The Browns and Steelers will have an additional opponent when they kick off the third week of the regular season on Thursday night. Significant wind is expected throughout the game, which will be played inside Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium.
Winds are expected to be moving at roughly 20 miles per hour for the entirety of the game. The temperature will be a very cool 59 degrees at kickoff, and it is not expected to drop more than 1-2 degrees for the remainder of the evening. While rain is not expected, Cleveland was hit with significant rainfall earlier in the day.
Wind is definitely gonna be a factor tonight in Cleveland for the Steelers/Browns game. Nasty weather! @KDKA @KDKASports pic.twitter.com/onPUZTLFS9
— Ian Smith (@ismithKDKA) September 22, 2022
The weather could be a benefit for the Browns, who come into the game with the NFL's top-ranked rushing attack and fourth-ranked run defense. Nick Chubb ran for 228 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland's first two games, with Kareem Hunt contributing 104 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Cleveland will be shorthanded on defense, however, as Jadeveon Clowney is out with an injury. The Steelers, who ran for just 166 yards during the season's first two games, are hoping to duplicate the success they had against the Browns on the ground in 2021. Steelers running back Najee Harris ran for 279 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh's two wins over Cleveland last season.
Cleveland is currently a 4.5-point favorite entering Thursday's game, with the over/under set at 38 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Both teams are 1-1 straight up and 0-2 against the spread through two games.
