Something fans might not be aware of...

[feldspar]

The Bills are flying out to London TONIGHT, right after the Bengals game. The same day.

I tried to stress this before, but how big of a distraction can the league hand you? Heading off to a freakin' different continent right after the game...

[coastal]

They're champs though... champs handle things like this.

[Captain gameboy]

Meaningless.
People in all professions do it all the time.

Its a few hours more than a west coast trip.

[feldspar]

It's a distraction big-time, asswipes.

Teams playing prior to going to London are 6-16 against the spread. You wanna make some money? Bet against the team that is about to go to London the following week.

Not an excuse, just a fact.

[HHURRICANE]

The distraction is Rex Ryan.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

but aren't the jags doing the same thing? seems like the situation should be a wash

[Ginger Vitis]

but aren't the jags doing the same thing? seems like the situation should be a wash

You're missing Feldspars point. And the Jags lost today

[Historian]

Doesn't affect hockey players....

[OpIv37]

Question: why did they have to fly out tonight? They could have flown tomorrow or Tues and still had plenty of time to get over the jet lag and do local press/publicity stuff.

[Mr. Pink]

How is this an issue?

How does it affect next week's game?

Doesn't Jacksonville have to fly out there too?

[EricStratton]

Two weeks ago the Fish and Jets flew out on Thursday after practice. Why is the NFL asking the teams to spend the whole week there?

[feldspar]

Question: why did they have to fly out tonight? They could have flown tomorrow or Tues and still had plenty of time to get over the jet lag and do local press/publicity stuff.

I have no idea.

I also have no idea why everyone seems to want to completely blow off the point. It's a relevant enough point. Guess they're still not over today's game. Any football game is a momentous occasion for these guys that hit each other all day...then they have to worry about flying out to London the same day. They ain't landing until early tomorrow morning.

If you notice, everybody playing in London has a home game the previous week, and they have their byes after the London game. There is a reason for that. It's not nothing.

I wonder how that stream is going to work next week early in the morning for the Jags game....that's never been tried before.

[feldspar]

How does it affect next week's game?

Doesn't Jacksonville have to fly out there too?

It affects THIS WEEKS game, Pink

Read.

[swiper]

It affects THIS WEEKS game, Pink

Read.

You mean they would suck less if they didn't have to fly to London tomorrow?

[Mace]

They'll win in any case. They just can't play with the big kids, and Jacksonville has a seat at the kiddie table.

[RedEyE]

This all stinks of Rex Ryan. Party first - study second. I actually just imagined them flying out of Buffalo, slapping the butts of topless stewardesses, joking loudly about "nerds" all the while an 80's sax riddled montage blares in the background.

Rex is giving this team some extra time to enjoy themselves overseas. Win or lose this was all planned before the today's game. It's Buffalo Bills party time in London.

[Mr. Pink]

It affects THIS WEEKS game, Pink

Read.

How did it affect this weeks game?

Is the entire team sitting there thinking, oh man we're going to London after this, I hope the game is over quickly?

[ct bills fan]

How does this affect the one of two FA WRs they have to sign? Btw, make sure they have a passport

[feldspar]

Man, some of you people are just plain stupid maybe.

[MillsapsBillsFan]

I think the bigger question is why are they flying out to London tonight? Is the NFL making them or did they decide to?

None of the rest of the NFL teams have flown out the night after their game. If it is a distraction and they had the option its the teams fault in the first place

[Captain gameboy]

I have it on pretty good authority that the Kelly Bills did a lot more distracting things on Sunday nights after home games than sleep on an airplane.

This travel thing is way over rated as an excuse.

I'm sure Brooks wasn't worried about it, causing him to look like a fool while taunting a punt returner for no reason, or the whirlpool king, Marquise Goodwin, was worried about the trip and decided to pull a face mask, or that our front four disappeared.

I've done a few of these pro sports charters for NBA teams. These guys will be sound asleep by level off.

[feldspar]

Dumb.

[feldspar]

Look, it's not nothin...all I'm saying.

We got beat fair and square today, but that's no reason to ignore the point. This is a case where you have to plan next week's game before you even play THIS week's game. When teams do that, they sometimes call that trap game, only this time it's done out of necessity because of the schedule.

[DraftBoy]

Look, it's not nothin...all I'm saying.

We got beat fair and square today, but that's no reason to ignore the point. This is a case where you have to plan next week's game before you even play THIS week's game. When teams do that, they sometimes call that trap game, only this time it's done out of necessity because of the schedule.

The theory behind a trap game is that a team is caught overlooking a lower opponent as they look forward to next weeks big game against another top opponent. It's not talking about a team that has a longer than usual travel schedule ahead of them.

