Rain, Snow, Heat...So What?

[benjapage]

aside from kickers, what (and how much) do you think these variables influence the flow of a game?

are there conditions that demand running or passing? favoring the defense? why and how great are the effects?

b

[dave416]

Rain, Snow, etc. favors the running game, and a slow, ball control type game. It also favors the offense since the defense must react to offensive decisions and moves.

[Mercer Boy]

Remember last year in Week 15 when SD played Cleveland during a horrendous snowstorm? Drew Brees should have been a great play against the Browns, but a lot of guys (smartly) used another player because of the horrid conditions.

Had Brees not thrown a 78 yard TD to Antonio Gates, his final line would have been something like 3/5 passes for 7 yards and 0 TD's. They used LT and Chatman all game after the 1st quarter. Anyone needing big numbers from Brees probably got burned there.

That was a perfect example of how the elements can affect a player's stats. Another one would be the "Fog Bowl" that the Eagles and Bears played quite a few years ago. I think both QB's had 4 INT's in that game.

[maddog60]

Snow and rain favor defenses and affect mostly passing attacks. Mainly, it favors defense because it's harder for skilled players to utilize the advantage they have in usually being more agile than defenders. Also, it makes fumbles and interceptions a lot more likely to occur.

[Mercer Boy]

Snow and rain favor defenses and affect mostly passing attacks. Mainly, it favors defense because it's harder for skilled players to utilize the advantage they have in usually being more agile than defenders. Also, it makes fumbles and interceptions a lot more likely to occur.

Yeah, domes generally don't do that...unless you're playing against Brett Favre.

[tomkatt]

In my experience, cold snowy conditions can really hamper your QB. I'm a little leary about heading deep into the season with Brady & Plummer as my two QB's. I can just see them both having to play in horrid conditions the same week, and me missing or getting bumped out of the playoffs cuz of it.

[benjapage]

the agreement here seems to be that passing attacks are limited by bad weather. however, there seems to be some disagreement regarding the affect on the overall offense.

do the slip n' slush heavily deter a defense's response? are fumbles/picks that much more likely?

i'm only persistent about this query because i hear so many people self-assuredly talk about the weather in discussing a match-up. the effects of the weather still seems to be somewhat unclear.

bucs and jets are due for 100% rain today. so, sit joey galloway because the passing attack will suffer? or start him because he'll be wide open when he makes a cut, and his defender won't be able to keep up with him?

b

[chchelse]

Although it seems to be of the opinion of most posters here that slippery conditions favor the defense. I have heard that these conditions favor WR as the DB's are not able to react to the WR's moves (and often slip or fall on) leaving the defense susceptible to very long gains. I feel as long as visibility isn't a problem, slippery conditions favor the offense, especially WR's...........