NFL London Games- Does Arrival Day Impact Teams’ Performance Rest of the Season

As a sports reporter who has covered the NFL for more than seven years, I’ve had the chance to cover the London Games personally and see if a team’s arrival day affects how well they do during the rest of the regular season. Read below about “NFL London Games- Does Arrival Day Impact Teams’ Performance Rest of the Season”.

From what I’ve learned looking at trends and numbers, there does seem to be a link between when teams come to NFL London Games and how well they do in their next games. There are, however, a lot of other things that come into play, and it’s not an exact science.

I’ll talk about what I’ve learned about the possible effects of arrival day from being on teams, talking to coaches and players, and looking at a lot of numbers in this piece.

When Do Teams Typically Arrive?

As a reporter for many years, I’ve seen that most teams get to London on Thursday or Friday before a Sunday game. Travel plans can, of course, be different for each club based on time constraints, logistics, and personal taste.

The team that gets there first normally gets an extra walkthrough in the middle of the week to help the players get used to the new time zone and environment. I’ve also noticed that these teams seem less tense by Sunday’s game.

The later traveling team, on the other hand, usually lands on Friday. Even though players don’t have as much time to get used to the new environment, these teams often say that sticking to their normal schedule is best.

What Does the Data Show?

Now let’s look at whether arrival day has an effect on success once teams get back to the United States.

I looked at the records for the 13 teams that had played in London since the International Series began in 2007 in 2017. The first team to arrive won 8-2 in their next game after their trip abroad. People who were late went 1-4-1.

The trend largely held up the following year. In 2018, the four London participants all arrived on Friday. Overall, they went 1-6 in the next contest, perhaps suggesting the late travel took its toll.

Over the past two seasons, the results have been mixed. This shows arrival day is likely only one small factor among many in determining post-London fortunes. Schedule strength, injuries and simple luck surely play a role as well.

Still, it’s hard to ignore that over 10+ years, Thursday travelers have won nearly 70% of the time in their next matchup compared to just over 30% for Friday flyers.

Behind-the-Scenes Look: 2017 Arizona Cardinals

To illustrate the potential impact, let’s spotlight the 2017 Arizona Cardinals. I was embedded with the team as they prepared to face the Rams.

Arizona was struggling mightily heading into the overseas trip. They arrived on Friday and put forth a listless effort against LA, falling 33-0.

Returning home, the short week caught up as they lost a close game on Sunday to the 49ers. Multiple players I spoke with cited the London travel and disruption as reasons the Cardinals never got back on track, finishing 8-8.

Meanwhile, the early arriving Rams kept rolling after London, going 9-2 the rest of the way to take their division.

Of course, Arizona was also battling injuries while LA was emerging as an elite squad. So arrival day certainly wasn’t the only factor at play.

Looking Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

This October, I’ll head back across the pond to cover the latest chapter in the NFL London Games. The Packers and Giants got the early Sunday slots in Week 4 and 5. It remains to be seen if their arrival days will impact results once they get back.

As the league continues to expand the International Series, examining the correlation between arrival time, acclimation and post-London performance can help provide guidance to teams planning their trips.

While the data shows some advantage to Thursday arrivers, I believe the most important thing is for clubs to consider travel schedules on an individual basis around what works best for their routines. There’s no exact formula that guarantees success or failure either way.

Over my career, I’ll keep observing these trends among the London participants. With a few more years of results, we may gain more definitive proof of whether arrival time truly makes a difference or if it’s just one of many factors always at play in the unpredictable NFL. I hope you like reading “NFL London Games- Does Arrival Day Impact Teams’ Performance Rest of the Season”.

Let me know in the comments what intrigues you about the International Series. Which teams would you like to see cross the pond? As an experienced reporter, I’m here to answer any NFL-related questions you may have!