Sunday’s Patriots-Steelers game in Foxboro is shaping up as a weather story before it ever becomes a football one.
The 1 p.m. kickoff at open-air Gillette Stadium comes with a gloomy forecast hanging over it. AccuWeather’s Foxboro afternoon outlook is especially rough, while the Boston Globe’s weekend desk gives the first half a fighting chance.
The Globe says Sunday morning should stay dry, with showers building through the afternoon and temperatures in the mid-60s under clouds. It also says the game could remain dry into the fourth quarter before rain arrives after sunset.
Other forecasts are leaning wetter. WeatherBug’s Foxborough page for September 20 calls for a 70 percent chance of showers and a 62/54 split. AccuWeather is even more aggressive, listing a 90 percent chance of precipitation Sunday afternoon with a high near 62.
Boston Weather Consulting didn’t sugarcoat it either. “Looks like Sunday is pretty close to a complete washout,” the account posted. “Eastern areas may get lucky and not see steadier rain until the afternoon, but overall a pretty crappy day.”
That matters because Gillette has no roof, and this is the kind of September rain that can turn a game into a slog. Slick turf, wet footballs and special teams mistakes can take over fast if the front hangs around. Patriots-Steelers could end up being more about ball security than ball placement.
Mike Vrabel was already talking about Pittsburgh’s defensive edges before the weather became the headline. “They’re going to be big inside, they’re going to be long and active on the edges,” he said.
“Defensively, if you better don’t take care of the edges, it’s going to be an issue. Strip sacks, interceptions.
Heyward and Watt have probably 64 PBUs in the last five years, and that’s pass rush PBUs. Their ability to create ball disruption even if they don’t get there.”
That warning carries extra weight with Drake Maye coming off a three-interception performance in a 13-10 Week 1 loss to Seattle. A wet ball won’t make life easier for a quarterback who already had trouble against the Seahawks.
The forecast could still shift, and Thursday models are notorious for changing the story. But for now, Sunday in Foxboro looks messy.
Pack a jacket. Expect the ball to get heavy.
In Other News...
Deone Walkers Rise Is Creating A Big Bills Decision
Deone Walker has gone from intriguing young piece to a player the Bills have to keep thinking about every week. The second-year defensive tackle has turned heads since the start of the 2025 season with disruptive play, and his work carried into the playoffs and the early part of 2026, where he kept showing the kind of pass-rushing ability that changes the feel of a defensive front.
For Buffalo, the question is no longer whether Walker belongs in the conversation. It is how long the Bills can wait before they start planning beyond his current deal, which runs through 2028. When other NFL players and scouts are taking notice this early, the front office has a decision to make about whether to simply enjoy the rise or move to lock it in sooner. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Win Got Overshadowed By A Pregame Criticism Fans Will Debate
The Bills 41-31 win over the Lions at Highmark Stadium should have been the main takeaway from a busy Week 2 Sunday, but Breiden Fehoko managed to inject a different kind of conversation before kickoff. The defensive tackle went to Twitter to voice frustration over the Canadian national anthem being played before the game, turning a pregame ceremony into an unexpected point of debate for fans already focused on Buffalos first home stretch of the season.
The football still delivered plenty for the home crowd to talk about, with Buffalo handling Detroit in a game that fit the early-season tone of a team trying to establish itself before the schedule stiffens. But the anthem complaint lingers as one of those side stories that can follow a team for a while, especially when the win itself comes with enough momentum to keep attention on the Bills and an AFC picture that also includes Joe Burrows Bengals looming on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Bills 2-0 Start Is Hiding A Defensive Issue Jim Leonhard Sees
The Bills 2-0 start has mostly been a showcase for Josh Allen and an offense that has carried the early conversation, but the first two weeks have also left enough behind the scenes for the defense to keep checking itself. Under new defensive playcaller Jim Leonhard, Buffalo has shown flashes of sharp execution mixed with stretches where the unit has given up too much yardage and too many points, the kind of unevenness that can get buried when the record is perfect.
Leonhard has already put a label on the problem, calling the defense boom or bust, and the challenge now is turning that into something steadier before the season gets deeper. The Bills know the margin for error shrinks quickly, and Leonhards push has centered on emotional stability and cleaning up penalties, two areas that can decide whether this defense settles in or keeps living on the edge. [Read more 🡒]