Forecast Calls For More Wind For Raiders-Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - Weather is likely going to be an issue again in South Philadelphia when the 8-5 Eagles try to halt a three-game skid against the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders.

The struggling Raiders will be sporting a new look in the form of quarterback Kenny Pickett, who spent last season winning a Super Bowl LIX ring as the backup for Jalen Hurts with Philadelphia, and will get the start Sunday for Las Vegas in place of the injured Geno Smith.

Tough Test For New Raiders Starter

If the forecast holds, this will be a third straight game at Lincoln Financial Field impacted by significant winds with sustained 15 miles per hour winds during the game and gusts up to 32 MPH, which could impact the passing and kicking games.

The temperature is set to reach about 30 degrees, but the real feel is expected to be in the teens and dropping during the game. There should also be some snow on the ground, although no new accumulation after kickoff.

The past two Eagles home games – against Detroit and Chicago - were an ugly split for Philadelphia, with all three quarterbacks who played, the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, the Lions’ Jared Goff, and the Bears’ Caleb Williams, struggling to find any kind of passing rhythm.

"I learned a long time from Coach [Bill] Belichick when I was a QC [Quality Control coach] my first year. Again, I knew it when I was in college coaching and stuff, but just how important the weather comes into play,” Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said this week when asked about the looming forecast.

On the other side Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was his typical close-to-the-vest self when asked about preparation for the weather on Friday.

“You go through your process of what you do when it's going to be windy, when it's going to be hot, when it's going to be snowy, when it's going to be rainy, you name it,” Sirianni said. “We go through the process of it. That starts early in the week, and we've been doing that.

“We'll have our weekly preparation things that we do and then we'll have our game preparation things that we do as well.”

The Eagles practiced outside in the cold on Thursday but went inside Friday with one of the coaches lamenting "can we please stop with the wind games."

So far the Eagles have handled the cold weather in an acceptable fashion, also winning on the road in frigid Green Bay.

With Las Vegas arriving not only from a warm weather climate but also as a dome team, it should be advantage Eagles.

However, windy conditions tend to constrict offense more than any other weather issues like the temperature or snow and the lower the score, the more likely one bounce of the football could decide things.

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