Fans on the East end of Levi’s Stadium complain about the blasting sun shine on warm Sundays. Well, the players might have a complaint too. The sun seems to affect players when teams are driving to the North end of the stadium, particularly in the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter.
Against the Giants for example, quarterback C.J. Beathard threw a pass in the second quarter down the East side line while the 49ers were marching toward the South end. Wide receiver Aldrick Robinson had no idea where the high-arching pass was when he looked back into the sun. The sun’s impact is eliminated once the shadows from the looming structure containing the suites and the press box drape the entire field in shadow. That’s why it’s essential the 49ers win the coin toss to make sure their offense is aimed Southward in the first quarter. It means the team has the entire field to work with and it takes away the East sideline of the opponent.
The 49ers still have to contend with the sun in the second quarter, but only for the eight to 10 minutes until the shadow blankets the field. Watch for this phenomenon during the Seahawks’ game on Sunday, which starts at 1:05 p.m.