I would be interested to know why the Bills are flying out now v. tomorrow or Tuesday? I do wonder if the 9:30am kickoff has more to do with it than anything else.

[DraftBoy]

The theory behind a trap game is that a team is caught overlooking a lower opponent as they look forward to next weeks big game against another top opponent. It's not talking about a team that has a longer than usual travel schedule ahead of them.

I would be interested to know why the Bills are flying out now v. tomorrow or Tuesday? I do wonder if the 9:30am kickoff has more to do with it than anything else.

Also the Bengals are one of the top teams in the AFC, if we got caught overlooking them because of travel then we need to fire the entire staff and forfeit the rest of the season. The focus for the coaches and players should of only been on Cincy. They have Football Ops people that take care of travel items.

[OpIv37]

I have no idea.

I also have no idea why everyone seems to want to completely blow off the point. It's a relevant enough point. Guess they're still not over today's game. Any football game is a momentous occasion for these guys that hit each other all day...then they have to worry about flying out to London the same day. They ain't landing until early tomorrow morning.

If you notice, everybody playing in London has a home game the previous week, and they have their byes after the London game. There is a reason for that. It's not nothing.

I wonder how that stream is going to work next week early in the morning for the Jags game....that's never been tried before.
Ive had the same concern about the stream ever since I first heard about it.

[stuckincincy]

Also the Bengals are one of the top teams in the AFC, if we got caught overlooking them because of travel then we need to fire the entire staff and forfeit the rest of the season. The focus for the coaches and players should of only been on Cincy. They have Football Ops people that take care of travel items.

Of course.

[feldspar]

The theory behind a trap game is that a team is caught overlooking a lower opponent as they look forward to next weeks big game against another top opponent.

You're right.

[Captain gameboy]

By the way, the flight planned time was 6 hrs and 9 mins. Buffalo to Heathrow.

[k-oneputt]

I'm sure they will survive.

More importantly I'm sick of watching d-linemen drop into pass coverage, EJ Manuel continue short arming routine NFL passes, stupid penalties, and our wr's always injured.

[Mike]

How did it affect this weeks game?

Is the entire team sitting there thinking, oh man we're going to London after this, I hope the game is over quickly?

There is a well known psychological phenomena. When an in-group member (person, friends, fam, team) makes a mistake it's because of 'external' circumstances (the weather, the game in London, refs, bad luck, etc). When an out-group member (strangers, enemies, the Pats) makes a mistake it's because of 'internal' reasons (this is who they are).

In this case, Bills lost today because of London while the Jags lost because they suck.

[alohabillsfan]

Well, someone wants to appear to be the smartest kid in the room, and that's just not true!

[feldspar]

In this case, Bills lost today because of London...

Nobody said that.

[Buddo]

In one of his PCs, Ryan alluded to them having been planning for the London game for months. I'd assume that included the decision to fly out immediately after the last game. I doubt anyone forced them to do it, it was the way they decided it should be done. Probably to do with the fact that the team hasn't had to do it before, so would need more time to get it all figured out once they arrive.

If, for argument's sake, they played there again next year, they may well then decide to not fly out until later.

[jamze132]

Question: why did they have to fly out tonight? They could have flown tomorrow or Tues and still had plenty of time to get over the jet lag and do local press/publicity stuff.

Because Rex wanted his team to party on the long ass flight coming off of a great win against an undefeated team. But that didn't happen...

[gebobs]

I think the bigger question is why are they flying out to London tonight? Is the NFL making them or did they decide to?

None of the rest of the NFL teams have flown out the night after their game. If it is a distraction and they had the option its the teams fault in the first place

Because Rex Ryan decided it would be better to fly west.

BTW...wtf is going on here?

17545

[feldspar]

I think the bigger question is why are they flying out to London tonight? Is the NFL making them or did they decide to?



Apparently, it was the Bills' choice to fly out to London the same night of the Bengals game. The Jaguars won't arrive in London until Friday morning.

Here is what a sleep specialist had to say about that:


The Jacksonville Jaguars have made a crucial mistake in their London game against the Buffalo Bills even before getting on the plane, says a sleep specialist who has worked with professional sports teams for several years.

"Jacksonville is going to lose this game," says W. Christopher Winter, who just completed his seventh training camp working with the Oklahoma City Thunder. "My guess is: pretty badly."

His reasoning: the Jags decided this year to arrive in the United Kingdom on Friday morning, two days before kicking off against the Bills. Buffalo landed here Monday, giving the team nearly a full week to get acclimated to the five-hour time change.

"They'll have a lead of four days?" Winter says. "Bet the farm on Buffalo. That's absurd. Why did [the Jaguars] do that?"

...more

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sleep-specialist-forecasts-bills-victory-after-looking-at-jags--london-travel-plans-144518876.html