The Chargers left on Friday to travel to Pittsburgh. Their game against the Steelers Sunday is projected to be a chilly 50 degrees, rainy, and windy.
Sound familiar?
The Pittsburgh forecast for this weekend is almost identical to the forecast six weeks ago in Cleveland.
In Cleveland, San Diego couldn’t manage to score one touchdown.
Right now, the Bolts are in a six-quarter touchdown drought.
Sometimes, in the middle of a streak, even the slightest thing, like a change in temperature, can affect a team’s mentality.
Head coach Norv Turner says the forecast is a little more promising than when they played in Cleveland.
“It doesn’t sound to me like it’s going to be as windy [as the Cleveland game],” Turner said. “So I don’t think it will be the same issue.”
While the players are spoiled by playing eight of their games this season in almost guaranteed sunshine, they say the more times you see this type of weather, the better.
“After playing in it once you kind of know what to expect,” special teams captain Darrell Stuckey said. “And it doesn’t catch you off-guard.”
Kicker Nick Novak has to take the weather into consideration not only in the force he puts behind the ball, but also in his approach.
“The only thing for me,” Novak said. “Is just to have a really good tempo to the ball and really make sure that I have good ball contact when I strike it. You can’t attack the ball too hard when the ground’s wet.”
San Diego and Pittsburgh will square off Sunday morning at 10 AM PST.