Today, we break down the NFL weather report and forecast for Thursday Night Football in Week 16 and determine if any of your fantasy football players could be impacted. As always, good luck, stay safe, and let’s win the week!
NFL Weather Report and Forecast for Thursday Night Football in Week 16: East Rutherford Set for Significant Wind and Rain
The Week 16 Thursday Night Football weather report will be updated if any changes happen from the time of writing to kickoff. The NFL weather forecast for Week 16 is based on reports from the National Weather Service. All betting lines are from the NFL’s official website.
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Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets (-1.5), O/U 36.5 | Thursday 8:15 p.m. ET
The weather in Week 16 will be a significant talking point. With the NFL moving the main slate to Saturday on Christmas Eve, the bulk of games east of Chicago and into the northeast will see a significant winter storm that many in the respective areas have not seen in decades.
However, the winter event itself starts on Thursday night for many, including in East Rutherford, where I would not want to be a fan in the stands.
Rain will move into the area around noon and only increase in intensity. Given the history of the turf at MetLife Stadium, I’ll have my fingers crossed for everyone’s ligaments. Roughly an inch and a quarter of rain will fall before midnight alone, with totals during the game hitting upwards of 0.08 to 0.15 in/hour, which is a deluge.
But that’s not it. Temperatures will feel mild given the time of year and the historic cold front moving in, with expected temperatures around 49 degrees and lows around 44. However, accompanied by this front will be 14-18 mph sustained winds and gusts between 30 and 35 mph gusts that will have the rain coming in sideways at times. Chances of rain are at 100% for Thursday evening.
There is a case to be made for getting points when you can this time of year, especially knowing what we have coming on Saturday in Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, Carolina, and Pittsburgh.
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Players like Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Zonovan Knight, and Garrett Wilson are into the risky start category given the inclement weather. The passing game takes a noticeably negative downturn in expected production in conditions like this. There’s also a likelihood of increased turnovers or balls hitting the ground. For a full recommendation on starts and sits for Thursday Night Football, I covered them all here.