Over a decade into the NFL's embrace of playing regular-season games internationally, opinions still vary pretty widely on just how best to handle travel during a unique week of preparation. Do you prioritize getting to the country as early as you can, in order to help your body adjust? Or do you prioritize sticking with your normal routine as much as possible, traveling later in the week so as not to disrupt practice?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have opted for the latter this week, remaining Stateside for practice on Wednesday and Thursday before taking a red-eye flight to Ireland on Thursday night in advance of their game against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin on Sunday. Head coach Mike Tomlin, for his part, told reporters that he feels “comfortable where we are right now”.
“We started our day Wednesday and Thursday about 90 minutes early," he added, per ESPN. "We encouraged everyone to get up early and then, on the other end, go to bed early. Hopefully, we’re able to stay on our feet all day [Friday] and complete the process of acclimating.”
Sounds sensible enough. There's just one problem: It seems like not every member of his team is on board with the plan — in particular his quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
"It is what it is, but if the schedule had been a little different, if I could have chosen it, maybe we get over on Monday," Rodgers said. "Tuesday is the day off. Good to get out, see some things. It's a beautiful country, it seems like, from pictures."
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Rodgers ruffled some feathers simply for the sake of it. And it's entirely possible that he just really, really wants to see whether Guinness really does taste different on tap in Ireland. (Spoiler alert: It does.) But in this particular instance ... well, it's hard to avoid feeling like Rodgers has a point, one that could rear its head on the field on Sunday.
Hard to blame Aaron Rodgers for criticism of Steelers travel schedule
What's particularly confusing about this whole situation is that the Steelers have been here before. The team's last international game came back in 2013, also against the Vikings, this time at Wembley Stadium. Then, too, Tomlin opted for a Thursday night flight after a relatively normal week of practice. Unfortunately, it didn't have the intended effect: Pittsburgh lost, 34-27, and multiple players and coaches blamed jet lag for a slow start that saw them down 20-10 at halftime.
Maybe that's just some post-hoc rationalization to try and make sense of a tough loss. (The Vikings finished 5-10-1 that season, so it's not as though there was a significant talent disparity at issue.) But it would stand to reason that jet lag might really be a factor for a team playing a professional football game just 48 hours or so after arriving in a new continent — one that comes with five- or six-hour difference in time zones.
You would think that, given the choice, it's easier to recreate a normal practice schedule in Ireland than it is to recreate a normal sleep schedule with such a quick turnaround. And the fact that Tomlin himself was concerned about the effect on his team more than a decade ago sure does make it curious that he's willing to make the same mistake again now. Far be it from me to acknowledge that Rodgers has a point here, but maybe Pittsburgh should have let him see a few sights this week after all.