The last time the Cleveland Browns were on the road, they beat the Buccaneers in a game featured a second-half downpour followed by a two-hour delay for lightning nearby. They know a bit about weather issues, clearly.
On Sunday in Week 5, the Browns will head to the Meadowlands to face off against the Jets, a 1-3 team that is more dangerous than their record would indicate–New York has been in mostly tight games this season, and their overall point differential is just minus-8. (The Browns are minus-14.)
It’s a game that the Jets could very well make into a slog, with a slow pace to keep things close. And it appears they will get some help from Hurricane Isaias on that account.
Hurricane Isaias Should Dump Rain in the Second Half
The hurricane made landfall as a category 2 storm this week, and has pressed up the gut of the Southeast in recent days. That has taken some of the bite out of the storm, but by the time it gets to New Jersey on Sunday, it will still carry gusty winds (12-20 mph) and increasingly heavy rains.
According to The Weather Channel, the rain is expected to start around 9 a.m. ET, four hours before kickoff. It should turn into heavy rain by 2 p.m. and it is likely the second half of the game will be waterlogged.
Browns Running Game Must Step Up
The poor weather should put more of an emphasis on the running game, which has been an issue for the Browns all season. They’ve rushed for 375 yards this year, which is 23rd in the league, and just 3.7 yards per carry. It’s an issue for the Jets, too, as the team is without star back Breece Hall and is averaging 3.4 yards per carry, which is 30th in the NFL.
Browns coach Todd Monken said it would be best for the Browns not to be overly concerned about the conditions: “It’s kind of weird to say that. The hurricane in New York, it just kind of feels weird that that even gets said. I don’t know, rain, a little bit of wind, I mean, what are you going to do? Spot the ball, let’s go play. It’s the way it is.
“And all we can control is what we do the next 48 hours, we’ve worked on wet ball. We’ve worked as if, even in training camp, you try to get out there when it’s raining to get used to it, and then you got to go play and you have got to function on the road, and just the way it is.”
Browns Facing Hurricane Isaias Trouble in Week 5 vs. Jets