One of the toughest aspects of the Rams’ 2020 schedule is the number of games they’ll play on the East Coast. They have five games against teams in the Eastern Time Zone, four of which will kick off at 10 a.m. PT. That’s the dreaded early kickoff for West Coast teams, having to adjust to the time difference after a long flight to begin with.
The Rams will try to limit the travel impact on their first two East Coast games by staying in the area between their Week 2 and 3 matchups with the Eagles and Bills – both of which kick off at 10 a.m. PT – but it’ll still be a difficult adjustment.
It’s not something that has bothered the Rams much since Sean McVay took over in 2017, though.
In the last three years, the Rams have played four games in the Eastern Time Zone that started at 10 a.m. PT. In those games, they’re a perfect 4-0 and have scored at least 30 points in each game.
They’ve also outscored their opponents 148-70 in those games, allowing fewer than 25 points in three contests. Here’s how each of those games went:
- 2019: Rams defeat Falcons 37-10 in Week 7
- 2019: Rams defeat Panthers 30-27 in Week 1
- 2018: Rams defeat Lions 30-16 in Week 13
- 2017: Rams defeat Giants 51-17 in Week 9
The Rams were coming off a bye before that Giants win, which did probably help them adjust to the time change. However, it’s clear McVay knows how to get his players ready for early starts and to minimize the impact of traveling across the country.
In 2020, the Rams will face the Eagles, Bills, Redskins and Dolphins all on the road at 10 a.m. PT. Each of those games are in the first half of the season for L.A. while the team won’t leave the Pacific Time Zone after Week 11.