There’s nothing normal about the NFL’s international games. That could be the kind of spark the Washington Commanders need to stop their five-game losing streak against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid on Sunday.
The last time Washington played internationally — against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016 — the squad left London with a 27-27 tie. The game at Wembley Stadium devolved into a comedy of errors on a rain-soaked field. The two teams combined for an embarrassing 191 penalty yards.
That’s par for the course when the NFL takes its media circus overseas. The combination of transatlantic travel, unpredictable field conditions and rowdy crowds of international fans creates wild performances on Sundays.
NFL teams devote countless resources to preparing their travel, from the transport of tons of equipment to ensuring players can keep up their regimented routines overseas.
Despite the best efforts of team and league officials, it’s impossible to make international travel seamless.
“I’d never been more tired playing a football game than that game,” former New York Giants guard Shaun O’Hara said of his first game in London in 2007. “We were zombies. Chelsea FC opened their facility for us to practice. On the bus ride there, everybody was knocked out. It was like somebody slipped a sleeping agent into the bus.”
With both teams on equal footing regarding travel and home-field advantage, the international matchups epitomize the NFL’s “any given Sunday” parity.
That’s good news for the Commanders, who are slight underdogs in Madrid.
The Los Angeles Chargers upset the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil to open the season.
The middling Atlanta Falcons almost snatched a win over the Indianapolis Colts — who have been an early-season juggernaut — last week in Berlin. The Colts needed overtime to secure the victory.
Even the lowly New York Jets took advantage of a sloppy London game to give the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos a scare in October. At the time, New York was 0-5. Coach Aaron Glenn’s group led 11-10 in the fourth quarter despite gaining -10 net passing yards.
Denver ultimately escaped with a 13-11 victory, thanks to a fourth-quarter field goal.
There’s no single explanation behind the continued strangeness of the NFL’s international affairs. Neutral-site games typically adopt a different atmosphere. A neutral-site game overseas ups the ante, as the crowd features thousands of European fans without a rooting interest who are just thrilled to see any American football.
The spectators aren’t used to NFL action. Neither is the playing surface. Bernabeu Stadium is the usual home of the Real Madrid soccer club. It hasn’t hosted many 300-pound athletes.
The first game at a new international site requires players to adapt on the fly or risk slipping around the grass at crucial moments. Players often bring multiple pairs of cleats to overseas games so they can switch depending on field conditions.
Despite the international oddities, players with the Commanders and Dolphins said they’re trying to maintain the status quo as much as possible. Very little sightseeing is on the agenda, apart from the trip to Bernabeu Stadium — and the commutes to the practice facility.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday, “I’ve seen the hotel office that I have. … There’s a lot of things I’d like to see, but right now I know firmly where the beverages are and where the pens are and where my computer is to watch film.”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn has long advocated for the value of long trips with his squad. Before last year’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, his team spent the whole week of practice at nearby Arizona State University. The added time together strengthens the bonds in the locker room, he reckoned at the time.
Now 3-7 with a once-promising season spiraling out of control, the Commanders need those ties to hold them together.
“It’s the time together; that’s the most important thing. I wouldn’t say it’s different, but in the evenings, watching the film together, doing all of our film together where we’re maybe not even splitting up as much as groups,” Quinn said. “Sometimes the tightest, smallest meeting rooms are the best because everybody’s hearing the same word the same way.”
The Commanders are mired in a five-game losing streak, including four straight losses by more than 20 points. They need a win in Spain, according to linebacker Bobby Wagner.
“That should be all our focus. We’re going to Madrid. I’m sure it’s a beautiful city, but who cares?” Wagner said before the flight to Europe. “Don’t get caught up in where we’re at.”