The New England Patriots have not played in 80-plus degrees since a game in Miami last September. That streak will come to an end on Sunday: their Week 3 road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is projected to kick off at around 83°F.
According to NFL Weather, temperatures will climb to 85°F during the game while there is a slight chance of rain showers in the second half. Humidity, however, is not expected to exceed 30%. There will be wind gusts of up to 11 mph with the real-feel temperature hovering
around 82-83°F all day.
For the Patriots, this marks a change compared to their first two games of the season. Both their season-opening loss in Seattle and their win over the Steelers in Foxborough last Sunday were played in comparatively moderate temperatures of 74°F and 63°F at kickoff, respectively.
Despite the increased heat, the forecast is still relatively favorable from a New England perspective. Jacksonville’s first opponent this season, after all, had to play in 90-degree weather with humidity in the 60s; the visiting Browns lost that game 34-10.
The Patriots leaving Florida with a different result in hand starts with preparing for the heat both mentally and physically.
“Have to be hydrated. Get an IV,” defensive tackle Milton Williams said on Thursday. “I’m going to put a hoodie on now for practice. … I try to make myself get accustomed to the heat a little bit more, but I feel like if you’re hydrated, you should be all right.”
Kickoff between the Patriots and Jaguars is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.
