Dolphins-Buccaneers game could be rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer
The Miami Dolphins' season opener could be rescheduled due to a hurricane. (AP)
The Miami Dolphins’ season opener could be rescheduled due to a hurricane. (AP)

The first week of the NFL season might have a schedule change, if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

The Miami Herald reported that Hurricane Irma could be hitting South Florida at about 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, which is when the Miami Dolphins are supposed to be kicking off their season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Herald reported the Dolphins are looking at all options, including moving the game up a day or two. The Dolphins moved a 2004 Sunday game up to Saturday due to a storm and they rescheduled a Sunday game to Friday in 2005 because of Hurricane Wilma, the Herald pointed out.

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If the weather forecast calls for major storms on Sunday, the game could be moved up, or perhaps back or postponed according to the Herald. The Buccaneers and Dolphins share a Week 11 bye, but moving the game to that week would mean the teams would play 16 weeks in a row and the NFL wants to avoid that. Moving the game to another city seemed “less likely” according to the Herald’s Adam Beasley.

It’s not unprecedented for the NFL to move games due to weather situations, but it is rare. The next couple days will determine if the first week of the NFL season will perhaps include a Friday or Saturday game.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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