A First-Hand Perspective on How NFL Teams Approach International Travel

As the NFL continues to add more international games to its regular season schedule, coaches and executives are looking for the secret sauce to guarantee optimal performance in these overseas clashes. After getting an in-person look at the Los Angeles Rams dismantle the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-7 at Wembley Stadium this past weekend, utilizing a radical 24-hour “turn and burn” approach, the league could see more teams opt for quick visits when playing in international games. 

During my time as an analyst with the Jaguars, I have made several trips to the United Kingdom to watch the team participate in the NFL’s London Games. Given the team’s experience and success overseas (7-6 record before the 2025 contest), the Jaguars were viewed as experts in how to handle the logistics around an international game. The team would travel over early on game week to acclimate to the time change and conditions in London. 

Fans arriving at Wembley Stadium for Rams-Jaguars showdown.

This year, the Jaguars traveled on Monday afternoon to arrive in London on Tuesday morning. The team adhered to their regular practice schedule, which included practices on Wednesday (first- and second-down emphasis), Thursday (third-down and two-minute), and Friday (red zone), followed by a Saturday morning walk-through. By sticking to a familiar routine overseas, the Jaguars hoped the players would quickly acclimate to the conditions, resulting in a strong performance on game day. 

Meanwhile, the Rams opted for a bold strategy that required the team to stay in Baltimore following their Week 6 game against the Ravens before flying to London on Friday evening for a Saturday morning arrival. Although the unorthodox approach would create a 24-hour “turn-and-burn” for the Rams, the benefits of establishing an East Coast training camp would be twofold: refining their fundamentals and fostering camaraderie and chemistry, especially for a team nearing the midpoint of the season. 

As a veteran of the London Games as a member of the Jaguars’ radio broadcast team, I have utilized both itineraries on my visits. The traditional schedule, with the team arriving early in the week, allows players to settle into a foreign land. The opportunity to maintain their weekly routine is sensible for coaches who believe a consistent practice structure will lead to A-plus performance due to repeatable habits forged on the practice field. 

Rams player Cobie Durant greets fans before the game.

The former NFL player in me loves that approach because most good players are creatures of habit who embrace the monotony of a weekly routine that rarely changes, regardless of situation or circumstance. Moreover, players appreciate the training camp atmosphere of international games, which allows for uninterrupted time spent with teammates. 

While professional sports are played by a collection of grown-ups playing a kid’s game with “team-first” principles that were initially taught by their youth football and high school coaches, the real world makes it hard to forge a family dynamic within a locker room littered with husbands, boyfriends and fathers who are juggling those demands, while attempting to carve out a lucrative career as a player and chase championship success as a teammate. 

The extra time spent together under the supervision of coaches who are touting togetherness and selflessness as part of their team-building strategies, the midseason overseas trip gives them another opportunity to create a winning culture that produces positive on-field results. 

The Rams take the field for their London matchup against the Jaguars.

Since joining the Jaguars’ radio broadcasting team in 2021, I have seen the team capitalize on the international trip to get back on track down the stretch. Despite suffering a 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos in Wembley Stadium in 2022, Doug Pederson credited the extended stay with helping the Jaguars post a 7-2 mark the rest of the way to claim a playoff berth. The Super Bowl-winning head coach told me that the time the team spent away from family in a foreign land led to deeper bonds, better chemistry, and more camaraderie among the team members. 

Given the positive impact on the 2022 team, the Jaguars elected to play two London Games on back-to-back weekends in 2023 and 2024 to take advantage of a midseason “training camp” created by the 10-day travel stint. Though the extended stay did not spark playoff runs for those teams, the potential to reboot the season with an international trip provides the team with a chance to reset, refocus and refine their fundamentals while bonding as a team. Given the numerous benefits of the midseason minicamp, the extended stay plan seemed like a no-brainer to me. 

However, the Rams’ stellar performance on Sunday has forced me to rethink my position based on how well business was handled on a 24-hour trip overseas. The effort, energy and focus from the Rams suggested that they were adequately prepared and ready to go. Additionally, the superb execution from Sean McVay’s squad reflects the habits reinforced through practices at Camden Yards. 

At a time when every coach is looking for an edge, the “turn-and-burn” strategy at the end of a week spent on the East Coast could provide the perfect balance for a squad looking to take advantage of a rare team-bonding opportunity without the unnecessary toll of a lengthy overseas visit. After watching the Rams successfully pull off a 24-hour visit, executives and coaches will copy the blueprint to improve their chances of winning an international game. 

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars fell short this time around in London.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.