The New England Patriots are headed into a much hotter setting for Week 3, and their trip to Jacksonville will break a run of cooler-weather football. Sunday’s road matchup with the Jaguars is expected to start at about 83 degrees, which would end the Patriots’ streak of not playing in 80-plus-degree conditions since a game in Miami last September.
NFL Weather projects the temperature to reach 85 degrees during the game. There is also a slight chance of rain showers in the second half, though humidity is not expected to rise above 30%. Wind gusts could reach 11 mph, with the real-feel temperature staying in the 82-83 degree range throughout the day.
That’s a noticeable change from New England’s first two games this season. The Patriots opened with a loss in Seattle in 74-degree weather, then beat the Steelers in Foxborough last Sunday with kickoff temperatures of 63 degrees.
Even with the heat, the forecast looks manageable from the Patriots’ side. Jacksonville already dealt with tougher conditions in its first game of the season, when the Browns had to play in 90-degree weather with humidity in the 60s and lost 34-10.
For New England, handling the conditions starts before kickoff.
“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.”
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