The New England Patriots are headed to Buffalo this weekend, but one potential concern does not appear likely to make an already difficult matchup any tougher.
The weather.
New England will visit the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday, Oct. 4, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. And despite Buffalo’s reputation for delivering some of the NFL’s most unforgiving conditions, the early October forecast looks remarkably tame.
Sunday’s forecast calls for intervals of clouds and sunshine with a high of 68 degrees, according to the latest forecast. Winds are expected out of the south-southwest at 10 to 15 mph.
Most importantly, rain does not currently look like a significant concern.
Other forecasts are telling a similar story. AccuWeather projects mostly sunny conditions, a high of 65 degrees and just an 8% chance of precipitation in Buffalo on Sunday. An NFL-specific forecast has temperatures around 63 to 64 degrees during the game, with mostly cloudy skies and wind gusts potentially reaching 16 mph.
In other words, this does not look like one of those Buffalo games in which weather becomes the biggest storyline.
Will Weather Impact Patriots vs. Bills?
As of Thursday, there is nothing in the forecast that should dramatically alter how either team approaches Sunday’s AFC East matchup.
The wind is the one element worth monitoring.
Sustained winds around 10 to 15 mph are hardly unusual for an outdoor NFL game, although stronger gusts could become a factor on deep passes, punts and field-goal attempts. The current forecast, however, is nowhere near the type of wind event that would automatically force either offense to change its game plan.
That matters for a Patriots team trying to get Drake Maye and its passing attack back on track.
Maye is coming off a difficult afternoon in Jacksonville, where he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in New England’s 35-6 loss. The Patriots have spent the week trying to clean up their turnover problems before facing an undefeated Buffalo team.
At least for now, they should not have to solve those issues while battling heavy rain, extreme cold or the kind of swirling winds that have defined some previous trips to Western New York.
Patriots Face Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday
The Patriots enter Week 4 at 1-2 after last weekend’s loss to the Jaguars, while Buffalo is 3-0.
That makes Sunday’s divisional game an important early-season test for New England, regardless of what Mother Nature has planned.
The Patriots and Bills are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, with the game airing on CBS.
Forecasts can still shift over the final few days before kickoff, particularly when it comes to wind and precipitation. But as of Thursday, Patriots fans traveling to Buffalo can expect a relatively comfortable early-October afternoon.
For once, the weather in Buffalo may be one of the least complicated parts of the Patriots’ weekend.
Patriots-Bills Weather Forecast: What to Expect in Buffalo for Week 4