. Chiefs game due to nearby lightning, the same could happen for Week 2’s Thursday Night Football game in Miami.
On Thursday, the Buffalo Bills will take on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, and moisture from Francine could cause scattered thunderstorms in South Florida near the time of kickoff.
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Francine formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and will bring life-threatening impacts to Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf Coast states through the weekend.
The NFL’s 32 football teams are scattered throughout the country. Because of their locations, climates around the country can influence the way football games are played.
Forecast for Bills-Dolphins game and fantasy football implications
Miami kicker Jason Sanders may have to contend with slick conditions in the roofless Hard Rock Stadium, after nailing a 52-yard game-winning field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Tyler Bass, Buffalo’s placekicker, is no stranger to inclement weather, now in his fifth season kicking for the Bills.
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Showers and thunderstorms are possible during the 8:15 p.m. ET start, and while wind might not necessarily be a factor, one could hope that both teams were practicing wet-ball drills leading up to the matchup.
FOX Weather’s Future Radar shows storms at the start of the Bills-Dolphins game in Miami on Thursday.
(FOX Weather)
The first half looks to have the highest chance for showers, but rain will taper off by midnight as fans head home for the night.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for an impressive 336 yards in the Week 1 game versus the Jaguars, but his throwing yards could be less impressive should the showers hinder his passing game. Checkdowns will be crucial for Tagolvailoa, especially utilizing the Cheetah himself, Tyreek Hill. Wednesday’s announcement of Raheem Mostert out for Thursday’s game, De’Von Achane will likely be RB1, pending his questionable status.
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For Buffalo, quarterback Josh Allen is coming off a shiny 30-plus point fantasy game with four touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. And while he’d be a no-brainer start for any fantasy team in Week 2, Allen is still building rapport with his new receivers: rookie Keon Coleman and veteran Curtis Samuel. With rain in play, Buffalo may rely more heavily on running back James Cook or Allen himself, who collected two more rushing touchdowns in the opener.
(FOX Weather)