Inside The Vikings

More Notes on Vikings Schedule: Rest Differential, Travel Miles

Thanks to Brian Burke of ESPN, we have a few logistical notes on the Vikings' 2020 schedule.
Will Ragatz|
More Notes on Vikings Schedule: Rest Differential, Travel Miles
More Notes on Vikings Schedule: Rest Differential, Travel Miles

The Vikings' 2020 regular season schedule came out last week, and I've spent plenty of time since then analyzing the opponents and matchups. I ranked every game from easiest to toughest, and also made detailed predictions for every game.

But there's more to a schedule than just who you're playing and where you're playing them. There are all kinds of other details that teams look at, such as short weeks, primetime games, travel schedules, and much more.

Thanks to Brian Burke of ESPN Stats and Info, we can observe some of those logistical items as they relate to the 2020 Vikings. A big one is travel. No team wants to be flying all across the country, as that can throw off your preparation and have other undesirable effects. Luckily, the Vikings are just 21st in travel miles this season at roughly 13,000.

The lack of travel miles is a good thing, but one thing that Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer might not be pleased about is the Vikings' rest differential. In two key late-season games against NFC opponents, the Vikings are playing on a normal week while their opponent is coming off of a bye week. The Cowboys have a bye before facing the Vikings in Week 11, and the same is true with the Buccaneers heading into their Week 14 matchup.

Those two games are the main factors in the Vikings having the sixth-worst net rest differential of any team.

And while the Vikings don't have to travel much, neither do their opponents.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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