Weather could play a factor as Browns face the 49ers

The weather for this afternoon’s game between the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers at Huntington Bank Field is shaping up to be a factor for the two teams.

The early forecast called for rain and possibly even snow, which in theory would have favored a “cold weather” team like the Browns more than the California-based 49ers. But it now appears that any sort of precipitation is off the table with the latest forecast calling for just a 2 percent chance.

But the teams will still need to contend with the elements as it is still going to be windy along the lakefront, with sustained wind at 27 mph and periodic wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph throughout the afternoon.

The NFL world has descended on Cleveland for the afternoon in anticipation of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders making his first home start, and a report this morning from NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe showed just how bad the wind is at the stadium:

The last time the Browns played in poor conditions came in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, a game that Cleveland won in easy fashion behind a solid defense and three rushing touchdowns from Quinshon Judkins.

And while the Browns have Sanders at quarterback this time instead of Dillon Gabriel, head coach Kevin Stefanski said the wind may not impact his quarterback, given the conditions he played in at Colorado:

“Yeah, he played in Colorado. That’s a lot of wind that you’re going to get. You’re going to get all sorts of weather. So he’s good to go.”

Even if the weather may not be as bad as originally thought, the high winds could make it a good day to take the under of 35.5 if you are in a betting mood.