Carolina Panthers: Will travel time become an issue in 2020?

How far will the Carolina Panthers have to travel during the 2020 season?

Winning on the road is a pivotal part of any NFL franchise. The Carolina Panthers have their work cut out in 2020. But if they can emerge from this season with some cause for encouragement then it is going to do their long-term aspirations the world of good.

Building chemistry is going to be absolutely essential for the Carolina Panthers during the campaign. They have a young and inexperienced roster to work with. And how this particular group comes together will ultimately decide their fortunes.

Spending additional time together on road trips is a superb way to boost camaraderie within the group. It will give each roster member the chance to acclimatize themselves with their teammates and find out what makes them tick.

Barry Werner of The Touchdown Wire recently ranked how much air miles that each NFL team will clock up in 2020. The Panthers came in with the 11th least at 12,648 miles, which is still a reasonable amount for an unproven roster to deal with.

Things could be a lot worse. The Seattle Seahawks came in at No. 1 on the list with an eye-popping 28,982 miles of travel time. So from that perspective, the organization doesn’t have that much to worry about.

That being said, they must make the most out of their road games this season whatever the result. There will be plenty of rookie players learning on the job in prominent roles on the Panthers’ defense. And many of the projected starters are stepping into a role of this kind for the first time.

How much will travel time impact the Carolina Panthers in 2020?

Traveling to games is something that every NFL team has to cope with during the season. It can be looked at as an inconvenience. But it also represents a real opportunity for the Carolina Pnathers to build a cohesive unit in a more relaxed setting.

New head coach Matt Rhule is going to find out plenty about what sort of characters he is working with during these road trips. Getting to see them on the field is one thing. But watching them interact with other teammates in this sort of setting is going to provide the former Baylor man with superb insight.

Expectations are relatively low for the Panthers during the first year of Rhule’s rebuild. Although there are plenty of players who will be competing for their respective futures during the season. It does have the potential for the roster to go into each game with a more relaxed mindset compared to that of a Super Bowl contender.

This will probably change next season during the second year of the transition. So how the Panthers come together as the campaign progresses will be crucial.

Going on the road is never easy and could go two ways depending on the individual. Some thrive with the prospect of playing in front of hostile crowds. Although this might not even be an option due to precautions relating to the current climate.

Others tend to wilt under the pressure of playing in unfamiliar surroundings. And if the Panthers have too many of them in 2020, it could be a long season.