NFL games affected by severe weather or natural disasters

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NFL players are used to playing through some of the roughest weather conditions. 

Whether the temperature is below zero or there's a lot of precipitation in the area, games will be played as long as the stadium is still usable and fans can safely attend.

Over the years, games have been rescheduled to different dates or different locations if needed. If a stadium is not playable, games are often relocated to the opponent's stadium or a completely neutral site that could include a college venue or a nearby NFL stadium.

While severe weather has interfered with NFL preseason and regular season games, not once has an individual game in the playoffs been affected.

Let's take a look at some NFL games that have been impacted due to severe weather and natural disasters:

1989: San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake forced the 49ers to take on the Patriots on Oct. 22 at  Stanford University's Stanford Stadium.

1992: New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins

Hurricane Andrew caused the Sept. 6 Patriots-Dolphins opening-day game showdown to be rescheduled to Oct. 18.

2003: San Diego Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins

Due to the 2003 Cedar Fire, the Chargers-Dolphins Monday Night Football game was relocated to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. on Oct. 27.

2004: Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Miami Dolphins

The Titans-Dolphins opening-day game scheduled for Sept. 12 was moved to Sept. 11 due to Hurricane Ivan.

The Steelers-Dolphins game was also impacted that year because of Hurricane Jeanne, delaying the game by 7.5 hours.

2005: New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed Louisiana Superdome. The first home game for the Saints was moved to their opponent's stadium, the Giants. The Saints played the rest of their season split between the Alamodome in San Antonio and Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium.

That same year, the Chiefs-Dolphins game was moved up by two days (Oct. 21) because of Hurricane Wilma. The Chiefs had to travel the same day they played, which goes against the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, requiring the visiting team to arrive at least 24 hours before kick-off.

2008: Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Texans-Ravens Week 2 game was rescheduled twice due to Hurricane Ike with the game ultimately being played in Week 10, giving the two teams their byes at the beginning of the season.

This switch forced a change in the Texans-Bengals game, moving it forward from Nov. 9 to Oct. 26.

2010: Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

A severe storm in 2010 caused the Vikings' stadium roof to collapse, causing their game against the Giants to be postponed a day and relocated to Ford Field in Detroit.

A week later, the Vikings-Bears game was moved to TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota and the rest of the Vikings' season consisted of road games. 

The roof ended up being replaced with U.S. Bank Stadium.

2017: Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 affected the preseason match-up between the Cowboys-Texans. The Texans decided to cancel the game altogether to create more time to get back to Houston instead of playing the game in Dallas until the storm passed.

The Dolphins-Buccaneers showdown scheduled for Sept. 10 was rescheduled to Nov. 19 due to Hurricane Irma.

2021: Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers

The Cardinals-Saints preseason match-up on Aug. 28 was canceled due to Hurricane Ida. The Saints' regular season opener a few weeks later was then moved to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

 

2022: Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills

With multiple feet of snow heading toward Buffalo, the NFL moved the Week 11 game between the Browns and Bills to Detroit's Ford Field. The game was held at the same date and time as schedule, just a few hours west and, most importantly, clear from weather under a dome.

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