The Cleveland Browns’ Sunday matchup with the Houston Texans remains on schedule, but a nationwide flight shutdown has added an unexpected question to the weekend: Can everyone get where they need to be?
As of Friday evening, the Browns’ official game information still listed kickoff for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Huntington Bank Field. No postponement or revised kickoff time had been identified as of Friday and the game appears to be on track.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted departures nationwide Friday following an air traffic control communications failure.
“All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice,” the FAA said in its notice.
For Cleveland, the potential impact centers on the visiting team’s trip and how long the disruption lasts.
Texans’ Travel Is the Key Question for Browns Game
The Browns are playing at home, putting Houston’s trip to Northeast Ohio at the center of the travel question. ABC13 in Houston reported that the nationwide order affected both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.
The timing of Sunday’s game offers some separation from the immediate problems facing college football.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio noted that visiting NFL teams typically travel Saturday for Sunday games. Teams also take chartered flights, which would avoid the chaos typical travelers face. However, shutdown continuing into that travel window could prevent teams from reaching their destinations as planned. NFL teams are assessing their options while it remains it’s unclear how long the grounding could last.
“We have not discussed any timeframe,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “It’s going to take some time,” he went on. “And so this isn’t going to just be resolved and turned around within the hour.”
College programs were already dealing with immediate consequences. The Associated Press reported that several teams had their travel disrupted, with some switching to buses.
Fans Could Feel the Disruption Before Kickoff
Fans flying to Cleveland could face problems even if the teams ultimately play on time. Flight cancellations and delays were already piling up nationwide Friday.
Houston Airport System urged passengers to check directly with their airlines for current flight information, the Houston Chronicle reported.
On the field, Cleveland is preparing for Deshaun Watson’s return to the starting lineup against his former team. Watson missed the loss to New Orleans, when Shedeur Sanders threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s a big opportunity for us. Get back on the winning track, especially in front of our home fans. That’s the ultimate focus. Focus on that,” Watson said. “All the outside things, going against, my former team, that stuff is in the past. Four, five years ago, yeah, it was a big deal, but now, I think both sides have moved on, and we’re just both trying to find ways to win and continue to put ourselves in position for later on down the road.”
The Browns enter the matchup at 5-4 after consecutive losses, with an opportunity to reach their bye week at 6-4.
What FAA Ground Stop Means for Browns’ Sunday Game