The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for a massive NFC showdown against the Detroit Lions in a matchup of Super Bowl contenders in prime time.
In the hours leading up the kickoff, though, a weather warning was issued for the Philadelphia area as strong winds blow through on Sunday, Nov. 16. The passing game for both teams could be at a significant disadvantage given the high winds expected on Sunday night.
The Athletic penned a column looking at the impact of high winds and precipitation on the passing game and concluded “when wind is 15+ mph, we should have a bit of a concern…Once it’s 25+, it’s a significant concern” before showing a detailed analysis of how much high winds impact the game:
- Wind 15+ mph and Clear: 430.9 combined passing yards
- Wind 15+ mph and Precipitation: 347.2 combined passing yards (-24.1%)
- Wind 25+ mph and Clear: 324.6 combined passing yards
- Wind 25+ mph and Precipitation: 293.0 combined passing yards (-10.8%, down -36.6% overall)
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Sunday night’s game between the Eagles and Lions will be subject to sustained winds over 20 mph, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service for Philadelphia/Mount Holly.
“The wind gust forecast for Sunday has been updated, and increased slightly across the board. A Wind Advisory is now in effect for portions of the area for Sunday morning into the evening,” it said.
The Lions boast one of the best rushing attacks in the league, averaging 136.3 yards per game, while owning the second-best scoring offense in the NFL with 31.4 points per game. The Eagles, meanwhile, have struggled to move the ball on offense. Despite owning an impressive 7-2 record, Philadelphia sits in the bottom 10 in the NFL in total offense.
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