Weather is typically a talking point in the NFL only when it’s cold outside. The Philadelphia Eagles learned last year to take the heat just as seriously.
They have a plan in place for Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs in Kansas City (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX). With the temperature at kickoff expected to be in the 90s (and humidity raising that to near 100 degrees) at Arrowhead Stadium, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer that, for the first time in the regular season, the team is going to use screens on the sideline.
“He’s actually very concerned about [the heat],” Glazer said.
That unease emanates from Philly’s 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last September.
“‘The heat really had a huge effect on us. I’ve been thinking about that ever since,'” Glazer said Sirianni told him.
Sirianni has directed his offense to sit under the screens when the defense is on the field, and vice versa. Moreover, the Eagles had a lighter practice than usual on Friday so that their legs will be fresher amid the heat, per Glazer.
The reigning champions are pulling out all the stops — and the shade — for the most anticipated game of the season.
The Eagles and Chiefs are playing for the fourth time in the past 31 months, but Week 2 will be the first of those meetings in a warm climate. (Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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