The second NFL overseas matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) and the Miami Dolphins (6-2) has left the football fans in a frenzy. Both the teams will travel across the Atlantic in Frankfurt for this showdown. This game is much anticipated for the German fans, however is a challenge for the NFL stars due to the different time zones. This is why Mike McDaniel’s squad arrived three days earlier than the defending champs to gain an advantage.
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While the Chiefs intend to treat this game like any other, Mike McDaniel had different plans. He adopted a method used by F1 drivers to travel to the venue 5-7 days before to acclimate to the new time zone of the host country.
Last year, there were a total of 22 Grand Prix between March and November, and most of them were hosted by different countries. While some F1 players learned to deal with it much like the Chiefs’ approach, more cautious players arrived at their destination up to a week in advance in order to fight jet lag and time difference.
Mike McDaniel Led Dolphins Aim to Gain an Edge
Sports and Business personality Joe Pompliano recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his perspective on how the Chiefs and the Dolphins approached their overseas bout. He added how the Phins arrived at their venue on Tuesday, 5 days before the matchup, while the defending champs arrived on Friday, only 2 days before the game.
He also brought up how the Dolphins took a similar approach to the F1 drivers and added how the Chiefs ‘winging it’ could turn out to be chaotic. As there’s a +6 hours time difference between Kansas City and Frankfurt, the team would have to sleep at 3 a.m. in order to maintain their sleep schedule. However, it’s not ideal as they have to attend the game at 2:30 PM the next day.
It's interesting to see the different approaches that the Dolphins and Chiefs are taking with travel to Germany.
• Dolphins arrived on Tuesday (5 days before game)
• Chiefs arrive on Friday (2 days before game)I've read a bunch of research as it relates to F1 travel, and the… pic.twitter.com/FpjyYEtI1g
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) November 2, 2023
While these findings may raise some concerns, NBA legend Kobe Bryant once revealed that he slept only 4 hours a night to balance his intense practice sessions and daily life. So, at the end of the day, it all comes down to the player.
Lastly, the Dolphins might have an edge, but the Chiefs have a reputation to pull through in the toughest of environments. Therefore, this highly anticipated bout will keep the fans at the edge of their seat throughout the entire game.
