The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to make what would be an NFL-record international trip without a break the following week. Their flight to Rio de Janeiro for the Baltimore Ravens game is about 5,220 miles each way. Baltimore’s trip from its home city is approximately 4,781 miles.
The game is set for 5:25 p.m. local time in Rio, one hour ahead of Eastern Time. CBS Sports’ schedule analysis indicates the teams might not leave Brazil until after midnight. Dallas’ return flight is expected to exceed 10 hours, potentially bringing the Cowboys back near noon on Monday. In Week 4, Dallas is scheduled to visit Houston, while Baltimore is set to host Tennessee.
Comparable NFL trips have included extra recovery time. The Rams flew 5,456 miles to London last season and then had a bye. The Rams and 49ers traveled more than 7,800 miles to Australia for a Week 1 game, followed by at least 10 days before their next contests.
The two previous Brazil games were also in Week 1. Before Dallas’ trip, Denver’s 4,670-mile London flight in Week 6 last season was the longest without a subsequent bye. The Broncos won both games, though they had their lowest-scoring game of that season in London and trailed by 18 points in the next game before rallying.
CBS Sports also pointed to Miami’s 2021 journey of at least 4,400 miles, followed by a London loss to Jacksonville and a later comeback from a double-digit deficit.
