2011 NFL Schedule Changes: Hurricane Irene Moves Jets-Giants Start Time

As Hurricane Irene, the biggest storm to hit the East Coast in decades, makes its way north from pounding the living crap out of the Bahamas, NFL officials are preparing themselves for adjustments that need to be made.

The annual preseason Jets-Giants showdown was scheduled to take place Saturday at 7 p.m., slightly before Irene is supposed to hit the Big Apple, but it's been moved to 2 p.m. according to the New York Post.

The Giants are the host team — and therefore responsible to make the changes to the schedule — and owner John Mara said he was moving the game up to ensure the fans could get home safe from the newly christened MetLife Stadium.

New York and New Jersey have already declared states of emergency for their...um...states, and Irene is the first Hurricane to hit the area since Hurricane Floyd did billions of dollars of damage up and down the East Coast in 1999. Heck, even Atlantic City is canceling bus rides into the casinos, so you know they're freaking out.

The game should be over near 5 p.m., which is more than enough time for fans to get home — or in a safe area — before the storm is expected to make landfall late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

For updates on the Jets and Giants, visit SB Nation New York, Gang Green Nation and Big Blue View.