3 ways NFL screwed the Chargers with 2023 schedule
By Jason Reed
3. Chargers have four early-slate road games in 2023
One of the worst travel-related disadvantages for an NFL team is being a West Coast team that has to travel East and play in the early slate. For the Chargers, these games start at 10:00 a.m. local time and create a new hurdle that the Bolts have to overcome.
The Chargers are going to be put to the test this year as they have four such games in which they are going to be playing while Chargers fans are still enjoying their coffee. Worst of all, the Chargers aren't really getting any help as all of these games are coming off of normal rest.
It starts in a really tough fashion as the Chargers have two of these games back-to-back in Week 2 and Week 3. The Bolts will be on the road to play both the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, both of which are kicking off at 10:00 a.m. local time. The first four weeks of the season will consist of the Chargers going from LA to Tennessee back to LA then to Minnesota then back to LA. That is not fun.
Then the team plays the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 11 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Thankfully, it will not be freezing cold at that point but it also comes during a stretch in which the team has to fly to New York, fly back to LA, then fly out to Lambeau.
That is followed by the team flying back home for a primetime Sunday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens. After playing late on Sunday night, the team has to hop back on a plane to fly out to Boston to take on the New England Patriots in another early slate game.
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