The NFL has scheduled the Dallas Cowboys for an international trip that will set a league record without a break the following week. The flight to Rio de Janeiro for the Cowboys' game against the Baltimore Ravens is about 5,220 miles, making the round trip nearly 10,500 miles. 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, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Time. Based on the schedule described by CBS Sports, the teams may not leave Brazil until after midnight. Dallas' return flight is expected to exceed 10 hours, potentially bringing the team back near noon on Monday.
In Week 4, the Cowboys are scheduled to visit the Houston Texans, while Baltimore is set to host the Tennessee Titans.
Comparable NFL travel has previously been followed by extra rest. The Los Angeles Rams flew 5,456 miles to London last season before a bye, while the Rams and San Francisco 49ers covered more than 7,800 miles to Australia in Week 1 and had at least 10 days before their next games. The two prior Brazil games were also in Week 1.
Before this trip, Denver's 4,670-mile London flight in Week 6 last season was the longest without a bye. The Broncos won both games, though they scored their fewest points of that season in London and trailed by 18 the next week before rallying.
