Rainy, windy conditions are in the forecast when the New Orleans Saints arrive at Raymond James Stadium for Sunday night’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurricane Eta is moving into the region, pounding the Florida Keys and sending rogue rain bands through the Gulf of Mexico coastline.
Accuweather is calling for several hours of rain and an east-northeast breeze averaging 13 miles per hour, with intermittent gusts up to around 31 miles per hour. With a high temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the RealFeel temperature accounting for humidity and wind predicts something nearer to 73 degrees. So at least it won’t be a hot and muggy evening at Tampa Bay.
It recalls their 2018 meeting, when the stadium was pounded by rain in the hours before kickoff, requiring the Buccaneers field crew to put down tarps to protect the turf. That game turned into a sloppy affair with the Saints trailing big deep into the third quarter, before a Taysom Hill blocked punt sparked a furious rally back to win 28-14.
Maybe the Saints can find more magic in their second game outdoors this season. They prepared for a mix of biting cold and strong winds a week ago against the Chicago Bears, but the weather concerns ended up being less of an issue as the day wore on. Hopefully that will prove true again on Sunday night.
