Weather could play a role in Saturday's Vikings-Browns preseason game

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Cleveland Browns in their second preseason game on Saturday afternoon but the weather forecast could play a role in how the Vikings approach the game and evaluate their players.

According to WeatherForYou.com , a batch of scattered thunderstorms is expected to hit the Cleveland area around 3 p.m. ET. By the time the Vikings are scheduled to kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET, the chance will grow to about 60% with storms and rain lasting throughout the evening.

The forecast could affect the Vikings in multiple ways. With rain being likely, the field conditions in Cleveland could play a factor in how much Kevin O’Connell plays his starters and how much he wants to see from them against the Browns.

Related: Vikings: 5 things to watch in preseason game vs. Browns

It could also play a role in player’s performance as players slipping across the turf or kicking field goals into the wind – which is expected to be somewhere between 10-21 mph – could have a less-than-desired result.

The situation also happened on Aug. 1 when the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans played the first half of the NFL's Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, but scrapped the second half after a band of storms rolled through the area.

Then again, this is football and players will have to deal with the elements at some point during the season. But there’s also a chance the storms could delay the game or cancel it altogether if there is a lightning strike.

With the Vikings looking to build on last Saturday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders, they will also have to be smart as they head into their second preseason game against the Browns.