Dawgs By Nature
So many nuances to the NFL schedule especially around the AFC North
The NFL schedule has been released, but the number of details to review about it is almost infinite. We know that the league made it clear how low its expectations for the Cleveland Browns are and how the AFC North’s social media videos left something to be desired, except for the Baltimore Ravens.
For good teams, there are often conspiracy theories about when games are scheduled, who got what prime-time slot, where the bye week was placed and how their seasons start and finish. The AFC North has been the toughest division in football for some time, which has led to a lot of those kinds of conversations.
One thing that does not come with much conspiracy is the amount of travel each team does. Besides the international games, geography and NFL schedule rules decide how much travel a team has each year. Like most years, the teams in the Midwest often have the least, with the Cincinnati Bengals the clear winner this year:
The almost 4,000 miles between Cleveland and London (along with Pittsburgh and Dublin) pushed those two AFC North teams up the list this season. Otherwise, all four would likely be in the bottom six in miles traveled.
While the Bengals benefit in the travel department, for the third year straight, the schedule makers gave them the same strong disadvantage against the Ravens:
Is it a conspiracy theory that Baltimore seems to be favored by the NFL over Cincinnati or just a fact? Warren Sharp seems to have a clear point of view.
Do you think the Ravens are being shown favor against the Bengals once again this season? Do you think the number of traveled miles in a season actually impacts any team’s performance?
Share your thoughts in our comment section below
