Often the biggest influence on whether an NFL team has success is how talented they are and how good their coaching is. It’s often that simple. However, one should never underestimate the schedule itself. It can often come down to the number of high-quality teams they face. The Chicago Bears had the fifth-hardest schedule in 2022. Couple that with limited talent on the roster and a rookie head coach; it’s little wonder they had such a rough year. One overlooked aspect that could have an impact is travel.
The longer distances a team has to cover in a given year can often impact a team’s energy reserves. Playing 17 games is hard enough. Covering 25-30,000 miles in air travel can make that much more challenging. In the Bears’ case, they may have caught a big break. Reports said for weeks that the team would likely join the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany for an international game. However, Chiefs ownership vetoed the idea, not wanting to lose the vast income Bears fans would bring to local businesses.
That decision has now led to the Bears having the third-shortest travel schedule in the NFL this season.
This could lead to a surprise run for the Chicago Bears.
The three teams with the shortest travel schedules last year were the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh managed it with a rookie quarterback starting most of the season. The Ravens did it despite Lamar Jackson missing the final five games. As for Detroit, they overcame a 1-6 start to finish 9-8. One will notice their travel schedule eased considerably during that run. Obviously, this isn’t a guaranteed ticket to a winning season. Seattle had the longest travel schedule last year and still made the playoffs.
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Still, if you’re a team in transition, this is the sort of benefit you can take advantage of if the talent level on the roster is high enough. The Chicago Bears feel they’ve made big strides in that department with new arrivals like Tremaine Edmunds, D.J. Moore, Nate Davis, T.J. Edwards, and Darnell Wright. If Justin Fields takes another step forward and more guys stay healthy, this team could surprise a lot of people down the stretch in November and December.
