Colts Are Among the NFL’s Teams Traveling the Fewest Miles During the 2020 Season

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

According to CBS Sports’ John Breech, the Indianapolis Colts are among the NFL’s teams that will be traveling the fewest miles as part of their 2020 regular season schedule—as the boys in Horseshoe Blue will travel just the 28th most miles (8,772 total travel miles for 5th fewest in the league):

2020 NFL Travel Miles

(Road games where team travels more than 2,000 miles in parentheses)

1. Seahawks: 28,982 (5)

2. Chargers: 22,228 (3)

3. Rams: 22,004 (4)

4. Dolphins: 21,183 (3)

5. Raiders: 20,967 (1)

6. 49ers: 20,368 (2)

7. Bills: 20,066 (2)

8. Cardinals: 19,456 (2)

9. Cowboys: 19,286

10. Patriots: 19,266 (2)

11. Broncos: 18,148

12. Jets: 17,246 (2)

13. Giants: 15,928 (2)

14. Chiefs: 15,782

15. Buccaneers: 15,766 (1)

16. Jaguars: 15,234 (1)

17. Eagles: 14,890 (2)

18. Texans: 14,514

19. Saints: 13,954

20. Redskins: 13,650

21. Vikings: 12,836

22. Panthers: 12,648

23. Packers: 12,316

24. Falcons: 12,214

25. Lions: 10,166

26. Bears: 9,928

27. Titans: 8,994

28. Colts: 8,772

29. Bengals: 7,516

30. Browns: 7,342

31. Steelers: 6,600

32. Ravens: 6,420

Not only are the Colts benefiting from being in the ‘Crossroads of America’ in the friendly Midwestern state of Indiana, but the franchise doesn’t have to travel too far all things considered to play the members of the AFC North and NFC North respectively—for the vast majority of their out of AFC South divisional play.

Is total miles traveled actually relevant?

Well, Breech wrote:

“The team that travels the fewest miles has averaged 9.8 wins per season over the past six years, which is how long we’ve been tallying travel miles. On the other hand, the team that travels the most miles has averaged just 4.8 wins per season over the past six years. Also, the team that travels the most miles hasn’t made the playoffs a single time over that span, which isn’t great news for the Seahawks.”

“Although flying seems pretty simple these days, flights of over 2,000 miles still seem to have a negative effect on road teams. In the 15-season period from 1997-2011, teams that traveled 2,000 miles or more for a road trip had a winning percentage of just .398, according to Grantland.com. On the other hand, teams that traveled 1,000 miles or less for a road game had a winning percentage 32 points higher at .430.”

In that sense, it’s better for the Colts to be closer to a ‘homebody or hermit’ than world traveler—when it comes to traveling most NFL regular season miles.

With one of the NFL’s projected easiest schedules and very little travel (at least in the grand scheme of things), the Colts definitely have some variables working in their favor ahead of the 2020 season—for an improved team that’s hoping to win the AFC South and return to the playoffs.

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