The weather at Raymond James Stadium should be manageable when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers meet on Sunday afternoon, but the wind may end up being the biggest factor in the game.
AccuWeather’s hourly forecast points to conditions leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, and the stadium-specific outlook calls for temperatures around 77 degrees, partly cloudy skies and little to no chance of rain. Other forecasts have the game staying in the upper 70s for most of the afternoon.
The one thing both teams may need to work around is the breeze. Northeast winds are expected to sit around 15 mph, with some projections calling for gusts near 29 mph as the game goes on.
That could matter most for the quarterbacks. Rookie Jalon Daniels is set for his third straight start while Baker Mayfield remains out with a thumb injury, and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers also figures to feel the impact, especially on deeper passes where the wind can make ball placement tougher.
Special teams could be affected too. Tampa Bay’s Chase McLaughlin and Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell may have to deal with more difficult conditions on longer field-goal tries if the gusts pick up. Punting and field position could also take on more weight depending on how the wind moves through the stadium.
Rain does not appear to be a concern, so the matchup should play out in dry conditions. Even so, the wind could shape how both teams handle the passing game and the kicking battle.
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