The Week 10 opener between the Falcons and Panthers is expected to be wet. The weather is going to affect this matchup between these NFC South rivals as the remnants of Hurricane Nicole move into the Carolinas. In particular, wind and rain are the predicted obstacles that these teams will have to deal with on Thursday.
WCNC Charlotte predicts winds will pick up as the game progresses and are expected to run between 15-25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. As it specifically relates to wind, the Reed Apartment tower has affected the way winds flow through Bank of America Stadium and has caused more wind inside the stadium than before it was erected.
As far as rain is concerned, there will be waves of heavy rainfall. The first outer bands of the storm are expected to arrive between 5 and 8 p.m. local time and then the heaviest precipitation will move in by 10:00 p.m. local. As WCNC notes, there will be some breaks between bands, but weather is expected to be a factor in this head-to-head.
Of course, this storm will affect the passing and kicking game especially considering the wind. So this could create some interesting decisions from both Arthur Smith and Steve Wilkes when it comes to deciding to potentially kick field goals or keep the ball out of the air and get it done in critical situations.
For those tracking the total for this game, it has dropped significantly throughout the day as the forecast clears up. On Tuesday night the total was 44.5. By midday, that had dropped to 43 and currently sits at 41.5, dropping a full three points in less than 24 hours.
