There is nothing normal about the “International Series” games that the NFL puts on. That is part of the intrigue and interest in these games. American Football is being played in football/soccer stadiums, at a very different time than usual in front of fans of both teams, as well as those just fans of the NFL in general.
When the Cleveland Browns face off with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, fans will be getting up early in Ohio and Minnesota to watch the game. The weather is expected to vacillate
between sunny and cloudy, but no rain is currently in the forecast.
Interestingly, neither team was allowed to have access to the stadium prior to Sunday. Earlier in the week, special teams coordinator noted that he was unsure why that decision was made, but noted the Browns have a lot of experience kicking with unique wind situations with Hungtingon Bank Field right on Lake Erie.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t unique. Kickers and punters will have very little time to figure out the field conditions and wind impact on their kicks. As of now, two hours from kickoff, neither team has had its kickers on the field, but one side (the one painted for Cleveland) has significantly more wind than the other:
The International Series has a lot of differences for NFL teams. For Browns vs Vikings, how the kickers deal with the unknown elements will be something to watch and something that could impact the outcome of this Week 5 matchup.
