The Dallas Cowboys are set to make an NFL-record international trip without receiving a break the following week. Their flight to Rio de Janeiro for the game against the Baltimore Ravens covers about 5,220 miles, putting the round trip at nearly 10,500 miles.
Baltimore will travel approximately 4,781 miles from its home city to Rio and also is scheduled to play in Week 4. The Cowboys will visit the Houston Texans, while the Ravens are scheduled to host the Tennessee Titans.
The game is scheduled to begin at 5:25 p.m. local time in Rio, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Time. Based on the schedule described by CBS Sports, the teams may not depart Brazil until after midnight. The Cowboys’ return flight is expected to last more than 10 hours, which could place the team back in Dallas near noon on Monday.
Teams that previously traveled comparable distances during a season received additional rest before their next games. The Los Angeles Rams traveled 5,456 miles to London last season and had a bye afterward. The Rams and San Francisco 49ers traveled more than 7,800 miles to Australia for a Week 1 matchup and had at least 10 days before their next games.
The two earlier NFL games played in Brazil also took place during Week 1, giving those teams extra time before Week 2. Before this trip, the largest journey without a following bye was Denver’s 4,670-mile flight to London in Week 6 last season.
