Pack your bags, the Ravens will be out West for extended stays this year.
Head Coach John Harbaugh announced after Thursday's mini camp practice that the team will set up temporary headquarters outside of Owings Mills for two of their western road trips, one in the second week of the regular season and the other in the seventh.
After their regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 13, the Ravens will fly to California and stay in San Jose, an hour south of Oakland, where they will play the Raiders on Sept. 20.
Then, after the Ravens’ Oct. 18, Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens will fly directly to Arizona, where they will stay in Phoenix before playing the Cardinals on Monday Night Football on Oct. 26.
The details of the practice locations for each trip are still being finalized.
That means the Ravens will be on the road for nine straight days between Week 1 and Week 2, then 11 days between Week 6 and Week 7.
The reason why Baltimore wants to do this is limit the back-and-forth cross-country flights that take a toll on players’ bodies and mess with their sleep cycles. It allows players to get adjusted to being on west coast time.
The Ravens will also take up temporary residence in Philadelphia during the preseason. They’ll stay in Philly Tuesday night through Saturday before their second preseason game on Aug. 22. That includes three days of practice (Wednesday-Friday) with the Eagles.
