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| Photo: Deseret News |
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
According to Kristian R. Dyer at Giants Wire, the New York Giants will not have to travel too far in the upcoming season, which could bode well for their chances on the field.
Statistics reported by John Breech at CBS Sports show that the Giants will travel a total of 15,162 miles for road games in 2016, excluding their October 23rd matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, which will be played in London, England. The Giants' total mileage is 22nd most in the NFL. The Rams ranked #1 in the league in total miles, at 37,072, while the Pittsburgh Steelers will travel the least at a paltry 5,138 total miles. See the entire list below.
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| Graphic: CBS Sports |
Citing Breech's statistics, road teams that traveled more than 2,000 miles only went 8-16 in those games, a winning percentage of only 33.3% last season, while teams that traveled 1,999 miles or less, went 109-120 in those games, for a much higher winning percentage of 46.6.
The Giants' game in London is their only road trip over the 2,000 mile threshold this season, and that game is a wash, because the Rams, who are designated as the home team, will have to travel even further, from Los Angeles.
The Rams will have four road trips over 2,000 miles (not include the game in London) as will the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Most of the league isn't playing on the west coast, so it's not surprising that those three teams will travel far, more often.
Ironically, had the Rams not moved from St. Louis to LA after the 2015 season, they would've saved themselves over 20,000 miles of travel, not including the London game. In 2016, the "St. Louis Rams" would have traveled only 17,026 miles, and 25,406 miles with the London game thrown in.
If recent trends keep up, it could be a long first season back in Los Angeles for the Rams, and perhaps they'll start second-guessing their move from the midwest.
The Giants, on the other hand, can only hope that these trends keep up. The Giants haven't even sniffed the playoffs since winning Super Bowl XLVI after the 2011 season. Last year, their defense was the worst in the NFL, and they're hoping an offseason overhaul can turn all of that around. They've also handed the reigns to rookie head coach Ben McAdoo, after 12 seasons with Tom Coughlin at the helm. McAdoo has been credited with making the Giants one of the most explosive offenses in the league, in his two seasons as offensive coordinator. With so much uncertainty surrounding the team, a light travel schedule could be just what the doctor ordered. We'll have to wait and see.
Luckily, we won't have to wait long. With Memorial Day on the horizon, Summer is here and training camps are right around the corner. Check back with The Monday Morning Quarterback for continuing NFL coverage, because it's always football season here.
