The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens are set to play in Rio de Janeiro during Week 3, creating an NFL travel situation neither team has previously faced.
Dallas will travel about 5,220 miles each way and will not have a bye before its next game, making the Cowboys the first NFL team to fly at least 5,000 miles for a game without an extended break afterward.
Baltimore’s flight to Rio will cover about 4,781 miles, and the Ravens also are scheduled to play in Week 4. The Cowboys will visit the Texans, while Baltimore is set to host the Titans. The game in Rio is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. local time.
Because Rio is one hour ahead of Eastern Time, the teams may not leave Brazil until after midnight. The return flight to Dallas is expected to take more than 10 hours, which could put the Cowboys back in the area close to noon on Monday.
The NFL’s earlier long-distance trips were followed by additional rest. The Rams traveled 5,456 miles to London for a Week 7 matchup with Jacksonville last season and had a bye in Week 8. The Rams and San Francisco 49ers each flew more than 7,800 miles to Melbourne, Australia, for a Week 1 game and received at least 10 days before their next contests.
The league has previously played two games in Brazil, but both were held in Week 1, giving those teams additional time before Week 2. Before the Cowboys’ upcoming trip, the Broncos held the record for the longest flight without a following bye, traveling 4,670 miles to London in Week 6 before facing the Giants in Denver in Week 7.
Denver won both games, 13-11 against the Jets and 33-32 against New York, but failed to cover the spread in either matchup.
