Packers’ Travel Woes Hand Cardinals a Surprising Homefield Advantage
Homefield advantage is taking on a whole new meaning for the Arizona Cardinals as they prepare to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. Typically, discussions about travel fatigue focus on teams crossing time zones, but the Packers are grappling with an additional challenge this week.
Travel Delays Plague the Packers
The Green Bay Packers experienced significant travel disruptions when their team plane was delayed for nearly six hours due to mechanical issues. The team was forced to wait for a replacement aircraft from Detroit, ultimately arriving late last night. As a result, players and coaches are likely facing a challenging situation, running on less sleep than usual ahead of their critical matchup against the Cardinals.
The Impact of Sleep on Performance
Research indicates that travel fatigue can heavily influence a team’s performance, especially when crossing time zones. A study from the National Library of Medicine highlights that home teams win approximately 56.6% of the time against intra-time zone rivals, while away teams secure victories only 43.8% of the time—a statistically significant difference. This trend becomes even more pronounced when teams experience additional travel setbacks, such as the Packers are currently facing.
While this data suggests the Cardinals could have an edge, it doesn’t guarantee an easy victory at State Farm Stadium.
Packers Still a Force to Reckon With
Despite the challenges, the Packers remain formidable opponents. Currently leading the NFC West with ambitions for a Super Bowl run, Green Bay boasts a well-rounded squad with strengths on both offense and defense. In contrast, the Cardinals have struggled recently, losing their last four games by a narrow margin of just nine points combined.
Arizona will be without star quarterback Kyler Murray for a second consecutive week, adding to the uncertainty. Meanwhile, Packers running back Josh Jacobs is listed as questionable, further complicating the matchup.
“Green Bay is a really good football team, and they are well-coached,” said Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the Packers’ elite talent across all three phases of the game, stating, “They generate explosives on offense and don’t give them up defensively. They can rush, cover, and stop the run well. Offensively, they run it well and throw the ball over people’s heads. It’s a big-time challenge that we’re looking forward to at home.”
As the Cardinals prepare to host the Packers, the combination of travel fatigue and a motivated home crowd may impact the outcome of this crucial matchup.
