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As is usually the case in January, climate could play a major position in what occurs throughout Sunday evening’s AFC wild-card showdown between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers within the first weekend of the NFL playoffs.
Whereas the temperature is slated to be at or barely above freezing, sturdy gusts of wind are anticipated all through Sunday evening, which might be performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The wind is anticipated to select up considerably nearly an hour earlier than the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Each groups might face winds ranging between 20-23 mph all through the sport.
Clearly, sturdy gusts of wind might make kicking and throwing the ball a a lot more durable project.
From a kicking standpoint, Sunday evening’s climate could profit the Chargers, who’ve one of many NFL’s greatest subject purpose kickers in Cameron Dicker. Dicker, whoever, is used to kicking below a roof in delicate climate Southern California, so it will be attention-grabbing to see how he does tonight if he’s requested to kick towards a powerful wind.
By way of the offenses, it seems that the Patriots are extra ready to deal with such situations. New England was sixth within the league in speeding in the course of the common season and was fourth in landing runs. The Patriots’ speeding assault has been led by the duo of rookie TreVeyon Henderson and veteran Rhamondre Stevenson, who rushed for a mixed 1,514 yards and 16 touchdowns in the course of the common season.
The Chargers additionally aspire to run the ball, however accidents on the operating again place have prevented Jim Harbaugh’s group from being a dominant operating group. The group misplaced Najee Harris to a season-ending harm again in Week 3 and was with out rookie first-round decide Omarion Hampton for half the season after he too sustained an harm. Hampton (ankle) has been labeled as questionable for Sunday evening’s recreation.
If Hampton cannot go, Los Angeles will as soon as once more should depend on Kimani Vidal, who rushed for a team-high 643 yards in the course of the common season. The Chargers have additionally acquired stable contributions on the bottom from quarterback Justin Herbert, whose 498 yards on the bottom this 12 months had been a profession excessive.
Relying on how the wind is blowing, the winner of tonight’s kickoff might play a key position within the consequence. If there’s a sturdy wind blowing in a single course, the group that wins the opening kick could elect to kick with the wind on the again, much like how the Giants famously took benefit of the sturdy winds throughout their NFC title recreation win over Washington 39 years in the past.
Satirically, the Giants’ defensive coordinator that evening was Invoice Belichick, who was the Patriots’ coach the final time New England gained a playoff recreation. The Patriots want to snap their seven-year drought with no playoff win on Sunday evening.
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