Todd Bowles: Cold In Cleveland? So What?
November 26th, 2022
Dealing with cold and rain.
It could be worse.
Joe remembers the old Cleveland Browns stadium. It had three or four names but was commonly called “Cleveland Stadium.” Joe had never been there for a football game but one summer after the Browns moved, Joe walked around that stadium.
It was a big horseshoe, not unlike where Ohio State plays. The wild part of that stadium was the open nd faced Lake Erie. There was nothing separating the open-end from Lake Erie outside of a very small park and lakefront sidewalks.
The winds whipping off that lake in the dead of December and January had to be hellish. At least in Green Bay and in Chicago, those stadiums were enclosed. Not so in Cleveland.
So when Joe looked at the forecast for the Bucs-Browns game to be 52 and rain, Joe thought, “Pppffftt.” Could be much, much, much worse.
And throw in the fact the new stadium is enclosed, it shouldn’t be that windy.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked about playing in raw conditions. Bowles sort of shrugged his shoulders and all but said, “It’s football weather.”
“I mean, we can’t simulate [cold] down here in Florida,” Bowles said. “We understand where we’re going and what we have to play in. Guys have played in cold weather before, so that’s not a big deal.”
And it’s not like the Bucs never practice or play in the rain. They play in Florida, after all. Rain in August and September is expected.
So clearly Bowles doesn’t want to hear any whining about the weather. And woe be it if any Bucs players try to blame bad play for it being 50 and wet.
November 26th, 2022 at 12:17 am
52º isn’t cold. Even with rain, it should not be an issue unless there’s a windchill driving the temp down much colder than that.
November 26th, 2022 at 12:43 am
It was negative 20 up here for several days. We will not see above 25 until at least April.
52 I would be wearing shorts and flip flops. With socks though(❁´◡`❁)
November 26th, 2022 at 2:57 am
Aww..come ON. 52 is damn cold in FL. It should be a nice change for our team, though. BTW, that speech from Todd to the team that they taped was pretty darn awesome.
November 26th, 2022 at 6:04 am
It was about 52 in Munich. Not much wind. Even the windmill on a hill near the stadium stopped. I joked that we might not have a working scoreboard if the winds didn’t pick up. Field was wet from morning fog. Bucs did just fine.
November 26th, 2022 at 8:04 am
52 is a spring day compared to the old days decades ago up there. Oldtimer Bucs fans remember the Bucs-couldn’t-win-if-the-temps-went-below-40-degrees days. Shudder. Glad those days are behind us!
November 26th, 2022 at 8:39 am
Mid 50s and rain. Rain will be the issue with both teams
November 26th, 2022 at 8:50 am
I’m more worried about the torn up grass than the cold.
November 26th, 2022 at 9:33 am
Cool and mud.
Sounds fun.
November 26th, 2022 at 9:40 am
How about being concerned about his terrible coaching record, that should be more important
November 26th, 2022 at 9:46 am
Bowles said you can’t simulate cold? How about you try what New England does, crank the AC in the dome and turn on giant fans to simulate the wind. Anything is better than nothing. Why do you think Brady is so good at playing in shatty weather? They simulate the game time weather in practice. These coaches do NOT make it easy for these players to achieve.
November 26th, 2022 at 10:03 am
Once these players get on the field and start running around, 52 degrees is perfect football weather. The guys on the bench that aren’t in the game may feel a little chill from standing around.
The only possibility that could affect this game is the wet balls and the kicking game. Other than that weather won’t mean much Sunday unless you have driving heavy rain.
November 26th, 2022 at 10:49 am
Advantage Bucs. If the Bucs D can stuff the run and can run at least a little themselves, cold and wet usually only affects the passing game. We have a QB who played 20 years in New England (and 4 at Michigan prior). 50 degrees and rainy is nothing to him.
Just make sure the receivers have their long cleats and sticky gloves.
Cleveland’s turf is usually very good even in bad weather. It suffered some minor damage due to some yahoo breaking in and trying to do donuts but should be good to go Sunday.
My only concern is all of the delicate hamstrings that plague us. Hope they keep them warmed up on bikes and heaters on the sidelines.
November 26th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Hey look!
Another annoying Patriots fan on JBF.
Yipee!!!
November 26th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
it will not be below 40 degrees…
we’re looking at 48 to 50 and rainy…
that’s good football weather…just ask the late great john madden