The weather is often one of the elements that makes AFC North football special and this week will be no exception as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns will have to account for the weather on the shores of Lake Erie.
According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for Sunday in Cleveland is the following: “Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. High near 60. South wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.”
It has all the makings of a sloppy, low-scoring and potentially mistake-filled game. With storms starting at 4:00 PM ET, there may even be potential for a weather delay late in the game.
We are expecting a very strong low pressure system to affect the region beginning Sunday. Expect high winds, rain, isolated thunder, sharp temperature drops below freezing behind the cold front, and eventually lake effect snow. This one has the works! #ohwx #pawx pic.twitter.com/wIdKqQbLK5
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) December 27, 2025
For the Steelers offense, the weather likely only means that they will lean into the run even more. Wide receiver DK Metcalf will be serving the first of his two-game suspension and Calvin Austin III will miss the matchup with a hamstring injury. The wide receiver division of labor figures to be a mixed bag with veteran newcomers Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling featuring prominently with Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek mixing in. Roman Wilson figures to get his helmet back, and it will be interesting to see how much playing time he receives coming off three straight games as a healthy scratch.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will have no objections to a run-heavy game plan and the Steelers also figure to use all of their tight ends extensively and lean heavily on the jumbo package with Spencer Anderson. Having a veteran quarterback in Aaron Rodgers will prove valuable in a game like this. Rodgers, who played the majority of his career in Green Bay, is no stranger to playing in the elements. The Browns will be relying on rookie Shedeur Sanders to navigate their offense after losing starting running back Quinshon Judkins and while possibly missing leading receiver Harold Fannin Jr.
If the forecast proves true, it will be the second straight year that the Steelers have battled the elements in Cleveland. Last season, Jameis Winston and the Browns out-dueled Russell Wilson and the Steelers in a Week 12 Thursday Night Football game played in heavy snow. In that game, Pittsburgh out-gained Cleveland 368 to 304 in total yards and won the turnover battle 3 to 1 but was unable to stop the Browns when it counted as Nick Chubb scored the game winning touchdown with under a minute to go.
As we learned last season, the weather can always be a factor. The Browns’ rattled off six straight losses after beating Pittsburgh in the snow last season and finished with a 3-14 record. On that night, however, they were able to play spoilers. This season, with a chance for the Steelers to clinch the division potentially on the line, the Browns will look to play spoilers again in the Cleveland elements.