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When the Cincinnati Bengals travel to South Florida for their Sunday matchup, they might find themselves battling more than just the Miami Dolphins. Hurricane Isaias is intensifying as it approaches the Gulf Coast, and its broader weather effects are raising concerns across the Southeast for this weekend's football schedule.
Miami is not currently in the hurricane's direct path, but the forecast for Sunday's game at Hard Rock Stadium still includes the possibility of rain and thunderstorms. The Weather Channel singled out the Bengals-Dolphins contest as one of several NFL games where fans should be ready for soggy conditions.
Isaias, the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, is expected to keep gaining strength before reaching the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center's Thursday forecast. The storm is projected to make landfall well north of Miami, yet its associated weather patterns could still bring wet conditions to South Florida.
On Thursday, The Weather Channel released an updated report examining how the hurricane and related systems might affect college football games on Saturday and NFL matchups on Sunday. Cincinnati's game in Miami was one of eight contests included in the report, which advised fans to bring rain gear and keep an eye on local storms.
As of now, there have been no reports of hurricane-force winds in Miami or any talk of postponing the Bengals game. For Cincinnati, which is trying to halt a two-game skid after losses to Pittsburgh and Jacksonville, the prospect of adverse weather adds another layer of difficulty to a crucial matchup.
Key Analysis
The Bengals and Dolphins are set to kick off on Sunday, October 11, at 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Current forecasts point to warm, humid conditions with a chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day. According to NFLWeather, the forecast at kickoff calls for temperatures near 89 degrees, a 27% chance of precipitation, and winds around 12 mph.
Weather issues are the last thing Cincinnati needs as it tries to snap its losing streak. The team is already coping with a slew of injuries, including to star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The absence of one or both would already complicate matters for quarterback Joe Burrow, and potential weather problems would only make the challenge tougher.
Typically, rainy and windy conditions favor the running game. However, Cincinnati has struggled to establish the run, coming off its worst performance of the season against Jacksonville, where running backs managed just 17 yards on the ground. Burrow hasn't abandoned the under-center approach, which was supposed to make the offense more versatile and spark the running game during the offseason. Through four games in 2026, the results have been disappointing. Burrow and the Bengals will aim for better balance in a game where rainy conditions could become a storyline.
Originally reported by yahoo.