The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens are set to make an unusual NFL trip to Rio de Janeiro for their Week 3 game, with neither team scheduled for a bye before its next contest. Dallas will become the first NFL team to travel at least 5,000 miles for a game and then play the following week, according to cbssports.com.
The Cowboys’ flight from Dallas to Rio covers about 5,220 miles, putting the round trip at roughly 10,500 miles. Baltimore’s flight covers 4,781 miles, and the Ravens also are scheduled to play in Week 4 without an additional break.
The teams’ next games are already set. Dallas will visit the Texans, while Baltimore will host the Titans. The Rio game is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. local time, with Rio one hour ahead of Eastern time.
The teams are expected to begin their return journeys after midnight, and the Cowboys’ flight home will take more than 10 hours, potentially putting the team back in Dallas near noon on Monday.
Other NFL teams that have traveled comparable distances during a season previously received extra time before their next game. The Rams flew about 5,456 miles to London last season and then had a Week 8 bye. The Rams and San Francisco 49ers traveled more than 7,800 miles to Australia for a Week 1 game and had at least 10 days before their next games.
Earlier Brazil games also took place in Week 1, giving those teams additional rest before Week 2.
